The cult wave of Brazilian music

Suddenly a friend handed me a record to listen to. I put it on carefully and listened attentively to all the tracks, but nothing there evoked any emotion in me. Given my musical upbringing, in which we listened to a record or a song to feel emotional, it became impossible to continue listening.

The reaction of the friend who lent me the CD? 'Listen a little more, I think you still haven't understood his work!' Wait a minute: 'understood'?

I come from a time when we listened to a record without needing to be convinced or explained. But nowadays, in the Brazilian music scene, we see a range of artists who win over loyal followers, bookish intellectuals, who try at all costs to convince us that a certain artist is wonderful. Often, simply because they seem strange, different, or produce horrible arrangements and deplorable sounds, as if they were the great novelty.

I can't reconcile a song where the pose comes before the music itself.

We have a multitude of new, talented, and beautiful artists who defy labels and deconstruct outdated concepts of Brazilian Popular Music (MPB). Bold and uninhibited, names like Tiê, Vanguart, O Teatro Mágico, and others consistently stand out, winning over audiences through talent rather than mere pretension. However, these artists notably prioritize the quality of their work and know how to construct an aesthetic that extends from their sound to their clothing, without sentimentality.

Riding the cult wave, many media outlets, also considered cult, promote these "persuasive" productions to their "hippie" followers, who will wave the flag of cheap eccentricity and try at all costs to win over an audience for their artists.

But beware! If these artists manage to gain a significant number of followers, the cults will soon abandon them, because listening to a popular artist isn't considered cultured; like a bad bar, chosen by a handful of people as an excellent place to discuss the country's problems. But what if the bar owner renovates the place? They'll quickly look for another dive to reaffirm their intellectual supremacy.

Khalil Gibran is a singer, songwriter, and cultural producer.

www.twitter.com/khalilgoch