How Brazil's Music Hid Protest Inside Harmony

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[Calabresa]

One of the best songs that got through the censorship was "Cálice", by Chico Buarque.

The chorus of the song is: "Pai, afasta de mim esse cálice! De vinho tinto de sangue." (Father, move this chalice away from me, Of red wine of blood).

The thing is that "Cálice" has the same pronunciation as "Cale-se!", which means "Shut up!".

So the song is literally asking God to move the "Shut up!" away, which symbolizes the censorship, but at the same time references a chalice filled with "red wine of blood", which symbolizes the torture and death at the hands of the government. I don't know how it got through the censorship, but it did.

[wdazzle]

"Construção" never rhymes, but the words at the end of each line go together because all of them have the same intonation pattern. So it's even more amazing if you speak Portuguese.

[uartaOnda]

I never thought that the Brazilian history is so dificult to explain to a non-brazilian person until now... For us brazilians this is just another thursday

[willyamfernandesteixeira]

"Construção" from Chico Buarque is a masterpiece.
All the song uses alexandrine verses, 12 syllables, ending on proparoxytones at each verse.
It was not random, this was on purpose!
It's poetry, not only music.
Also, the song is about a construction worker, so the rythm tries to give the idea of a construction going on, step by step, one element after the other.
That's genius!

[cuppiesaur]

as a brazilian I can say that you should be SUPER proud of this video because it's super amazing, well presented and researched!

[pedroh.pereira]

A curiosity from Chico's construção: every verse finish in a proparoxytone word, very rare in portuguese language, in a way that the words don't rhyme and yet flow in a very noticeable rhythm. It's a work of genius!

[MrDanMunozMusic]

I'm a Brazilian historian and researcher of the military years, I just would like to congratulate you for the research of this video, you've got it very right even summarizing and trying to adapt to a YouTube content. Never take this for granted because I'm tired of seeing academics that couldn't even reach the level of explaining and comprehending you got it. Congratulations really, amazing content! In music, I am no expert in nothing, but I would also recommend you take a look in the origins of Brazilian music when examined in the correlation with influences it got from the melancholic Portuguese "fados" and the African and Native American rhythms, I'm sure it'll blow your mind!

[leticiacastro]

Charles, please consider activating subtitles in Portuguese so that we can share this video away with our Brazilian fellows. Brazilians have a deep rooted challenge when it comes to recognizing their own value and this video is extremely helpful in order to try to make them see the greatness of this era. Thanks!

[ludoviajante]

So happy not to see so many dictatorship apologists in the comments. It was a dark and terrible time, many people disappeared forever. Unfortunately, some insist on defending the indefensible. Congratulations on the amazing video!

[philipmcp]

As a longtime listener of Bossa Nova and Tropicalia, it's so refreshing to see a piece that explores the political messages within the music of that time. Most US listeners think of bossa nova as sort of cheesy jazz (as its so often been used as a music cue for laughs), rather than the wildly complex and rich creative expression of deeply oppressed people. Well done.

[SteveBluescemi]

Construção is not only one of the greatest Brazilian songs, but one of the greatest songs ever made, and I'm thrilled to see it discussed on this channel. Cornell actually undersells how brilliant the lyrics are:

The story of the death of a construction worker is repeated from three different perspectives, each time becoming increasingly hostile towards the worker. This is accomplished by merely rearranging the last word of each line (which happen to all be three syllable words with the stress on the first syllable). Having the same words but in a slightly different order completely changes the context and meaning. By the third and final verse, the construction worker is completely dehumanized; his death a mere inconvenience. From there Buarque launches into a furious refrain, an invective against the dictatorship for twisting reality with propaganda and bringing harm to its people: "for [all that you've done], GOD WILL REPAY YOU!".

It's a masterpiece lyrically and musically.

[Leonardogborghi]

“Morreu na contramão, atrapalhando o tráfego..” this phrase it’s so poetic cause its also a reference to dying as opposition. A lot of people disappeared during those dark times. Families would be trying to find some awnsers, which obviously never did.. his lyrics got so much layers.. startles me the fact the we almost got hooked by the same sort of poison so recently.. it feels like we were on a verge of new tropicalia once again.

[wagnrsilva]

É lindo ver estrangeiros entender essa fase da música brasileira dentro do contexto. Dá até um fio de esperança.

[DKez]

I don't think I've ever seen a video like this on YouTube that covers politics, history, and how music played such an integral role in it all. Really puts a different perspective on how music can be much more than just what you hear on the radio on your morning commute.

[sunraiii]

I’ve been listening to bossa for the last 20 years and it’s impossible not to pick up on the bitter sadness in many melodic and harmonic motifs, but I have never been able to have a deeper understanding of it. This video is amazing!

[josecamilojimenez]

I'm not brazilian but holy molly, bossa nova is just amazing, the harmonies, the rithm, the lyrics, everything it's just perfect and really different to everything else

[AaronAnaya]

I totally love that you can’t talk about the history of any South American country without a part where the USA intervened and made it worse.

[stephaniemoura]

In português, these lyrics sound like poetry! The translation doesn’t “translate” the amazingly smart choice of words and subtle meanings behind it!

[erikzarko]

As a Brazilian, everytime I listen to Construção I get the chills thinking about the tortured people of that time. This song is definitely a masterpiece!

[beliniitalo]

Eu nunca imaginei que veria um vídeo estrangeiro falando da musica brasileira de protesto dessa forma com tanta visibilidade! Obrigado por mostrar que o BR não é apenas festa.