Baratos Afins
Encyclopedia
Baratos Afins is a long-established Brazil
ian record label and store, based in São Paulo
city.
Baratos Afins is an indie record label operating in São Paulo City, Brazil. It was founded by Luiz Calanca in 1978, first as a record shop and later as a label. The idea for the label came about when Arnaldo Baptista
, ex-vocalist and bassist for Os Mutantes
arranged with Calanca to release his second solo album independently. Thus Baratos Afins history became forever intertwined with the (hi)story of rock in São Paulo. From then on the label released seminal albums by São Paulo's best upcoming underground rock acts: Fellini, Kafka, Vultos, Akira S. e as Garotas que Erraram, Voluntários da Pátria, Gueto, Smack, 3 Hombres and Mercenárias. The compilation Não São Paulo brought together four new bands and was so well received that a second volume was put together. All these bands possessed a heavy post punk influence but Baratos (as lovingly referred to by most record buying fans) did not intend to associate itself with any crowd in particular, and soon released the first heavy metal
albums produced in Brazil: SP Metal, Volumes one and two. These albums included bands such as Korzus
, Salário Mínimo… The albums even caught the attention of an up and coming young band from Minas Gerais
state: Sepultura
.
(Arnaldo's old group and one of Kurt Cobain
´s favorite bands) that were exchanging hands at exorbitant prices among collectors. The PolyGram
label created all kinds of obstacles to dissuade Calanca from licensing the records for release, but, finally, in 1984, Baratos Afins received a batch of all five Mutantes´ albums, thus paving the way for a new generation of rockers (both Brazilian and international) to finally hear one Brazil's first and finest rock bands. Along with os Mutantes the label also re-released long out of print albums by Tom Zé
(one of which was picked up by David Byrne
in Brazil
and taken back to the US and consequently responsible for Tom Zé's discovery in the worldwide music market and his rehabilitation in Brazil's music scene), and Itamar Assumpção
(an Afro-Brazilian singer-composer who managed to mix samba
, funk
and rock
and transform it into an intoxicating new urban sound). His work was originally released on another label but was re-released by Baratos, first in vinyl and then in CD.
collections. The first volume of the series mainly includes bands from São Paulo City, but volume two presents bands from other states and is a feast for those needing a healthy fix of fuzz guitar. The collections proved to be a testing ground for a new underground rock scene in SP populated by bands brought up on a healthy diet of 60's pop rock and 70's punk. Some of these bands proved to be so good that they released their own CDs. Such is the case of os Skywalkers, Mákina du Tempo, Pipodélica and Gasolines. In addition to theses bands Baratos also released an exceptionally fine album by Mopho, from Alagoas state, located in the northeast of Brazil, and a strong contender for best Beatles sound alike band of all time, but with its own updated take on the classic pop sound. All these bands leave nothing to their American and British counterparts. One listen is all it takes for rock aficionados worldwide to agree.
influence with jazz and Brazilian music. His guitar playing was found on some of the most influential music coming out of Brazil in the late 60's and early 70's: the music of Gilberto Gil
, Caetano Veloso
, Jards Macalé, Tim Maia
and Gal Costa
. Together with Arnaldo Baptista, Lanny is one of Brazilian rock's casualties, but he is still capable of making good music which can now be heard on Baratos two new releases.
And that is the story so far.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian record label and store, based in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
city.
Baratos Afins is an indie record label operating in São Paulo City, Brazil. It was founded by Luiz Calanca in 1978, first as a record shop and later as a label. The idea for the label came about when Arnaldo Baptista
Arnaldo Baptista
Arnaldo Dias Baptista is a Brazilian rock musician and composer.-Biography:Born from a lyric singer father and a pianist mother , Arnaldo studied classic piano from 1955 to 1959, double bass from 1962 to 1963, and acoustic guitar from1963 to 1965...
, ex-vocalist and bassist for Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes ) are an influential Brazilian psychedelic rock band that were linked with the Tropicália movement of the late 1960s. It was formed by two brothers and a vocalist, but has gone through numerous personnel changes throughout its existence...
arranged with Calanca to release his second solo album independently. Thus Baratos Afins history became forever intertwined with the (hi)story of rock in São Paulo. From then on the label released seminal albums by São Paulo's best upcoming underground rock acts: Fellini, Kafka, Vultos, Akira S. e as Garotas que Erraram, Voluntários da Pátria, Gueto, Smack, 3 Hombres and Mercenárias. The compilation Não São Paulo brought together four new bands and was so well received that a second volume was put together. All these bands possessed a heavy post punk influence but Baratos (as lovingly referred to by most record buying fans) did not intend to associate itself with any crowd in particular, and soon released the first heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
albums produced in Brazil: SP Metal, Volumes one and two. These albums included bands such as Korzus
Korzus
Korzus is a Brazilian thrash metal band, formed in 1983 in São Paulo. They are one of the oldest and most important bands of the Brazilian thrash metal scene, along with bands like Sarcófago and Sepultura...
