Clube da Esquina
Encyclopedia
Clube da Esquina was a Brazilian music artists collective, originating in the Brazil
ian state of Minas Gerais
. It is also the name of a double album from 1972. The album (at least in its American release) is credited to Milton Nascimento
and Lô Borges
.
Clube da Esquina mixes rock and roll
, progressive rock
, bossa nova
and jazz
styles, with Brazilian country music and classical music influences. The Beatles
and the Platters
were also an important influence on Clube da Esquina.
Together with Tropicália, Clube da Esquina is usually regarded as the Brazilian musical movement that achieved the greatest international resonance in the post-bossa nova
period (beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s).
, in the midlands of the state of Minas Gerais, to the capital Belo Horizonte
, looking for work. He settled at the Levy building, where the Borges Family, including Márcio Borges, already lived. One day, after watching François Truffaut
's movie Jules et Jim three times in a row, Milton and Márcio started composing (Milton had already played in some bars of Belo Horizonte): Márcio wrote the lyrics, and Milton wrote the music. Ever since, Márcio has played an important role in the history of Clube de Esquina as a lyricist, mainly together with, at a later stage, Fernando Brant.
In 1972, the first LP was recorded for EMI, Clube da Esquina. It was a double-LP and had a youth group, and it attracted attention because of its engaging compositions, its patchwork of sounds and its poetic richness. The group wrote a part of one of the most important chapters in the history of Brazilian popular music. It drew the attention of musicians from Brazil and abroad with its artistic daring and innovative creativity.
At the time, critics lacked the ability to understand what was happening and made harsh comments about the work. But the album had soon won international recognition and prestige in Brazil. The album and its creators became the head of a network musicians around the world, making it a benchmark of style and aesthetics in contemporary music.
It was followed by another album in 1978 (Clube da Esquina 2), which contained tracks written by artists who were not part of the original group (e.g., Chico Buarque).
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 state of 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...
. It is also the name of a double album from 1972. The album (at least in its American release) is credited to Milton Nascimento
Milton Nascimento
-Biography:Nascimento's mother was the maid Maria Nascimento. As a baby, Milton Nascimento was adopted by his mother's former employers: the couple Josino Brito Campos, a banker employee, mathematics teacher and electronic technician; and Lília Silva Campos, a music teacher and choir singer...
and Lô Borges
Lô Borges
Lô Borges is a Brazilian songwriter, singer and guitarist.He was one of the founders of Clube da Esquina, a music collective originating in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. He co-authored with Milton Nascimento the album Clube da Esquina in 1972, which was a milestone in Brazilian popular...
.
Clube da Esquina mixes rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
styles, with Brazilian country music and classical music influences. The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and the Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
were also an important influence on Clube da Esquina.
Together with Tropicália, Clube da Esquina is usually regarded as the Brazilian musical movement that achieved the greatest international resonance in the post-bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
period (beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s).
History of Clube da Esquina
In 1963 Milton Nascimento moved from Três PontasTrês Pontas
Três Pontas is a city and municipality in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The population in 2007 was 51,121 inhabitants in a total area of 689 km²....
, in the midlands of the state of Minas Gerais, to the capital Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
, looking for work. He settled at the Levy building, where the Borges Family, including Márcio Borges, already lived. One day, after watching François Truffaut
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
's movie Jules et Jim three times in a row, Milton and Márcio started composing (Milton had already played in some bars of Belo Horizonte): Márcio wrote the lyrics, and Milton wrote the music. Ever since, Márcio has played an important role in the history of Clube de Esquina as a lyricist, mainly together with, at a later stage, Fernando Brant.
In 1972, the first LP was recorded for EMI, Clube da Esquina. It was a double-LP and had a youth group, and it attracted attention because of its engaging compositions, its patchwork of sounds and its poetic richness. The group wrote a part of one of the most important chapters in the history of Brazilian popular music. It drew the attention of musicians from Brazil and abroad with its artistic daring and innovative creativity.
At the time, critics lacked the ability to understand what was happening and made harsh comments about the work. But the album had soon won international recognition and prestige in Brazil. The album and its creators became the head of a network musicians around the world, making it a benchmark of style and aesthetics in contemporary music.
It was followed by another album in 1978 (Clube da Esquina 2), which contained tracks written by artists who were not part of the original group (e.g., Chico Buarque).
Clube da Esquina musicians and bands
- Milton NascimentoMilton Nascimento-Biography:Nascimento's mother was the maid Maria Nascimento. As a baby, Milton Nascimento was adopted by his mother's former employers: the couple Josino Brito Campos, a banker employee, mathematics teacher and electronic technician; and Lília Silva Campos, a music teacher and choir singer...
- 14 Bis14 Bis (Band)14 Bis is a Brazilian pop-rock band. The band took its name from Santos-Dumont's 14 Bis airplane.The band was formed in 1979 in the state of Minas Gerais, when the members of two bands, O Terço and "Bendegó" decided to merge...
- Toninho HortaToninho HortaToninho Horta is a virtuoso electric and nylon-string guitar player; his music could be defined as Brazilian music.He has developed his own very personal style...
- Tavinho Moura
- Lô BorgesLô BorgesLô Borges is a Brazilian songwriter, singer and guitarist.He was one of the founders of Clube da Esquina, a music collective originating in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. He co-authored with Milton Nascimento the album Clube da Esquina in 1972, which was a milestone in Brazilian popular...
- Beto GuedesBeto GuedesAlberto de Castro Guedes, , is a famous guitar player, singer and brazilian songwriter.-Biography:Beto Guedes has been playing playing in bands since he was a teenage...
- Wagner Tiso
- Fernando Brant (lyricist)
- Ronaldo Bastos (lyricist)
- Nelson Ângelo
- Márcio Borges (lyricist)
- Flávio Venturini