Drawing on traditional music, pop culture, kitsch, rock and modernist poetry to mention just a few of their sources of inspiration, the short-lived Tropicália movement in late 1960s Brazil was provocative and anti-authoritarian. Perhaps most importantly it represented a uniquely Brazilian aesthetic that could only have emerged from that country’s specific culture and history. The movement’s leading lights were eventually arrested by the military regime that governed Brazil at the time, and exiled to London. But Tropicália paved the way for other performers to demand artistic freedom. With the help of musical examples, Rajan Datar and guests will explore what made Tropicália so disruptive. Joining Rajan will be singer Mônica Vasçoncelos and guitarist Gui Tavares, social scientist Professor Liv Sovik from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, who’s published widely on Tropicália, including a collection of essays entitled Tropicália Rex: Popular music and Brazilian culture; and David Treece, Emeritus professor of Portuguese at King’s College, London, who’s written extensively on Brazilian popular music, including the book Brazilian Jive: From Samba to Bossa and Rap. Produced by Fiona Clampin for the BBC World Service (Image: Gilberto Gil in The Unique Concert at The Reunion in France. Credit: IMAZ PRESS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Picture the scene.
A snake hipped, long haired young man dressed in a green plastic outfit with a necklace made of electrical cords takes to the stage.
Accompanied by raucous electric guitars and drums.
He begins to sing.
When he reaches the chorus, he borrows a phrase from the student protests in France of May 1968.
It's forbidden.
But this isn't Paris.
This is Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where a military regime is in power and artists and musicians will soon be the target of a brutal crackdown on the freedom of expression.
The highly charged young audience had not expected what they were hearing from the singer, who was being deliberately provocative.
They start jeering.
The singer then turns on the crowd and pours scorn on their tastes, their values and everything they stand for.
It was a significant episode in the history of Tropicalia, or Tropicalismo, a disruptive artistic and cultural movement in the late 1960s in Brazil.
Although it lasted barely two years, Tropicalia's impact went way beyond Brazilian culture and society.
Hello, I'm Rajan Dattar and you're listening to the Forum from the BBC World Service.
And joining me to share their knowledge of Tropicalia are three expert guests in Brazil is Liv Sovic, professor at the School of Communication of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
She's published widely on Tropicalia, including a collection of essays entitled Tropicalia Rex Brazilian Popular Music and Culture.
In the studio with me is David Treece, emeritus Professor of Portuguese at King's College London, who's written extensively on Brazilian popular music, including the book Brazilian Jive From Samba to Bossa Unwrap.
And we're also joined by two musicians originally from Brazil, singer and journalist Monica Vasconcellos and guitarist Guy Tavares.
And I think the two of you are going to start proceedings with some music to set us up for what we're going to be talking about.
So, Monica, tell us what we're going to.