Salve! This is a preview of our bonus episode for paid subscribers!

Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:

"Morro Dois Irmãos", written and performed by Chico Buarque.

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Morro Dois Irmãos, or Two Brothers Hill, is one of Rio de Janeiro's most iconic landmarks, located between Leblon and São Conrado. It takes its name from its distinctive shape: two enormous rocky peaks standing side by side. But instead of simply describing the mountain, he turns it into music. The song's heart lies in the juxtaposition of two different conceptions.

Music, which normally moves through movement, becomes still, while the mountain, which we perceive as motionless, begins to move. That's the paradox at the song's central idea. The original recording also carries the unmistakable sound of late-1980s production, with lush keyboards adding a distinctly atmospheric, almost cinematic quality to the arrangement

Salve! This is a trailer for our bonus episode, exclusive to paid subscribers!

Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:

"Tiro Cruzado" (Ângelo/Borges), performed by Nelson Ângelo and Joyce.

A fascinating prequel to Clube da Esquina, “Tiro Cruzado” captures the sound of a musical world that was still taking shape. Ângelo’s guitar anchors an angular, tense harmony, while Tenório Jr.’s electric piano, Danilo Caymmi’s flutes, Novelli’s bass and Rubinho’s percussion create a restless, almost psychedelic samba. The song would also find its way into Tom Jobim’s repertoire years later, a remarkable endorsement of its beauty and sophistication. In this bonus episode, we explore the story behind “Tiro Cruzado,” its connection to the emerging Clube da Esquina circle, and the musical language that made it so distinctive. It’s also a chance to celebrate Nelson Ângelo, one of Brazilian music’s most inventive and underrated musicians.

In episode #97, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Estudando o Samba. Released in 1976, Estudando o Samba may be Tom Zé’s ultimate concept album: a record that treats samba not as a fixed tradition, but as something to dismantle, investigate, and rebuild. Across its deliberately short-titled songs, he moves from samba-canção to bossa nova, avant-garde composition, microtonality and even homemade instruments, constantly blurring the line between popular and experimental music.

In this episode, we go track by track through the album, exploring its compositions and songwriting, the origins and backstories of the songs, its unusual arrangements and recording techniques, and the ideas hidden behind Tom Zé’s experiments. We also look at the album’s initial rejection, its rediscovery by David Byrne, and how Estudando o Samba became one of the most inventive and influential Brazilian records of its era.

Check Translationsmith for the translation of many songs from the album.

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