Teenpop singer Celly Campello (1942-2003), Brazil's answer to Annette Funicello, was one of Brazil's real rock pioneers. Along with her brother, Tony Campello, Celly was one of Brazil's earliest jovem guarda pop stars, singing cutesy covers of American hits alongside homegrown songs about brotos and brotinhas, beachcombing teenyboppers whose pop culture -- as in America -- was created almost out of whole cloth by an eager, energetic, avaricious recording industry. Regardless of how prefab the whole jovem guarda scene may have been, Celly Campello was one of its finest artists, belting out innocent, optimistic songs with a fine, squeaky voice and plenty of good-natured enthusiasm.
Celly Campello "Estupido Cupido" (Odeon, 1959)
One of the earliest of the ie-ie-ie rockers, the swinging Miss Campello was, I suppose, Brazil's answer to Brenda Lee, Annette Funicello, and other '50s teen idols. She was one of the first, and liveliest, Brazilian rockers, covering North American pop tunes and Brazilian soundalikes. This is a fun album, better than many of the jovem guarda records that would come in its wake. The only stuff that falls flat are the handful of tunes in which she chooses to sing in English, instead of Portuguese, but these are just slow moments in an otherwise cute and bouncy pop record. Recommended!
Celly Campello "Broto Certinho" (Odeon, 1960)
Celly Campello "A Bonequinha Que Canta" (Odeon, 1960)
Celly Campello "A Graca De Celly E As Musicas De Paul Anka" (Odeon, 1961)
Celly Campello "Brotinho Cantador" (Odeon, 1961)
Celly Campello "Celly" (Odeon, 1968)
Celly Campello "Celly Campello" (RCA, 1976)
Celly Campello "Disco De Ouro" (RCA, 1981)
Celly Campello "Series Bis" (EMI, 2000)
A 2-CD collection that covers a wide swath of her career. Includes a hefty chunk of the Estupido Cupido album, along with plenty of other goofy cover tunes and homegrown teen ballads.
Celly Campello "Estupido Cupido (Box Set)" (EMI, 2012)
