Chico Buarque
Encyclopedia
Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born June 19, 1944 in Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
), popularly known as Chico Buarque (ˈʃiku ˈbwaʁki), is a singer, guitarist
, composer
, dramatist, writer and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, economic and cultural commentary on Brazil and Rio de Janeiro in particular.
Son of the academic Sérgio Buarque de Hollanda
, Buarque lived in several locations throughout his childhood, though mostly in Rio de Janeiro
, São Paulo
and Italy. He wrote and studied literature as a child and came to music through the bossa nova
compositions of João Gilberto
. He performed music throughout the 1960s as well as writing a play that was deemed dangerous by the Brazilian military dictatorship of the time. Buarque, along with several of his fellow musicians, were threatened by the government and eventually left Brazil in 1970. He moved to Italy again. However, he came back to Brazil in 1971, one year before the others, and continued to record albums, perform, and write, though much of his material was not allowed by government censors. He released several more albums in the 1980s and published three novels in the 1990s and 2000s, all of which were acclaimed critically.
. As a child, he was impressed by the musical style of bossa nova
, specifically the work of Tom Jobim and João Gilberto
. He was also interested in writing, composing his first short story
at 18 years old and studying European literature, also at a young age. One of his most consuming interests, however, was playing soccer, beginning at age four, which he still does today. Though he was born in Rio de Janeiro, Buarque spent much of his childhood in Rio de Janeiro
, São Paulo
and Italy.
Before becoming a musician, Buarque decided at one point to study architecture at the University of São Paulo
, but this choice did not lead to a career in that field; for Buarque often skipped classes.
He made his public debut as musician and composer in 1964, rapidly building his reputation at music festivals and television variety shows when bossa nova
rhythm came to light and Nara Leão
recorded three of his songs. His eponymous debut album exemplified his future work, with catchy samba
s characterized by inventive wordplay
and an undercurrent of nostalgic tragedy. Buarque had his first hit with "A Banda" in 1966, written about a marching band, and soon released several more singles. Although playing bossa nova, during his career, samba and Música Popular Brasileira
would also be widely explored. Despite that, Buarque was criticized by two of the leading musicians at the time, Caetano Veloso
and Gilberto Gil
as they believed his musical style was overly conservative. However, an existentially themed play that Buarque wrote and composed in 1968, Roda Viva ("Live Cycle"), was frowned upon by the military government and Buarque served a short prison sentence because of it. He left Brazil for Italy for 18 months in 1970, returning to write his first novel in 1972, which was not targeted by censors.
At this time his thinly-veiled protest single "Apesar de Você" ("In spite of You" - in reference to the military dictatorship) was also produced. ("In spite of you") was overlooked by the military censors, becoming an important anthem in the democratic movement. After selling over 100,000 copies, the single was eventually censored and removed from the market. At one point in 1974, the censors banned any song authored by Chico Buarque. Then, he created a pseudonym
, naming himself "Julinho da Adelaide", complete with life history and interviews to newspapers. "Julinho da Adelaide" authored songs such as "Jorge Maravilha" and "Acorda amor" before he was outed in Jornal do Brasil
news story. Buarque also wrote a play named Calabar, about the Dutch invasion of Brazil in the seventeenth century, drawing parallels with the military regime. Despite the censorship
, songs such as "Samba de Orly" (1970), "Acorda amor" (1974, as "Julinho da Adelaide") manifested Buarque's continuing opposition to the military regime.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he collaborated with filmmakers, playwrights, and musicians in further protest works against the dictatorship. Buarque approached the 1983 Concert for Peace in Nicaragua as a valid forum to vocalize his strong political views. Throughout the decade, he crafted many of his songs as vehicles to describe the re-democratization of Brazil. The Concert for Peace in Nicaragua was one in a concert series known as the "Central American Peace Concerts." These concerts featured various Latin American artists. The political turmoil that plagued this era were expressed in many of Buarque's songs. He later wrote Budapeste, a novel that achieved critical national acclaim and won the Prêmio Jabuti
, a Brazilian literary award comparable to the Man Booker Prize
.
, Buarque wrote about the events which transpired and avoided censorship by using cryptic analogies and wordplay. For example, in the song "Cálice" ("Chalice", or Jesus' Last Supper "Cup"), a duet written with Gilberto Gil
and performed with Milton Nascimento
, he takes advantage of the homophony
between the Portuguese
imperative "shut your mouth" --cale-se-- and "chalice" --cálice-- to protest censorship against freedom of speech by the dictatorship, disguised as the Gospel narrative of Jesus' Gethsemani prayer to the Father to pass from Him the chalice of bloody death probation. The line "I wanna sniff diesel fume" is a reference to the death of political prisoner Stuart Angel
, who had his mouth glued to a jeep's exhaust pipe during a torture session. Buarque was a friend of his mother Zuzu
.
Plays
Film
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
), popularly known as Chico Buarque (ˈʃiku ˈbwaʁki), is a singer, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, dramatist, writer and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, economic and cultural commentary on Brazil and Rio de Janeiro in particular.
