Barão Vermelho () is a
Brazilian rock
Brazilian rock refers to rock music produced in Brazil and usually sung in Portuguese language, Portuguese. In the 1960s, it was known as , the Portuguese transcription of the line "Yeah, yeah, yeah" from the Beatles song "She Loves You".
Overv ...
band. Formed in 1981 in Rio de Janeiro, it was originally led by songwriting duo
Cazuza (singer) and
Roberto Frejat (guitarist), who assumed the vocals after Cazuza's departure in 1985. Frejat left the band in 2017 and was replaced by Rodrigo Suricato. They are considered one of the most influential bands in
Brazilian rock
Brazilian rock refers to rock music produced in Brazil and usually sung in Portuguese language, Portuguese. In the 1960s, it was known as , the Portuguese transcription of the line "Yeah, yeah, yeah" from the Beatles song "She Loves You".
Overv ...
.
History
Formation
The band, named after
Snoopy
Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. He also appears in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of ...
's "Red Baron" strips, began in 1981, in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, as a literal
garage band
Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...
, when Maurício Barros and Guto Goffi, both studying at Imaculada Conceição High School, got together to play
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
and
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
at the former's parents' house. Guitarist
Roberto Frejat and bassist Dé Palmeira joined them, and the band began to look for a singer. One candidate was singer and guitarist
Léo Jaime from
Goiás
Goiás () is a Brazilian States of Brazil, state located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District (Brazil), Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Ge ...
, who was turned down by the band, because they considered his vocal style "too soft" for their taste.
[Dapieve, Arthur (2000), p. 66] Jaime suggested one of his colleagues at acting class, Agenor Miranda Araújo Neto, more commonly known as
Cazuza, and noted that he was "the son of João Araújo" – a reference that the ''barões'' missed, only later learning that João Araújo was an executive at
Som Livre
Som Livre (Portuguese for "Free Sound") is a Brazilian record company that was founded in March 1969 in order to commercialize the soundtracks for TV Globo (its then parent company) soap operas and later expanded to recording studio albums. , it ...
, one of Brazil's largest
record companies.
Cazuza showed them some lyrics that he had already written, and Barão Vermelho, which had been a cover band until then, began writing their own songs.
They recorded their first album, ''Barão Vermelho'' by Som Livre in only two days in 1982. The album included songs such as "Bilhetinho Azul", "Ponto Fraco" and "Down em Mim." They played in a few concerts in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
and
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
and returned to the studio for a month to record their second album, ''Barão Vermelho 2'', which was released in 1983 and which includes the song "Pro Dia Nascer Feliz".
Gaining recognition
Despite having released two albums the radios refused to play their songs. Barão only gained recognition after
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...
called Cazuza the greatest poet of his generation and played a cover of "Todo Amor Que Houver Nessa Vida", and
Ney Matogrosso recorded "Pro Dia Nascer Feliz". As a result, they were invited to write the soundtrack for a film called "Bete Balanço" in 1984, spreading their fame across the country. This same year they released their third album, ''Maior Abandonado'', which includes the song "Bete Balanço". This album sold more than 100 thousand copies in only 6 months. In January 1985, Barão Vermelho played at
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a biennial Brazilian multi-day music festival held at City of Rock in Rio de Janeiro. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas.
Ten incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeir ...
.
Cazuza leaves
Cazuza had already expressed his desire to pursue a solo career, and had Frejat's support as long as he did not leave the band. However, after some fights, Cazuza left the band for good, taking with him a few songs for his first solo album. Frejat took over as singer and in 1986 the band released their fourth album, ''Declare Guerra''. Though famous artists like
Renato Russo and
Arnaldo Antunes
Arnaldo Antunes (, born Arnaldo Augusto Nora Antunes Filho, September 2, 1960) is a Brazilian singer, writer, and composer. He was a member of the rock band Titãs, which he co-founded in 1982 and left ten years later. After 1992, he embarked on ...
helped compose the album, it did not receive much promotion. In 1987 they released their fifth album, ''Rock'n Geral''. The album received good reviews, but sold poorly, selling less than 15 thousand copies. This same year Mauricio left the band and Peninha entered as a percussionist and Magalhães as guitarist. Barros would return as a guest musician in many Barão albums.
