It is such a huge shame that you have to understand Portuguese to appreciate those songs... this is yet another great evil outcome of having more than one natural language is bad for the world.
The good songs stopped before of just after Ciro Santilli was born, they were originally heard by his parent's generation. Those young new kids are boring.
The place to start is definitely the Holy Trinity of popular Brazilian music:
- Caetano Veloso is arguably Ciro Santilli's favorite MPB artist, he has just too many amazing songs, best ones at: Section "The best Caetano Veloso songs"
- Chico Buarque. Ciro's second favorite.
- Gilberto Gil. Perhaps Ciro likes him third because he is the most lighthearted one, although not always: Section "The best Gilberto Gil songs"
Non trinity songs and artists:
- Tom Jobim
- Jair Rodrigues
- Vinicius de Moraes. Many of his lyrics are poetry. Notably, he has some "children" songs that you think about as an adult and go "oh fuck". For some reason, Ciro can't help but think that he looks like a pedophile, but he doesn't have any scandals apparently, poor dude. He was a drunkard for sure though.
- Aquarela by Toquinho (1983)Source. This is a mega childhood hit, and it never gets old. Amazing. One of the most brutal memento moris ever?
- Xô Saudade by Alceu Valença. Source. From the 1980 album "Coração Bobo"
- Carcará by João Do Vale (1981)Source.From the eponymous album.Carcará by Maria Bethânia (1981)Source. This very good interpretation likely did much to popularize the song.A carcará bird. Source.Carcará by Planeta Aves (2020)Source. A Brazilian bird watcher channel. Interestingly he mentions that the carcará actually knows how to scour post wildfire ares searching for dead animals, as mentioned in the song "it even eats burnt snakes".
- Na Rua, Na Chuava, Na Fazenda by Hyldon (1974)Source.
- Tudo o que você podia ser from the Clube da Esquina album by Milton Nascimento (1972)Source. Anti-Military dictatorship in Brazil song, using the common "you means the dictatorship" technique.Caçador De Mim from the eponymous album by Milton Nascimento (1981)Source.
Honorable mentions:
- As Curvas da Estrada de Santos by Roberto Carlos (1969)Source.Roberto Carlos makes Ciro cringe, it brings back memories of pre-New Year television Galas in the early 2000s at his great aunt's home in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.This is the only bearable song by the artist, as it talks about going down to Ciro's beloved Santos, São Paulo, Brazil from the city of São Paulo, which lies on a plateau of about 700 meters above sea level, a trip that takes you down through the spectacular Serra do Mar tropical rainforest.The mountainous roads of the older road, Rodovia Anchieta there are very curvy, and can be very dangerous when there is fog. The heavy truck traffic to/from the port of Santos makes this even worse.But it also makes everything much more spectacular, as you get closer to the forest, and at slower speeds, with occasional panoramic views of the city.The newer road, Rodovia dos Imigrantes is a straighter, safer and boring alternative to it.Ciro did this many times on bus when he was studying at the university of São Paulo and going back home for the weekend from time to time.A typical view going down Via Anchieta. Source.Going down the Via Anchieta by Silvanio Bus Driver (2022)Source.
- Dança Da Solidão by Paulinho da Viola. Source. Released 1972.