Son of the academic Sérgio Buarque de Hollanda
Sergio Buarque de Hollanda
Sérgio Buarque de Holanda was an important Brazilian writer, journalist, historian and member of the .In 1921, he moved with his family to Rio de Janeiro...
, Buarque lived in several locations throughout his childhood, though mostly in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and Italy. He wrote and studied literature as a child and came to music through the bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
compositions of João Gilberto
João Gilberto
João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira, known as João Gilberto , is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. His seminal recordings, including many songs by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, established the new musical genre of Bossa nova in the late 1950s.-Biography:From an early age, music...
. He performed music throughout the 1960s as well as writing a play that was deemed dangerous by the Brazilian military dictatorship of the time. Buarque, along with several of his fellow musicians, were threatened by the government and eventually left Brazil in 1970. He moved to Italy again. However, he came back to Brazil in 1971, one year before the others, and continued to record albums, perform, and write, though much of his material was not allowed by government censors. He released several more albums in the 1980s and published three novels in the 1990s and 2000s, all of which were acclaimed critically.
Biography
Buarque came from a privileged intellectual family background—his father Sérgio Buarque de Holanda was a well-known historian, sociologist and journalist and his mother Maria Amélia Cesário Alvim was a painter and pianist. He is also brother of the singer MiúchaMiúcha
Heloísa Maria Buarque de Hollanda , whose artistic name is Miúcha, is a Brazilian singer and composer. She is the daughter of historian Sérgio Buarque de Holanda by Maria Amélia Cesário Alvim and sister of the singer and composer Chico Buarque and two other singers Ana de Hollanda and Cristina...
. As a child, he was impressed by the musical style of bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
, specifically the work of Tom Jobim and João Gilberto
João Gilberto
João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira, known as João Gilberto , is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. His seminal recordings, including many songs by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, established the new musical genre of Bossa nova in the late 1950s.-Biography:From an early age, music...
. He was also interested in writing, composing his first short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
at 18 years old and studying European literature, also at a young age. One of his most consuming interests, however, was playing soccer, beginning at age four, which he still does today. Though he was born in Rio de Janeiro, Buarque spent much of his childhood in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and Italy.
Before becoming a musician, Buarque decided at one point to study architecture at the University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
, but this choice did not lead to a career in that field; for Buarque often skipped classes.
He made his public debut as musician and composer in 1964, rapidly building his reputation at music festivals and television variety shows when bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
rhythm came to light and Nara Leão
Nara Leão
Nara Lofego Leão was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB singer and occasional actress. Her husband was Carlos Diegues, director and writer of Bye Bye Brasil....
recorded three of his songs. His eponymous debut album exemplified his future work, with catchy samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
s characterized by inventive wordplay
Wordplay
Wordplay is a musician/actor, of mixed British and Black African descent. Gaining worldwide exposure as an actor in 1998 through the Austrian Obscuro Gothic science fiction film "Dandy dust" directed by Hans Schierl...
and an undercurrent of nostalgic tragedy. Buarque had his first hit with "A Banda" in 1966, written about a marching band, and soon released several more singles. Although playing bossa nova, during his career, samba and Música Popular Brasileira
Música Popular Brasileira
Música Popular Brasileira or MPB designates a trend in post-Bossa Nova urban popular music. It is not a discrete genre but rather a constellation that combines original songwriting and updated versions of traditional Brazilian urban music styles like samba and samba-canção with contemporary...
would also be widely explored. Despite that, Buarque was criticized by two of the leading musicians at the time, Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
and Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
as they believed his musical style was overly conservative. However, an existentially themed play that Buarque wrote and composed in 1968, Roda Viva ("Live Cycle"), was frowned upon by the military government and Buarque served a short prison sentence because of it. He left Brazil for Italy for 18 months in 1970, returning to write his first novel in 1972, which was not targeted by censors.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
, naming himself "Julinho da Adelaide", complete with life history and interviews to newspapers. "Julinho da Adelaide" authored songs such as "Jorge Maravilha" and "Acorda amor" before he was outed in Jornal do Brasil
Jornal do Brasil
Jornal do Brasil, widely known as JB, is a daily newspaper published by Editora JB in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was founded in 1891 and is the third oldest existent Brazilian paper, after the Diário de Pernambuco and O Estado de São Paulo....
news story. Buarque also wrote a play named Calabar, about the Dutch invasion of Brazil in the seventeenth century, drawing parallels with the military regime. Despite the censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, songs such as "Samba de Orly" (1970), "Acorda amor" (1974, as "Julinho da Adelaide") manifested Buarque's continuing opposition to the military regime.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he collaborated with filmmakers, playwrights, and musicians in further protest works against the dictatorship. Buarque approached the 1983 Concert for Peace in Nicaragua as a valid forum to vocalize his strong political views. Throughout the decade, he crafted many of his songs as vehicles to describe the re-democratization of Brazil. The Concert for Peace in Nicaragua was one in a concert series known as the "Central American Peace Concerts." These concerts featured various Latin American artists. The political turmoil that plagued this era were expressed in many of Buarque's songs. He later wrote Budapeste, a novel that achieved critical national acclaim and won the Prêmio Jabuti
Prêmio Jabuti
The Prêmio Jabuti is the most important and well-known literary award in Brazil. It was created in 1958 by Edgard Cavalheiro....
