Brazilian Rock - 1980s

1980s

Even though the 1960s witnessed the phenomenon of Jovem Guarda and the 1970s saw the appearance of many prolific artists, like Raul Seixas, and bands like Os Mutantes, Brazilian rock's explosion began in 1981 with the first expressions of the Brazilian New wave, later renamed the New Jovem Guarda by the media. The Punk rock already was incorporated but the Ska was the news. The alterations of the English New Wave movement, with its surprising variety of styles, arrived in Brazil through groups and personalities such as the Gang 90 e as Absurdettes, Blitz, Camisa de Vênus, Barão Vermelho, Kid Abelha, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ritchie, Fausto Fawcett, Lulu Santos, Radio Taxi, Sempre Livre, Magazine (from which Kid Vinil would later project his solo career), Marina Lima, Dr. Silvana & Cia., Absyntho, Eduardo Dusek, Kiko Zambianchi, Hanói Hanói, Hojerizah, Engenheiros do Hawaii, RPM, Metrô, Uns e Outros, Graffiti, Musak, Picassos Falsos, Alvin L, Ultraje a Rigor, Legião Urbana, Ira!, Titãs, Capital Inicial, Nenhum de Nós, Dulce Quental, Laura Finocchiaro, Biquini Cavadão, Lobão & Os Ronaldos, Heróis da Resistência, Zero, Violeta de Outono, Fellini, Akira S & as Garotas que Erraram, Neusinha Brizola, Voluntários da Pátria, Gueto, Vzyadoq Moe, Léo Jaime and João Penca e seus Miquinhos Amestrados, Aguilar e Banda Performática. The Rock in Rio took over a million people to "Cidade do Rock" (where the event was held) during the ten days of the event, and established Brazil as a venue for international artists - some artists, like Santana and Queen, had come before this event, but the number of international attractions rose abruptly after Rock In Rio.

From Minas Gerais (State), the instrumental group Uakti was debuting and despite their music not being rock in the classic meaning, their experimental music with the instruments built by the group itself (Anton Walter Smetak influence) started a new era in the Brazilian popular music.

The underground scene had - Post-punk with Jazz, Funk, Folk, Rap, Reggae, Art rock, Dodecaphonic and Atonal experience - experimental bands and musicians such as Arrigo Barnabé, Itamar Assumpção, Susana Salles, Robson Borba, Grupo Rumo, Tetê Espíndola, Eliete Negreiros, Bocato, Patife Band, Tiago Araripe, Os Mulheres Negras, Hermelino Neder - this group was identified as São Paulo Vanguard or "Vanguarda Paulistana", from the beginning of the 1980s. Some "cariocas" (from Rio de Janeiro) representatives of this style are Tim Rescala and Letícia Garcia.

On the other hand had Hard rock, Punk rock and Heavy metal bands such as Vênus from the State of Piauí, Golpe de Estado, Viper, Korzus, Ratos de Porão, Mammoth and Karisma from the State of São Paulo, DeFalla from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Sepultura from the State of Minas Gerais, and Dorsal Atlântica from the State of Rio de Janeiro, from the mid to late 1980s - this last, the pioneer in the unification of this three styles of hard music. But one of the first bands of extreme metal from Brazil is Sarcófago, also from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1985. The female Thrash metal band Volkana, founded in 1987 in Brasília, could compete with a lot of much more known all girl bands in other countries.

This movement is seen as a reflection of the worldview of urban youth who had grown up under a dictatorial regime and faced such processes as industrial expansion. This is the same generation that enjoyed the democratic abertura (opening) and began to absorb rather quickly an infinite amount of new information, previously inaccessible. The universe of that generation appeared rich in diversity, implying a desire to enjoy the present.

In the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s another group that mixes electronic music scene up appeared - in Santos (São Paulo), Campinas, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro cities - Electronic post-punk, Industrial, EBM, Technopop, and the similar genres - and some bands and artists are well known in Europe: Loop B, Harry, Sicilian Unit, Individual Industry, Biopsy, Simbolo, City Limits, Inhumanoids, Morgue, Suba (his album "São Paulo Confessions" is a worldwide milestone to the Electronic music), Tek Noir etc..

It's important emphasize that the history of the record label Baratos Afins became forever intertwined with the indie history in São Paulo and Brazil.

Two musicians and singer songwriters, Renato Russo from Legião Urbana and Cazuza from Barão Vermelho, begun brilliant solo careers from the 1980s to the 1990s, but were HIV fatal victims.