The 10 best songs ever sung in Portuguese
Aaaand we’re back by Portuguese demand!
10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nBM03Pd3fs
And they’re back again. They never left, they’re always with us. Manel, Peixe and friend’s melancholy returns with verses that would punch Shakespeare right in the face!
9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6DqvxYcBtQ
Now for a bit of samba with the beautiful and talented Roberta Sá, borrowing one of Chico Buarque’s classics. A must-hear for those familiar with Brazil’s songbook and the ones that don’t know shit about samba.
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaYrbRCnkWk
Portugal is a world-lovin’ badass (check out the 16th century everyone) so it’s no surprise to anyone that we’re including a bit of mestizo explosion in this bag. ‘World Massala’ is fusion, is la musique around Brazil, Morocco, Senegal, India, Jamaica, Cuba, Congo, Cape Verde, is Portugal and its creoles showing us that the language is a work in progress, a dynamic process that must find echo through quarter and eight-notes!
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNnsVchLNDg
Heróis do Mar, a sonic boom triggered during the 80s, was regarded as right-wing cheap propaganda but if you could grab any of its songs you would turn right, left, downwards and upwards anytime! It’s not mainstream, it might not be radio friendly but it talks about Portugal in a way that no other band has done before or since.
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpFEn24TyuA
If you’re Portuguese, whatever your age is, this song will give you the chills. At 71, Godinho is still a lyrical force to be reckoned with. He’s got his eyes on the present and his heart on our years to come. Or maybe it should be the other way around… probably not his ‘best work’ as you would expect but Godinho’s average song still beats 90% of today’s Portuguese wannabes that got tons of flash but absolutely no soul.
I can’t find no better storyteller than Sérgio in Portugal’s songbook.
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ForsqI_fNI
The fun-lovin’, bourbon-camel, swing-master Mr. Palma still rocks the fucking house, anytime, anywhere. Palma, contrary to other Portuguese ‘Gandalf musicians’ such as Xutos or GNR, doesn’t rely on the ‘greatest hits’ format despite his 66 ‘bottles of Daniel’s’.
He still powers up loads of ‘live stage ki’, shares energy and surrounds himself with Portugal’s top musicians. ‘Frágil’ is the cherry on top of a fucking jazzy n’loud cheesecake.
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENABccBiFMA
I actually dunno who wrote this but nobody performed it better than Elis Regina’s ‘echo’, Maria Rita. A different singer with tons of soul and feeling who recorded ‘Segundo’, an instant classic, in a live studio alongside virtuosos Cuca Teixeira (drums) and Sylvinho Mazzucca on bass.
Rhythmically daring, emotionally captivating, this is MPB not for dummies but for true lovers of the Brazilian art.
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt1jMWVvcqg
“How on earth could this not be #1?”. STFU, I’m calling the shots here!
Well, you just can’t say a lot about this. You can imagine Vicente, Camões or Pessoa singing along this Portuguese stallion while jumping hurdles of folk, classical or just mainstream pop. Madredeus have played in North Korea, launched more than 14 albums and, without a fucking doubt, in the Portuguese podium of sonic greatness!
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi4_y6MVmP8
I’ll admit that I’m not a Fado expert — it’s not mandatory in the Portuguese passport btw, just like the must be a Ronaldo fanboy — but this song got to me through… a BBC world music compilation! Mariza, still a nobody at the time, sings this Carlos do Carmo (hope I got this one right!) fado in her unique tone, adding hints of traditional folk along the way that make it so darn emotional that you must hold your tears. Mariza found her voice somewhere around this album and the next — what is this, maybe 2001… — and you could sense that she was already packing arenas in Australia and the US while Portugal was still listening to horseshit on the radio…
When a dude like José Cid spits an album that rivals the likes of Pink Floyd, King Crimson or Yes you… must hear it from 0:00:00 to the fucking album end! And hit repeat all! And then repeat one! (do these buttons even exist anymore?!)
The guy from Chamusca doesn’t sing a lot in this tune. And we’re okay with that!
Still the best prog rock ever recorded in Portugal. #musthearnow!
