A parallel between Sgt. Pepper and

Tropicalia ou Panis et Circensis

Lauro MellerLauro Meller

The project’s starting point:

Caetano Veloso’s versions for Beatles’ Caetano Veloso’s versions for Beatles’ songs in his 1975 albums songs in his 1975 albums JóiaJóia and and Qualquer CoisaQualquer Coisa;;

His translations for some of the Beatles His translations for some of the Beatles White White AlbumAlbum songs in VEJA magazine (1968); songs in VEJA magazine (1968);

The covers of the albums The covers of the albums Caetano VelosoCaetano Veloso (1969), (1969), JóiaJóia and and Qualquer Coisa Qualquer Coisa (1975);(1975);

The albums The albums Sgt. PepperSgt. Pepper and and TropicaliaTropicalia..

The Beatles’ White Album (1968) and Caetano Veloso’s second solo album (1969).

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Two Virgins (1968) and Caetano’s Jóia (1975) with his first wife Dedé Gadelha

and their son Moreno.

The Beatles’ Let it be (1970) and Caetano Veloso’s Qualquer Coisa (1975).

The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper (1967) and the Tropicalists’ Tropicalia ou Panis et Circensis (1968).

Mikhail Bakhtin’s carnivalization theory:

Dualism, ambivalence;Dualism, ambivalence; The life-and-death cycle;The life-and-death cycle; Camouflage, mask;Camouflage, mask; The rupture of paradigms, hierarchies, and pre-The rupture of paradigms, hierarchies, and pre-

established schemes in order to found a new established schemes in order to found a new perception of the world: “See the world with perception of the world: “See the world with free eyes.” (Oswald de Andrade)free eyes.” (Oswald de Andrade)

The tropicalist group:

Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil (leaders);Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil (leaders); Os Mutantes (Rita Lee, Arnaldo Baptista and Os Mutantes (Rita Lee, Arnaldo Baptista and

Sérgio Dias - the “Brazilian Beatles”);Sérgio Dias - the “Brazilian Beatles”); Rogério Duprat (Maestro);Rogério Duprat (Maestro); Nara Leão (Bossa Nova singer);Nara Leão (Bossa Nova singer); Gal Costa (Singer);Gal Costa (Singer); Tom Zé (avant-garde musician and poet);Tom Zé (avant-garde musician and poet); Torquato Neto and Capinan (lyricists).Torquato Neto and Capinan (lyricists).

Gilberto Gil & Caetano Veloso: the leaders of Tropicalism.

Caetano Veloso as a child, in his adolescence and in 1995 (during the show Fina Estampa).

Gilberto Gil and his sister Gildina in 1951; playing the “sanfona” (accordion) in the 60s; and in the 1980s.

Os Mutantes: Rita Lee (lead singer), Arnaldo Baptista (bass), Sérgio Dias (guitar).

Rogério Duprat: the tropicalists’ George Martin.

Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa.

A heterogeneous group: Torquato Neto(L), Caetano Veloso(C) and Capinan(R); Tom Zé; and Nara Leão.

The tropicalists’ main influences: João Gilberto, the “father of Bossa Nova”;João Gilberto, the “father of Bossa Nova”; The Beatles The Beatles (especially by Gilberto Gil and Os Mutantes);(especially by Gilberto Gil and Os Mutantes); Oswald de Andrade (Cultural Oswald de Andrade (Cultural AnthropophagyAnthropophagy);); José Celso Martinez Corrêa (theatre director; José Celso Martinez Corrêa (theatre director; poetic violencepoetic violence););

The Jovem Guarda Movement;The Jovem Guarda Movement; Poesia Concreta (“Concrete Poetry” by Augusto & Haroldo de Poesia Concreta (“Concrete Poetry” by Augusto & Haroldo de

Campos, and Décio Pignatari);Campos, and Décio Pignatari); Cinema Novo (Glauber Rocha);Cinema Novo (Glauber Rocha); Hélio Oiticica (painter & sculpturer);Hélio Oiticica (painter & sculpturer); Protest songs by Chico Buarque, Geraldo Vandré, and others Protest songs by Chico Buarque, Geraldo Vandré, and others

(motivated by the Military Dictatorship).(motivated by the Military Dictatorship).

João Gilberto: the man who created the Bossa Nova style.

“Jovem Guarda” (Young Guard): the Brazilian version of “yeah yeah yeah”, whose leader, Roberto Carlos, became the most

famous romantic singer in Brazil to this day.

Some hints of the Beatles’ influence on the tropicalists: Sérgio Dias (Os Mutantes) playing the sitar; Caetano Veloso

and Nara Leão chat as George, John and Ringo watch.

Oswald de Andrade (on a canvas by modernist painter Tarsila do Amaral), the poet who launched the

Anthropophagy Journal (cover of 1st edition, 1928).

The Antropophagical Ritual: The Tupinambá tribe devouring an enemy.

The goal of Tropicalism:

To redefine the historical image of To redefine the historical image of Brazil (written by the Europeans) by Brazil (written by the Europeans) by

building up the Brazilians’ self-building up the Brazilians’ self-esteem and by re-elaborating (and not esteem and by re-elaborating (and not

merely copying) the cultural merely copying) the cultural influences from abroad. influences from abroad.

(Anthropophagy)(Anthropophagy)

Gilberto Gil singing “Domingo no Parque” and Caetano Veloso interpreting “Alegria, alegria” at the popular TV

Festivals in the 1960s.

Caetano Veloso (vocal) and Gilberto Gil (guitar) at a Tropicalist performance

Anarchy at “Divino, maravilhoso”, the Tropicalists’ TV programme.

Meetings to discuss Panis et Circensis; and the album release in July 1968.

Parallels between Sgt. Pepper and Panis et circensis

Conceptual albumConceptual album Underlying themeUnderlying theme No intervals between tracksNo intervals between tracks Blend of stylesBlend of styles Rupture of paradigmsRupture of paradigms Festive ambienceFestive ambience Cyclical structureCyclical structure Ironical toneIronical tone

Liverpool Echoes in Brazil: Zé Ramalho’s album “Nação Nordestina” (2000).

prlauro@bh.estacio.br