Brazilian Popular Music
Autor: Class of 2007 | Publicado: 2010-10-11T17:59:00-07:00

"Music is  part of the Brazilian soul, and rhythm is in the way people     speak, in the way they walk, and in the way they play soccer (...)Music is a passport to happiness for Brazilians, an  escape from everyday frustrations   and (for most) a hard and difficult material life. 'There's an amazing  magical,   mystical quality to Brazilian music. Their music is paradise' says  jazz flutist   Herbie Mann"(Chris McGowan and Ricardo Pessanha) Música Popular Brasileira, or MPB, literally "Brazilian Popular Music", designates a trend in post-Bossa Nova urban popular music. Signifying much more than the sum of the three words would indicate, "MPB" is a contemporary trend that has brought the world many renowned Brazilian artists. The term can mean either any kind of music with Brazilian origins or a voice and guitar style that arose in the late 1960s. 
As much as bossa nova, MPB was born out of an attempt to produce a  Brazilian "national" music, thus revitalizing traditional styles. MPB  made a considerable impact at that time, boosted by several televised  music festivals, where the acronym was popularized. The beginning of MPB is  often associated with Elis  Regina´s interpretation of the mysterious Arrastão, by Vinícius de Moraes  and Edu  Lobo in 1965, on the nationally broadcast  Festival de Música Popular Brasileira interpreting this song  which won the first prize Gold Medal and Elis won the singing prize.&nbsp;
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Chico Buarque  is a leading MPB singer–songwriter
The conjuncture that created the MPB movement ceased  to exist after 1969, but the acronym has survived, even though with a less  specific meaning. Transforming from a left-wing musical movement, MPB became the core  of Brazil's urban middle-class music, and the term still indicates a  certain aesthetic quality in modern Brazilian music.
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Bebel Gilberto: daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha
Several artists associated with the MPB sound since the 1960s and 1970s  remain active, including Chico  Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Ivan  Lins, Gal Costa, Gilberto  Gil, Chico Buarque, and Maria Bethânia. Younger artists whose work has been  identified with MPB include Maria  Rita, Bebel Gilberto, Marisa  Monte, Vanessa da Mata, Adriana Calcanhotto, Sabrina Malheiros, and Roberta Sá. 

Just to conclude I would like amplify our discussion, not talking just about one style of music, but about its importance in our society -- music as whole.&nbsp; Imagine the world without music... it would be a very quiet  place, don't you think? Music is a reminder of how things once were,  an indication of how things are, and a view of where society is  headed. Music is a direct reflection of the picture of society.  Music can be a way to deliver messages, a poetic medium, a fine  art, or nothing more than a source of entertainment. No matter  what it is used for, music is the perfect art.      

      
After this brief description of MPB, I would like to know your opinion about some topics involving ONLY brazilian music: 
What  kind of music do you usually listen to? Which one(s) do you recommend? (please mention some singers and/or bands) 
How  important is music in your life?
That's all folks. I hope you have enjoyed my post.&nbsp;Marla Sabrina.