Novos Baianos F.C., a samba-rock commune documentary

January 24, 2010 10:16 PM

Os Novos Baianos (The New Bahians) played psychedelic rock blended with regional Brazilian folk styles, heavily influenced by bossa nova maestro João Gilberto. In 1972, after recording Acabou Chorare (which went on to top Rolling Stone Brazil's list of best Brazilian albums ), the band moved to a far suburb of Rio de Janiero to live communally, play soccer, and work on the album Novos Baianos F.C. (New Bahians Football Club). In 1973, German television sent music producer Solano Ribeiro to capture their daily life on film. It's around 45 minutes, broken up in six youtube videos: 1 2 3 4 5 6. No subtitles, but you won't need them too much. The audio is spotty, but it gets better.

Via The Good Blood, via Vitrola.

posted by hydrophonic (11 comments total)

Thanks for posting this! I don't know much about Brazilian musical history but I've been in love with the music of the Tropicalia movement, were they considered to be part of that? Or just regular ol' hippie samba-rock futbollers? It definitely sounds influenced...
posted by Juicy Avenger at 12:19 AM on January 25, 2010

Can anybody work out how to get past 1-10 of the list of best Brasilian albums?
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:43 AM on January 25, 2010

For context: explore literally thousands of songs from the 'old' bahian, or perhaps the original bahian, Luis Gonzaga: father of baião.
posted by dongolier at 1:52 AM on January 25, 2010

that's: baião.
posted by dongolier at 1:53 AM on January 25, 2010

UbuRoivas, there's not a page you're missing:

"Elis Regina, Raul Seixas, Tim Maia, Chico Science & Nação Zumbi, Offense to Rigor, Luiz Melodia and other artists are among the authors of the top 100 albums listed in our special article, published in issue 13"

Here's the list, though: http://grandeabobora.com/rolling-stone-brasil-elege-os-100-melhores-discos-de-musica-brasileira.html
posted by CharlesV42 at 5:49 AM on January 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

No, Juicy Avenger, they weren't considered part of the tropicalia movement, but the tropicalia movement definitely opened a space for their kind of sound.
posted by umbú at 6:17 AM on January 25, 2010

Thanks, hydrophonic. This is fabulous footage.

For those of you who don't have the time to watch everything, the song A Menina Dança that begins at the start of part 3 is a classic. Such a great song--tricky to play, but so great.
posted by umbú at 8:18 AM on January 25, 2010

I've always thought it was funny that Rolling Stone Brazil put Os Novos Baianos as the best Brazilian album, snubbing the more influential Tropicalia record. I think it makes sense in that Novos Baianos is the best Brazilian band that fits within Rolling Stone magazine's criteria. At the end of the day, Tropicália was a little too intellectual, compared to the way that the Novos Baianos pulled off sounding at home both when they were playing a samba feel or a jamming out, late-1960s/1970s rock style.
posted by umbú at 8:22 AM on January 25, 2010

I think this just saved my day. Thanks for posting.
posted by condour75 at 8:55 AM on January 25, 2010

Ai, que saudades que tenho agora por meu querido Brazooka. So many of the albums on that top 100 have so many pleasant associations and memories. For example, when number 89 on the top 100 list, Carnaval na Obra by Mundo Livre S/A, I went to watch the band play at SESC Pompeia in Sampa, and it was GLORIOUS.
posted by msali at 2:57 PM on January 25, 2010

(If anyone doesn't know the group and doesn't know where to start, I recommend Preta Pretinha. )
posted by whatzit at 7:59 PM on January 25, 2010