Give me a North: Manoel Cordeiro | Pará
Manoel Cordeiro: A Master of Amazonian Musicality.
Música | por Felipe Cordeiro | Portuguese version.
PORTUGUESE
Me dá um norte! Give me a North!
A column about Amazonian music and culture by Felipe Cordeiro.
Foto de capa: José de Holanda
MANOEL CORDEIRO | PARÁ
Foto: XXX
My father, Manoel Cordeiro, is a multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and cultural agitator from Pará. Though I may be biased, I cannot help but state the obvious: he is one of the most important active figures in the music scene of northern Brazil. About to turn 70 years old, the artist has a fundamental legacy if we want to understand the history of the last 40 years of music produced in the Amazon.
Whether in the hundreds of popular albums he produced in the 80s and 90s or in this second and current phase of his career, where he has recorded instrumental solo albums, his work is intertwined with the very trajectory of Brazilian popular music made in the Amazon.
In addition to the album Sonora Amazônia (2013)—whose standout track "Asfalto Amarelo" was featured in the Oscar-nominated Brazilian film Pequeno Segredo—the album Guitar Hero Brasil (2019) dives into Amazonian sounds like Lambada, Brega, Carimbó, and Batuque, with highlights including the tracks "Kalamazoo" and "Curiaú."
In 2016, he and I recorded a project called Combo Cordeiro, blending our guitars and synths over electronic beats. We toured Europe, even performing at the 2016 Russia World Cup, with the track "Tirando Barato" as a notable highlight.
In 2024, Manoel Cordeiro released a critically acclaimed album with Beto Barreto, guitarist of the group BaianaSystem, titled Estado de Espírito.
He also collaborated with the Bahian collective on the track "Palheiro" for BaianaSystem's latest album, O Mundo Dá Voltas (2024). Additionally, a feature-length film delving deeper into Manoel Cordeiro's life and work is set to be released this year.
Oi, eu sou Felipe Cordeiro, cantor, guitarrista e produtor musical do Pará (Amazônia, Brasil) e tive alegria de ter sido convidado pela Bossa pra escrever esta coluna que fala de música popular brasileira feita na Amazônia. Espero que a gente se conecte por aqui e que os conteúdos que eu trouxer te ajude a mergulhar nesse universo musical extraordinário da produção musical do norte do Brasil. Toma um norte!
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Give me a North!: Zaynara | Pará
Zaynara: a cantora paraense é talvez o maior fenômeno artístico popular do norte do Brasil dos últimos tempos.
Música | por Felipe Cordeiro | Portuguese version
PORTUGUESE
Me dá um norte! Give me a North!
A column about Amazonian music and culture by Felipe Cordeiro.
Headline picture: João Pedro Aranha
ZAYNARA | PARÁ
Photo: Carolynne Matos
The singer from Pará,
Zaynara, is perhaps the biggest recent artistic phenomenon in the North of Brazil. She is soaring, magnetizing everyone who watches her sing and perform.
Born in Cametá, a municipality in the interior of the state of Pará, the artist won the “Revelation of the Year” award at the 2024 Prêmio Multishow, in addition to recording hit singles such as "Quem Manda Em Mim," a collaboration with Pablo Vittar (check out the music video!), and "Aquele Alguém" with her fellow native, Joelma, a big fan of the “princess of Cametá.”
In a short period of time, she has performed on nationally recognized TV shows like TV Globo’s Alta Horas and Multishow's TVZ. She has also performed at major Brazilian festivals, such as the Psica Festival, a show recorded and posted on YouTube.
Until very recently, Zaynara was making more independent videos on the internet. One of these videos captivated me and made me invite her to sing with me. After the show, she told me, “It was the first time I sang these songs live.”
I was flattered because it was clear that “Zay” is not ordinary; she has quality, focus, and the spark to be among the greats of Brazilian pop. And that’s what’s happening—she is making history, marking a new generation of artists from the North of Brazil.
I had the joy of recording "Eu Quero Mais" with her, a music video shot on the Ilha das Onças, in the riverside region of Belém. Listen to this track and everything you can from Zaynara; it will always be good, and it will always leave you enchanted.
Just know this: she’s just getting started!
Hi, I’m Felipe Cordeiro, singer, guitarist, and music producer from Pará (Amazon, Brazil), and I had the joy of being invited by Bossa to write this column about Brazilian popular music made in the Amazon. I hope we connect here and that the content I bring helps you dive into the extraordinary musical universe of northern Brazil. Let me guide you!