, a Brazilian literary award comparable to the Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
.
"Cálice"
During the Brazilian military coup of 1964Brazilian military coup of 1964
The 1964 Brazilian coup d'état names a series of events that occurred on March 31, 1964 in Brazil that culminated with the overthrow of President João Goulart by the Armed Forces on April 1, 1964...
, Buarque wrote about the events which transpired and avoided censorship by using cryptic analogies and wordplay. For example, in the song "Cálice" ("Chalice", or Jesus' Last Supper "Cup"), a duet written with Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
and performed with Milton Nascimento
Milton Nascimento
-Biography:Nascimento's mother was the maid Maria Nascimento. As a baby, Milton Nascimento was adopted by his mother's former employers: the couple Josino Brito Campos, a banker employee, mathematics teacher and electronic technician; and Lília Silva Campos, a music teacher and choir singer...
, he takes advantage of the homophony
Homophone
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose and rose , or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or to, two, and too. Homophones that are spelled the same are also both homographs and homonyms...
between the Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
imperative "shut your mouth" --cale-se-- and "chalice" --cálice-- to protest censorship against freedom of speech by the dictatorship, disguised as the Gospel narrative of Jesus' Gethsemani prayer to the Father to pass from Him the chalice of bloody death probation. The line "I wanna sniff diesel fume" is a reference to the death of political prisoner Stuart Angel
Stuart Angel
Stuart Edgar Angel Jones was an American Brazilian guerrilla fighter captured, tortured and killed by officers of the Brazilian military dictatorship.-Biography:...
, who had his mouth glued to a jeep's exhaust pipe during a torture session. Buarque was a friend of his mother Zuzu
Zuzu Angel
Zuleika Angel Jones, better known as Zuzu Angel , was a Brazilian-American fashion designer, who became famous for opposing the Brazilian military dictatorship after the forced disappearance of her son Stuart. Zuzu was also mother of journalist Hildegard Angel.-Biography:As a child, Zuzu moved to...
.
Discography
- 1966: Chico Buarque de Hollanda (Vol. 1)
- 1966: Morte e Vida Severina
- 1967: Chico Buarque de Hollanda (Vol. 2)
- 1968: Chico Buarque de Hollanda (Vol. 3)
- 1969: Umas e outras - compacto
- 1969: Chico Buarque na Itália
- 1970: Apesar de você
- 1970: Per un pugno di samba
- 1970: Chico Buarque de Hollanda (Vol. 4)
- 1971: ConstruçãoConstruçãoConstrução is a studio album recorded by the Brazilian musician Chico Buarque, in 1971. It represents a great change in the manner of his artistic style...
- 1972: Quando o carnaval chegar
- 1972: Caetano e Chico juntos e ao vivo
- 1973: Chico canta
- 1974: Sinal fechado
- 1975: Chico Buarque & Maria Bethânia ao vivo
- 1976: Meus caros amigos
- 1977: Cio da Terra compacto
- 1977: Os saltimbancos
- 1977: Gota d'água
- 1978: Chico Buarque
- 1979: Ópera do Malandro
- 1980: Vida
- 1980: Show 1º de Maio compacto
- 1981: Almanaque
- 1981: Saltimbancos trapalhões
- 1982: Chico Buarque en espanhol
- 1983: Para viver um grande amor
- 1983: O grande circo místico
- 1984: Chico Buarque (Vermelho)
- 1985: O Corsário do rei
- 1985: Ópera do malandro
- 1985: Malandro
- 1986: Melhores momentos de Chico & Caetano
- 1987: Francisco
- 1988: Dança da meia-lua
- 1989: Chico Buarque
- 1990: Chico Buarque ao vivo Paris le Zenith
- 1993: Para Todos
- 1995: Uma palavra
- 1997: Terra
- 1998: As cidades
- 1998: Chico Buarque da Mangueira
- 1999: Chico ao vivo
- 2001: Chico e as cidades (DVD)
- 2001: Cambaio
- 2002: Chico Buarque – Duetos
- 2003: Chico ou o país da delicadeza perdida (DVD)
- 2005: Meu Caro Amigo (DVD)
- 2005: A Flor da Pele (DVD)
- 2005: Vai passar (DVD)
- 2005: Anos Dourados (DVD)
- 2005: Estação Derradeira (DVD)
- 2005: Bastidores (DVD)
- 2006: O Futebol (DVD)
- 2006: Romance (DVD)
- 2006: Uma Palavra (DVD)
- 2006: Carioca (CD + DVD with the documentary Desconstrução)
- 2007: Carioca Ao Vivo
- 2011: Chico
Other works
BooksPlays
Film
External links
- Vai passar
- O que será Official site
- annotated Chico Buarque discography on Slipcue.com