Back on the Charts
In 1988 the band released their sixth album, ''Carnaval'', which mixed hard rock with romantic lyrics. The album was a huge success on the radio, guaranteeing Barão Vermelho the opportunity to open for
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
in Brazil. The following year, with their popularity high, they released their seventh album, ''Barão ao Vivo'', and this same year Som Livre released the collection, ''Melhores Momentos: Cazuza & Barão Vermelho''. The album included rare and previously unreleased tracks such as "Eclipse Oculto" and "Eu Queria Ter Uma Bomba".
In 1990 bassist, Dé, left the band after continuous fights, and Dadi entered in his place. This same year, Barão recorded and released ''Na Calada da Noite'', showing their acoustic side. This album included the song "O Poeta está Vivo" – an allusion to Cazuza, who died a few months earlier due to complications caused by the
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
virus.
In 1991 the band was chosen by the public and critics of ''Bizz'' magazine as the best Brazilian band of the year, and recorded an
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...
. In this same year, keyboardist Maurício Barros returned to the band. The following year they were named the best band of
Hollywood Rock.
In 1992 the band released the albums ''Supermercados da Vida'', which includes the hit "Pedra Flor e Espinho" and in 1994 they released ''Carne Crua'', with the single "Meus Bons Amigos" before Dadi left, being replaced by Rodrigo Santos. In 1995, the band opened for
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
in the Brazilian
Voodoo Lounge shows, and in the following year released an album of
covers, ''Álbum'', with the most successful song being a version of
Bezerra da Silva's "Malandragem Dá Um Tempo".
In 1998, Barão released ''Puro Êxtase'', a
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
-influenced album that became their most successful in the decade, led by the
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
"Puro Extase" and the ballad "Por Você". In 1999 they recorded an album for
MTV Brasil, ''Balada MTV: Barão Vermelho''.
The band entered a hiatus in the early 2000s, so Frejat could focus on his solo career. The band came back to release another album, titled ''Barão Vermelho'', in 2004. The following year saw the release ''MTV ao Vivo: Barão Vermelho'', which includes "Codinome Beija-Flor" a Cazuza song, in which they sampled clips from this song's official music video, so to simulate a duet. In January 2007 the band entered another hiatus.
Discography
Studio albums
* (1982) ''
Barão Vermelho''
* (1983) ''
Barão Vermelho 2''
* (1984) ''
Maior Abandonado''
* (1986) ''
Declare Guerra''
* (1987) ''
Rock'n Geral''
* (1988) ''
Carnaval''
* (1990) ''Na Calada da Noite''
* (1992) ''Supermercados da Vida''
* (1994) ''Carne Crua''
* (1996) ''Álbum''
* (1998) ''Puro Êxtase''
* (2004) ''Barão Vermelho''
* (2019) ''Viva''
Live albums
* (1989) ''Barão ao Vivo''
* (1999) ''Balada MTV: Barão Vermelho''
* (2005) ''MTV ao Vivo: Barão Vermelho''
* (2007) ''Rock in Rio 1985''
(recorded in 1985)
* (2022) ''Barão 40''
Video albums
* (1999) ''Balada MTV: Barão Vermelho''
* (2005) ''MTV ao Vivo: Barão Vermelho''
* (2006) ''MTV Barão Vermelho (1991-2005)''
(box set
A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists ...
with 3 DVDs)
* (2007) ''Rock in Rio 1985''
(recorded in 1985)
* (2022) ''Barão 40''
Members
Current members
* Guto Goffi: drums
(1981–present), percussion
(1981–1989; 2013–present)
* Maurício Barros: keyboards, backing vocals
(1981–1987; 1991–present), occasional lead vocals
(2017–present)
* Fernando Magalhães: rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals
(1989–present)
* Rodrigo Suricato: lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
(2017–present)
* Márcio Alencar: bass guitar, backing vocals
(2017–present)
Former members
* Sérgio Serra: rhythm and lead guitar
(1981–1982)
*
Cazuza: lead vocals
(1981–1985; died 1990)
* Dé Palmeira: bass guitar, backing vocals
(1981–1989)
*
Roberto Frejat: lead and rhythm guitar
(1981–2017), backing vocals
(1981–1985), lead vocals
(1985–2017)
* Dadi Carvalho: bass
(1989–1992)
* Peninha: percussion
(1989–2016, his death)
* Rodrigo Santos: bass, backing vocals
(1992–2017), occasional lead vocals
(2017)
Timeline
Notes
References
*(2000) ''BRock – O Rock Brasileiro dos Anos 80''
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barao Vermelho
Musical groups established in 1981
Musical groups from Rio de Janeiro (city)
Brazilian rock music groups
1981 establishments in Brazil