Punk in Brazil - Late 1970s

Late 1970s

The origins of punk rock in Brazil go back to the late 1970s, as in most other countries mainly under the influence of the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Ramones. However, particularly in São Paulo, more obscure names like Dutch band Speed Twins, as well as earlier protopunk artists such as The MC5, Iggy & The Stooges and The New York Dolls also had a big initial impact.

The Punk emerged from the ideals of the musician Douglas Viscaino, who with the pioneering ideas and unity of young people who fought against the Brazilian military regime formed a band of protest called: Restos de Nada.

The first band appeared around 1978, notably Restos de Nada (meaning remains of nothing). Your musicians already had their punk ideals before 1978. Getting bigger with the passage of the 1970s. Then came AI-5 and N.A.I. (later known as Condutores de Cadáver) in São Paulo, as well as Carne Podre in Curitiba and Aborto Elétrico in Brasília.

Before proper punk groups came along, two relatively famous Glam/Hard Rock bands, Joelho de Porco and Made in Brazil, used elements of the punk aesthetic around 1977/78 and were called punk bands by the media without really playing punk rock music or defining themselves as such. Both bands, however, were important to the pre-punk context of the 1970s that offered few alternatives to the MPB and Progressive Rock artists that dominated the Brazilian music scene at the time. Joelho de Porco's lyrics dealing with São Paulo's urban reality was also influential.