Nara Leão -

Nara Leão (January 19, 1942 — June 7, 1989) was a Brazilian singer and actress who carried Rio bossa nova repertory into samba, protest song, Tropicália-linked material, and later MPB.

She made her album debut with the 1964 Elenco release Nara and built her mid-Sixties profile on Philips with Opinião de Nara and O Canto Livre de Nara. Her signature hits include “Diz Que Fui por Aí,” “Opinião,” “A Banda,” “João e Maria,” and “Nasci Para Bailar.” Subsequent milestones include her 1971 double-album Dez Anos Depois and 1977 collaborative set Os Meus Amigos São um Barato.

Background

She was born Nara Lofego Leão in Vitória, Espírito Santo. At age 12, she got her first guitar from her father, who thought that music would help her be more outgoing.

Leão studied under composer Patricio Teixeira and classical guitarist Solon Ayala. As a teenager, she sang and performed with some of the nation’s leading figures in bossa nova, including João Gilberto, Vinicius de Moraes, and Antônio Carlos Jobim. In 1963, she toured with rising star Sérgio Mendes.

Nara

Nara Leão released her self-titled debut album in February 1964 on Elenco.

Leão leads the twelve-title set with arrangements by Lindolfo Gaya. Moacir Santos arranged “Nanã,” the closing piece. Geraldo Vespar plays the named guitar feature on “Diz Que Fui Por Aí.” Baden Powell takes the same role on “Vou Por Aí.”

“Feio não é bonito” pivots from a major-key opening to a minor-key second section, then raises its repeated theme through chromatic inner voices. “Canção da Terra” sways on an Afro-derived cadence with blue-colored turns. “Diz que Fui por Aí” saunters at a light pace. “O Sol Nascerá” glides with the same unforced step.

A1. “Marcha da Quarta-Feira de Cinzas” [Ash Wednesday March] (2:56) – Carlos Lyra, Vinicius de Moraes
A2. “Diz Que Fui Por Aí” [Say I Went That Way] (2:04) – Zé Keti, Hortênsio Rocha
A3. “O Morro (Feio, Não É Bonito)” [The Hill (Ugly Is Not Beautiful)] (3:04) – Carlos Lyra, Gianfrancesco Guarnieri
A4. “Canção da Terra” [Song of the Land] (3:06) – Edu Lobo, Ruy Guerra
A5. “O Sol Nascerá (A Sorrir)” [The Sun Will Rise (Smiling)] (2:56) – Cartola, Elton Medeiros
A6. “Luz Negra” [Black Light] (2:30) – Nelson Cavaquinho, Amâncio Cardoso

B1. “Berimbau” (2:32) – Baden Powell, Vinicius de Moraes
B2. “Vou Por Aí” [I’ll Go That Way] (2:02) – Baden Powell, Aloysio de Oliveira
B3. “Maria Moita” (2:40) – Carlos Lyra, Vinicius de Moraes
B4. “Réquiem Para Um Amor” [Requiem for a Love] (3:27) – Edu Lobo, Ruy Guerra
B5. “Consolação” [Consolation] (2:41) – Baden Powell, Vinicius de Moraes
B6. “Nanã (Coisa Nº 5)” [Nanã (Thing No. 5)] (2:03) – Moacir Santos, Mário Telles

Leão recorded Nara at Riosom with producer Aloysio de Oliveira and recording engineer Norman Sternberg. José Delphino Filho assisted the artistic direction, and Peter Keller served as production manager.

Nara appeared in an Elenco sleeve with layout by Cesar G. Villela and photography by Francisco Pereira. The 1994 CD adds “Promessas de Você” and “É Tão Triste Dizer Adeus,” two 1962 Nelson Lins e Barros–Carlos Lyra titles with Lyra on voice.

O canto livre de Nara

Nara Leão released her third album, O canto livre de Nara, in May 1965 on Philips.

The twelve-title album pairs Luiz Eça arrangements with Dori Caymmi production. The repertory reaches from Cinema Novo film material to mid-sixties Brazilian song, with João do Vale, Zé Keti, and Dorival Caymmi among the named sources.

“Corisco” slackens the canto into a slower, stylized accompaniment, with vowel extensions and long phrase endings set against the ensemble. The break after “O sertão vai virar mar” leaves Nara’s reverbed voice exposed before the accompaniment returns. “Carcará” cuts the medium-low vocal weight into consonant accents, with sharper rhythmic edges and elongated phrase endings.

A1. “Corisco” (2:44) – Sérgio Ricardo, Glauber Rocha
A2. “Samba da Legalidade” [Samba of Legality] (2:09) – Carlos Lyra, Zé Keti
A3. “Não Me Diga Adeus” [Don’t Tell Me Goodbye] (2:37) – Paquito, Luis Soberano, João Correia da Silva
A4. “Uricuri (Segredo do Sertanejo)” [Uricuri (Secret of the Sertanejo)] (2:33) – João do Vale, José Cândido
A5. “Canto Livre” [Free Song] (2:17) – Bené Nunes, Dulce Nunes
A6. “Suíte dos Pescadores” [Fishermen’s Suite] (6:20) – Dorival Caymmi

B1. “Carcará” (1:50) – João do Vale, José Cândido
B2. “Malvadeza Durão” [Hard Malice] (2:18) – Zé Keti
B3. “Aleluia” [Hallelujah] (2:17) – Edu Lobo, Ruy Guerra
B4. “Nega Dina” (1:37) – Zé Keti
B5. “Minha Namorada” [My Girlfriend] (4:15) – Carlos Lyra, Vinicius de Moraes
B6. “Incelença” [Funeral Chant] (4:00) – traditional

Leão recorded O canto livre de Nara with producer Dori Caymmi and engineer Sylvio Rabello. Luiz Eça arranged all twelve titles.

