Bossa nova, which translates loosely into “new wave”, developed as a paired down version of the traditional beat of samba, another (more upbeat) Brazilian style that the country is famous for. Beyond bossa nova and samba, Brazil has a varied music culture that continues to innovate and influence artists around the world.

Brazilian music for me, is a passport. I was born in Rio de Janeiro, but by the time I was able to speak in full sentences my parents had already relocated to New York. Their knowledge of American music was limited to The Beatles but their Brazilian discography ran deep. Sunday afternoons were spent at home with my mother, as she played her favorite songs for us to sing-along to. It was in the lyrics of these songs that I learned my literal and emotional Portuguese vocabulary. I learned about heartbreak long before I experienced any romance myself. And there were also history lessons to be had — the Brazilian dictatorship of the 1960-70-80’s was, ironically, a super fruitful time for artistic expression. Artists who stayed in Brazil sang in metaphor while artists in exile started singing in English. If you want to dive into Brazilian music, Caetano Veloso’s English singles, which he recorded in London, are a great place to start. His 1971 album is descriptively titled, London London. Below I’ll list some of my favorites artists that are lesser-known outside of Brazil and my go-to tracks of theirs. Start here and let the music take you elsewhere!

Cassia Eller

Cássia Eller is such a Rio de Janeiro icon that there was even a theatrical musical about her life. She was only 39 years old when she died of a heart attack but she had already brought some real Janis Joplin-esque energy to the MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) scene. For all the astrology lovers out there, listen to her hit, O Segundo Sol. The song title translates to The Second Sun and she makes an unforgettable pun about your phone ringing in your astrological “house” — let’s be honest, when you ask someone what their sign is, what you really want is their phone number.

Arto Lindsay

Ok, Arto Lindsay is American; but his parents were religious missionaries and raised him in the Northeast of Brazil, so he gets plenty of authenticity points. He also gets a total pass for his impeccable Portuguese accent. He is, at least partially, responsible for keeping aspects of Brazilian music at the forefront of the avant-garde music scene in New York; thank you Arto! Start with one of his songs in Portuguese, Seu Pai; it only gets stranger from there.

Lucas Santtana

Building off some of the transgressions of Arto Lindsay is Lucas Santtana. Santtana is bringing all the thoughtfulness of bossa nova and influencing it with electronic music. In this spirit of this sensitivity, he even works with field recordings that transport you right to the crowds of the Brazilian streets. Amor Meu Grande Amor is the perfect example of this virtuosic musical transfusion, taking a Barão Vermelho song from 1996 and making it worthy of playing in a nightclub.

Dona Onete

Dona Onete is from the lesser-known, but enormous state of Para and even served as the secretary of culture for the state. There is nothing I love more than a politician who is also an artist. Although she only released her official first solo album at the “ripe” age of 73, she’s been singing professionally since she was a teenager and even formally studied the musical culture of the Amazon region. Her sounds are a good allegory for the indigenous and multiple diasporas that make up Brazil’s rich sounds. You hear her infectious laugh from the first seconds of her track Jamburana; I dare you not to dance.