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Give me a North: Victor Xamã | Amazonas
Victor Xamã: Born in Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon, the rapper has been elevating the prominent hip-hop scene in northern Brazil.
Music | by Felipe Cordeiro | Portuguese version
PORTUGUESE
Me dá um norte! Give me a North!
A column about Amazonian music and culture by Felipe Cordeiro.
VICTOR XAMÃ | AMAZONAS
Born in Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon, rapper Victor Xamã has been elevating the prominent hip-hop scene of northern Brazil.
With verses and rhymes that reflect the existential harshness of living amidst the great challenges of a large city surrounded by the world’s largest tropical rainforest.
His words gain strength through his powerful, deep, and often somber voice—a highly expressive tone that perfectly complements his sharp, cutting lyrics.
With an Amazonian background but a "desire for the whole world," Victor Xamã brings a peculiar cosmopolitanism. He simultaneously pays reverence to his lived Amazonian experience while remaining untethered as he looks forward to the boundless "big world" ahead.
With two EPs (Cobra Coral 2020, Calor 2021) and two albums (Janela 2015, Garcia 2023), Victor Xamã has been gaining increasing recognition across Brazil. He recently performed at Rock in Rio, delivering a show celebrated by both the audience and critics.
In the track Calor, Victor Xamã, alongside another powerhouse of Amazonian hip-hop, Nic Dias from Pará, paints vivid and impactful imagery:"To Brazil, the North is invisible / a tour for foreigners / a playground for crime / the blind can’t see the real enemy."
Victor’s latest album features collaborations with Luedji Luna, Karen Francis, and Gabi Farias, with standout tracks including Oito Correntes, Pelas Ruas da Cidade, and Vigésimo Andar.
Hi, I’m Felipe Cordeiro, singer, guitarist, and music producer from Pará (Amazon, Brazil), and I had the joy of being invited by Bossa to write this column about Brazilian popular music made in the Amazon. I hope we connect here and that the content I bring helps you dive into the extraordinary musical universe of northern Brazil. Let me guide you!
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Follow the Radar Bossa FM playlist on Spotify.
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Give me a North: Patrícia Bastos | Amapá
Patrícia Bastos: Directly from Macapá, in the far north of Brazil, the singer from Amapá is one of the great Brazilian voices of recent times.
Música | por Felipe Cordeiro | Portuguese version
PORTUGUESE
Me dá um norte! Give me a North!
A column about Amazonian music and culture by Felipe Cordeiro.
PATRÍCIA BASTOS | AMAPÁ
Directly from Macapá, in the far north of Brazil, the singer from Amapá, Patrícia Bastos, is without a doubt one of the greatest Brazilian voices of recent times. This is not only due to her clear and precise vocal expression, capable of fascinating anyone upon first listen, but also because of the wealth of cultural information that her extensive discography conveys.
In total, she has released eight albums that exalt, promote, and affirm Afro-Amazonian musical expressions such as "marabaixo" and "batuque," contributing richly to the broader understanding of Black, Indigenous, and Amazonian musical traditions in 21st-century Brazil.
Patrícia Bastos is increasingly securing her place in the imagination of Brazilian music and continues to garner well-deserved recognition: she was the first artist from Amapá to perform at Rock in Rio (2019) and has won the Prêmio da Música Brasileira twice. In 2016, her album “Batom Bacaba” was nominated for the Latin Grammy in the category Best Portuguese Language Roots Album.
This year, the singer released the album “A Voz da Taba”, which carries the rich, Afro-influenced rhythms of the Amapá drums, along with deeply moving lyrics. One of these verses is by the poet Joãozinho Gomes, in the opening track "Jeito Tucuju," where Patrícia sings alongside Caetano Veloso: “Whoever has never seen the Amazon / will never understand the life of a people / of Brazilian soul and color / its riverside conquests / its new rhythm.”
A key song in Patrícia Bastos' repertoire is "Mal de Amor," one of the most beautiful musical laments ever created in Brazil. The song is a collaboration between musician Val Milhomem and poet Joãozinho Gomes and speaks of the mythical origins of “marabaixo”, the foundational rhythm of the state of Amapá.
Hi, I’m Felipe Cordeiro, singer, guitarist, and music producer from Pará (Amazon, Brazil), and I had the joy of being invited by Bossa to write this column about Brazilian popular music made in the Amazon. I hope we connect here and that the content I bring helps you dive into the extraordinary musical universe of northern Brazil. Let me guide you!
RADAR BOSSA FM
Want to stay updated on the latest Brazilian music releases?
Follow the Radar Bossa FM playlist on Spotify.
CONCERTS AND EVENTS
