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| Brazilian arrangers | |
|---|---|
| Name | Brazilian arrangers |
| Background | music_arranger |
| Origin | Brazil |
| Genres | Samba; Bossa Nova; MPB; Choro; Tropicalia |
| Notable | See section "Notable Brazilian Arrangers" |
Brazilian arrangers are professional musicians who create instrumental and vocal settings for compositions in Brazilian music traditions. They collaborate with composers, singers, orchestras, and record producers across contexts such as studio recordings, radio broadcasts, film scores, and live performances in venues like the Theatro Municipal (Rio de Janeiro), Sala São Paulo, and Canecão. Their work intersects with figures from the Getúlio Vargas era to the Tropicalia movement and institutions such as the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and Conservatório Brasileiro de Música.
Arrangers in Brazil emerged in the early 20th century amid the rise of choro ensembles, the proliferation of radio stations like Rádio Nacional (Brazil), and the growth of recording companies such as Odeon Records and RCA Victor. During the 1930s and 1940s, arrangers worked with artists affiliated with venues like Cassino da Urca and labels tied to producers such as Maysa Matarazzo and Carmen Miranda, while engaging with orchestras including the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira and the Orquestra Tabajara. In the 1950s and 1960s the emergence of Bossa Nova, led by collaborations among figures connected to Copacabana nightlife, shifted arrangements toward intimate ensembles and studio experimentation involving musicians associated with João Gilberto, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and producers working with Elenco (record label). The 1960s and 1970s saw arrangers respond to socio-political currents linked to the Military dictatorship in Brazil (1964–1985) and movements including Tropicalismo, collaborating with collectives around Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil and institutions like TV Globo. From the 1980s onward, arrangers navigated the changing landscape of labels such as Som Livre, festivals like Festival de Parintins, and international exchanges with artists associated with Paul Simon and Sting.
Arrangers translate compositions into orchestrations for ensembles ranging from samba school bateria to string sections used by Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Municipal de São Paulo. They adapt works for performers such as Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, Milton Nascimento, and Caetano Veloso, and collaborate with producers like Roberto Menescal and Tom Jobim to craft recordings for labels including Philips Records (Brazil). Techniques include reharmonization influenced by jazz practitioners linked to Clare Fischer and Herbie Mann, counterpoint referencing traditions of Chiquinha Gonzaga and Heitor Villa-Lobos, and rhythmic layering drawing from samba, maracatu, and baião idioms as performed by ensembles at events such as the Carnaval and venues like Salgueiro. Arrangers work in studio settings with engineers from Estúdio Eldorado and Estúdio Mosh and prepare scores for conductors affiliated with Orquestra Petrobras Sinfônica and choral directors associated with Coral do Theatro Municipal.
Many arrangers became central collaborators for leading performers and institutions: Antonio Carlos Jobim worked with arrangers linked to Elenco (record label) and orchestras like Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira; Roberto Menescal collaborated with artists associated with Bossa Nova and labels like Philips Records (Brazil); Rogério Duprat was a key figure in Tropicalismo alongside Os Mutantes and Caetano Veloso; Eumir Deodato bridged Brazilian arrangers and international acts such as Frank Sinatra and Grover Washington Jr.; Luiz Eça contributed to ensembles connected to Tamba Trio and Milton Nascimento; Guerra Peixe worked with institutions including Centro de Música Brasileira; Wagner Tiso arranged for Clube da Esquina artists like Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges; Alain Pipien and other studio arrangers supported productions at Estúdios Odeon. Other influential names include Radamés Gnattali, Francisco Mignone, Dori Caymmi, Arthur Verocai, Moacyr Silva, Lindolfo Gaya, Jota Moraes, César Camargo Mariano, Rogério Souza, J. T. Meirelles, and Jaques Morelenbaum, who collaborated with ensembles like Quarteto em Cy and performers such as Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, Chico Buarque, Elis Regina, Nara Leão, João Gilberto, Vinicius de Moraes, Marisa Monte, Elba Ramalho, Zeca Pagodinho, Margareth Menezes, Djavan, Roberto Carlos, Gal Costa, Marilyn Mazur, Anna Terra, Bebel Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Paulinho da Viola, Cartola, Noel Rosa, Adoniran Barbosa, Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto Gismonti, Airto Moreira, Milton Cardona, Arto Lindsay, Azymuth, Baden Powell, Edu Lobo, Hermes da Fonseca.
Samba arrangers frequently collaborate with schools and figures tied to Mangueira, Portela (school), and performers like Paulinho da Viola and Zeca Pagodinho, arranging for percussion sections and brass used at Sambódromo. Bossa Nova arrangers work with artists linked to João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Roberto Menescal, and labels such as Elenco (record label), favoring subtle guitar voicings and string textures. MPB arrangers partner with songwriters like Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, and Elis Regina, crafting orchestral and chamber settings for labels like Som Livre and PolyGram Brazil. Choro arrangers sustain traditions associated with venues like Boa Vista (neighborhood) and musicians such as Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, and ensembles recorded by Copacabana (label). Tropicalia arrangers fused electric instrumentation for artists in movements around Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil, incorporating avant-garde techniques informed by collaborations with producers and festivals like Festival de Música Popular Brasileira.
Arrangers shaped the sound of Brazilian popular music through collaborations with global artists and institutions, influencing productions by Paul Simon, Sting, Frank Sinatra, and labels like Warner Music Brasil. Their orchestrations facilitated the crossover of Brazilian styles into jazz clubs, concert halls such as Royal Albert Hall and festivals including Montreux Jazz Festival, while recordings released by EMI Odeon and Verve Records circulated internationally. Arrangers helped codify harmonic and rhythmic templates that informed pedagogues at Universidade de São Paulo and ensembles touring under programs like Cultural diplomacy exchanges involving ministries tied to Itamaraty.
Formal training for arrangers occurs at conservatories and universities such as Conservatório Brasileiro de Música, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade de São Paulo, and private studios like Escola de Música Villa-Lobos. Archives maintained by institutions such as Museu da Imagem e do Som (Rio de Janeiro) and libraries associated with Biblioteca Nacional (Brazil) preserve scores and recordings by arrangers who collaborated with broadcasters like Rádio MEC and television networks such as TV Globo. The legacy of arrangers endures in tribute concerts at venues including Theatro Municipal (São Paulo), academic curricula at departments connected to Fundação Nacional de Artes (Funarte), and contemporary productions by artists on labels such as Laboratório Fantasma and Deckdisc.