Brazilian rock'n'roll first hit in the late '50s, at roughly the same time as the beginning of the bossa nova boom... For the most part, the early roqueiros were looked down on, and rock was seen as an inferior North American import that only "kids" could like. Naturally, the music persisted, and found a home in the long-lived television show, Jovem Guarda, which was hosted by the charismatic vocalist, Roberto Carlos. Numerous bands flocked under its banner, and thousands of viewers tuned into the show with the same intense loyalty as shows such as American Bandstand and Ready, Steady Go enjoyed in the USA and England.
Jovem Guarda pop (also known as ie-ie-ie, once the Beatles hit...) was justifiably seen as a cutesy, prefab creation of the international record industry, which was eager to capitalize on the potentially lucrative South American youth culture, as it had in the U.S. and Western Europe. Most of the bands weren't that good, and their best material came from cover versions of foreign pop songs. Still, it was out of this early, commercialized teen scene that the hippie-ish tropicalia movement arose, blending psychedelic rock with the previously-separate bossa nova and samba traditions, along with a subversive new brand of often-surrealistic cultural politics. Despite the greater celebrity (and cultural relevance) of the tropicalia innovators, many of the ie-ie-ie groups persisted well into the 1970s, although most gradually devolved into soft pop outfits, rather than take up the more radical rock stylings of the early-70s counterculture. Here's a quick look at some of the high points (and low) of the Jovem Guarda scene...
Taiguara - see artist discography
Trio Esperanca - see artist discography
Trio Melodia "Jovem Guarda 35 Anos" (Sony, 2000)
Trio Ternura "Trio Ternura" (CBS) (1971?)
(Produced by Raul Seixas)
A cool psychedelic soul-pop album, produced under the auspices of crazed, ne'er-do-well avant-rocker, Raul Seixas, who was just about ready to get kicked off the CBS label himself for greenlighting his own solo album without the label head's approval. Enough about him, though... This album has some great '60s pop twists, LA-style orchestral stuff, cannily blended with driving funk, similar to early Sly & The Family Stone. They later released an album under the name of Quinteto Ternura. Retro fans pay heed: this is an album worth tracking down!
Vanusa - see artist discography
Os Vips "Os Vips" (Continental, 1965)
Os Vips "Os Vips" (Continental, 1966)
Os Vips "Os Vips" (Continental, 1967)
Ronnie Von - see artist discography
Wanderlea - see artist discography
Ed Wilson "Verdadeiro Amor -- Jovem Guarda" (Sony, 2002)
Ed Wilson "Minha Estrada" (2005)
Youngsters "Twist Only Twist/Os Fabulosos" (Sony, 2000)
A CD reissue of two albums, 1965's Twist Only Twist and Os Fabulosos, from 1965...
Zege & The Silver Jets "Zege & The Silver Jets" (Rozenblit, 1972)
An early album by Ze Geraldo... It's fairly clumsy jovem guarda-meets-psych/pop material, in the Roberto Carlos style, but not as well produced or performed. It's okay, though, mostly a curio. There are only a few tracks on here are ones I'd want to come back to and listen to just for fun, including a couple with a Ray Charles beat to 'em... A lot of sluggish, organ-heavy ballads, though, and those are less fun.
Other Brazilian Styles
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