, Salário Mínimo… The albums even caught the attention of an up and coming young band from Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
state: Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
.
Re-releases
The label also began a campaign to re-release albums by Os MutantesOs Mutantes
Os Mutantes ) are an influential Brazilian psychedelic rock band that were linked with the Tropicália movement of the late 1960s. It was formed by two brothers and a vocalist, but has gone through numerous personnel changes throughout its existence...
(Arnaldo's old group and one of Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
´s favorite bands) that were exchanging hands at exorbitant prices among collectors. The PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
label created all kinds of obstacles to dissuade Calanca from licensing the records for release, but, finally, in 1984, Baratos Afins received a batch of all five Mutantes´ albums, thus paving the way for a new generation of rockers (both Brazilian and international) to finally hear one Brazil's first and finest rock bands. Along with os Mutantes the label also re-released long out of print albums by Tom Zé
Tom Zé
Tom Zé is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who was influential in the Tropicália movement of 1960s Brazil. After the peak of the Tropicália period, Zé went into relative obscurity: it was only in the 1990s, when the musician and label head David Byrne discovered an album recorded...
(one of which was picked up by David Byrne
David Byrne (musician)
David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and taken back to the US and consequently responsible for Tom Zé's discovery in the worldwide music market and his rehabilitation in Brazil's music scene), and Itamar Assumpção
Itamar Assumpção
Itamar Assumpção , born in Tietê, SP, Brazil. Itamar was a Brazilian songwriter and composer, who stood out in the independent/alternative music scene in the 80s a 90s, especially in São Paulo...
(an Afro-Brazilian singer-composer who managed to mix samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and transform it into an intoxicating new urban sound). His work was originally released on another label but was re-released by Baratos, first in vinyl and then in CD.
In the 90's
Baratos began to slowly re-release its albums in CD form, thus reaching a new audience both inside and outside the country. The label also went back to releasing compilations, mainly the two volume Brazilian Pebbles which showcases garage bands worthy of inclusion in the NuggetsNuggets
- Music :* Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968, a compilation of U.S. psychedelic rock released between 1965 and 1968...
collections. The first volume of the series mainly includes bands from São Paulo City, but volume two presents bands from other states and is a feast for those needing a healthy fix of fuzz guitar. The collections proved to be a testing ground for a new underground rock scene in SP populated by bands brought up on a healthy diet of 60's pop rock and 70's punk. Some of these bands proved to be so good that they released their own CDs. Such is the case of os Skywalkers, Mákina du Tempo, Pipodélica and Gasolines. In addition to theses bands Baratos also released an exceptionally fine album by Mopho, from Alagoas state, located in the northeast of Brazil, and a strong contender for best Beatles sound alike band of all time, but with its own updated take on the classic pop sound. All these bands leave nothing to their American and British counterparts. One listen is all it takes for rock aficionados worldwide to agree.
Jazz Incursion
Baratos also released some rather tasty Brazilian jazz albums by trombonist Bocato (unfortunately still unavailable on CD) and is now releasing two CDs by Brazilian guitar legend Lanny Gordin. Lanny set standards for Brazilian rock guitar that have yet to be surpassed, mixing a heavy Jimi HendrixJimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
influence with jazz and Brazilian music. His guitar playing was found on some of the most influential music coming out of Brazil in the late 60's and early 70's: the music of Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
, Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
, Jards Macalé, Tim Maia
Tim Maia
Tim Maia , born Sebastião Rodrigues Maia in Rio de Janeiro, was a famous Brazilian musician known for his iconoclastic, ironic, outspoken, and polemical musical style...
and Gal Costa
Gal Costa
Gal Costa is a Brazilian singer of popular music.-Early life:...
. Together with Arnaldo Baptista, Lanny is one of Brazilian rock's casualties, but he is still capable of making good music which can now be heard on Baratos two new releases.
And that is the story so far.
Current and former signings
- 3 Hombres
- A Chave do Sol
- Akira S & as Garotas que Erraram
- Alta Tensão
- Alzira Espíndola
- Arnaldo BaptistaArnaldo BaptistaArnaldo Dias Baptista is a Brazilian rock musician and composer.-Biography:Born from a lyric singer father and a pianist mother , Arnaldo studied classic piano from 1955 to 1959, double bass from 1962 to 1963, and acoustic guitar from1963 to 1965...
- Atahualpa Y us Panquis
- Ave de Veludo
- Bagga's Guru
- Bocato
- Fellini