English – the new Portuguese?
By Sean Chaffin, Editor/Senior Writer
Last Updated: October 14, 2009; 9:20 pm CT
English may be the new Portuguese to Brazil’s newer bands. A new generation of Brazilian musicians are often preferring to record many of their songs in English.
And according to Top 40 Charts that trned is obvious in this year’s nominees MTV Brazil’s Video Music Awards, which were held Oct. 2. Several categories including Artist of the Year, Best Video clip and Revelation featured musicians singing in English.
Brazilians singing in English is nothing new and artists like Carmen Miranda, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Djavan, Caetano Veloso, and Ivan Lins have all produced English works. As the article notes, several modern Brazilian bands find success outside their native countries before finding an audience within Brazil. Rock bands, such as heavy metal act Sepultura, have found success writing in English and reaching out to a global audience first.
One question comes to mind. Will the reverse ever prove true – English-speaking singers recording in Portuguese? What do you think?
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Adam Gifoni Says:
Everybody else in the world is doing and has been doing for a long, long time – recording in English. Look at Shakira. She would have still been struggling in Colombia if not “crossing over” to the english language, although her big break came in the first Latin Grammy Awards, where she ” lipsynched”to her hit “Ojos Asi”. That performance alone opened her the doors to the world.
Brazil had and has much more prominent ambassadors. Look at Caetano, Djavan, Gil, etc. etc. Gal Costa tried, since London, London, but I don’t know if it’s for laziness or just lack of interest. Her Chet Baker renditions are, at best, pityful. Don’t get me wrong, I live in Florida and, everytime she’s at the Blue Note, at the Village, NYC, I’m there.
Another great example? Basia, the unique polish singer, who dabs in portuguese sambas here and there to great success. Had to record in english to “discover” the
world.
I forgot to introduce myself. I was born in Fortaleza, Ceara, been here in the US for 25 years and I’m in the aluminum fabrication business. And I love music.
Posted on October 17th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
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Posted on November 9th, 2009 at 1:55 am