Jânio de Freitas designed and photographed the sleeve. Ferreira Gullar wrote the back-cover text. A 2002 CD edition appeared on Universal.

Vento de maio

Nara Leão released her sixth album, Vento de maio, in May 1967 on Philips.

Leão sings twelve titles arranged between Dori Caymmi and Lindolfo Gaya. Caymmi arranged five titles; Gaya arranged the remaining seven. Gilberto Gil joins Leão on “Noite dos Mascarados,” one of four Chico Buarque songs. Sidney Miller supplies five titles, including “A Praça” and “Passa Passa Gavião.”

“Com Açúcar, Com Afeto” sets Nara’s line beside a flute line. “Vento de Maio” sways with a mild, relaxed step. “Fui Bem Feliz” starts unaccompanied, adds matchbox taps, then widens into roda. “Um Chorinho” compresses Nara’s phrase into a nearly breathless run. “Passa, Passa Gavião” darkens at the opening, then shifts to a martial beat.

A1. “Quem Te Viu, Quem Te Vê” [Who Saw You, Who Sees You] (4:20) – Chico Buarque
A2. “Com Açúcar e Com Afeto” [With Sugar and Affection] (3:45) – Chico Buarque
A3. “Noite dos Mascarados” [Night of the Masked] (2:30) – Chico Buarque
A4. “Vento de Maio” [May Wind] (2:04) – Gilberto Gil, Torquato Neto
A5. “Maria Joana” (1:35) – Sidney Miller
A6. “A Praça” [The Square] (2:15) – Sidney Miller

B1. “O Circo” [The Circus] (3:18) – Sidney Miller
B2. “Morena do Mar” [Morena of the Sea] (1:48) – Dorival Caymmi
B3. “Fui Bem Feliz” [I Was Very Happy] (2:03) – Sidney Miller, Jorginho
B4. “Rancho das Namoradas” [Sweethearts’ Rancho] (2:26) – Ary Barroso, Vinicius de Moraes
B5. “Um Chorinho” [A Little Choro] (2:03) – Chico Buarque
B6. “Passa Passa Gavião” [Pass, Pass, Hawk] (2:13) – Sidney Miller

Vento de maio credits Augusto Rodrigues with the cover and Chico Buarque with liner notes. Universal Music reissued the album on CD in 2002 with “A Estrada e o Violeiro” as an added Sidney Miller title.

Nara Leão

Nara Leão released her self-titled eighth album in August 1968 on Philips.

Rogério Duprat arranged and directed the twelve-title set, which places Caetano Veloso and Torquato Neto material beside songs by Custódio Mesquita, Lamartine Babo, Ernesto Nazareth, Villa-Lobos, and Alberto Nepomuceno. “Lindonéia” uses the same recording that also appears on Tropicália ou Panis et Circencis. MPB4 joins Leão on the closing “Tema de ‘Os Inconfidentes.’”

“Lindonéia” bends through contoured turns while strings and woodwinds sit under Nara’s breath-soft vocal line. “Mamãe, Coragem” moves from orchestral song form into a sudden still point.

A1. “Lindonéia” (2:12) – Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil
A2. “Quem É?” [Who Is It?] (2:19) – Custódio Mesquita, Joracy Camargo
A3. “Donzela Por Piedade Não Perturbes” [Maiden, For Pity’s Sake, Do Not Disturb] (3:06) – J. S. Arvelos
A4. “Mamãe, Coragem” [Mama, Courage] (2:40) – Caetano Veloso, Torquato Neto
A5. “Anoiteceu” [Night Fell] (2:36) – Francis Hime, Vinicius de Moraes
A6. “Modinha (Serestas – Peça Nº 5)” [Modinha (Serenades – Piece No. 5)] (2:16) – Villa-Lobos, Manuel Bandeira

B1. “Infelizmente” [Unfortunately] (2:34) – Lamartine Babo, Ari Pavão
B2. “Odeon” (2:45) – Ernesto Nazareth, Vinicius de Moraes
B3. “Mulher” [Woman] (2:21) – Custódio Mesquita, Sady Cabral
B4. “Medroso de Amor” [Afraid of Love] (2:42) – Alberto Nepomuceno, Juvenal Galeno
B5. “Deus Vos Salve Esta Casa Santa” [God Save This Holy House] (3:00) – Caetano Veloso, Torquato Neto
B6. “Tema de ‘Os Inconfidentes’” [Theme From Os Inconfidentes] (2:25) – Chico Buarque, Cecília Meireles

Leão recorded Nara Leão with producer Manoel Barenbein and sound engineer José Carlos. The sleeve credits João Kibelkstis with cover design and Pedro Moraes with photography.

Universal Music and Mercury reissued Nara Leão on CD in 2002. The edition adds “Festa,” a Dori Caymmi–Nelson Motta title, and “Linha 12,” a Juarez de Souza–Antonio E. Motta title with Jorge Neri on guest voice.

Dez anos depois

Nara Leão released her tenth album, the two-record Dez anos depois, in April 1971 on Polydor.

The original two-LP sequence separates the arranged Nara disc from the Paris-recorded 10 anos depois disc. Roberto Menescal produced the set and arranged much of the Rio material, with selected arrangements by Luiz Eça and Rogério Duprat. Tuca arranges the Paris disc on guitar and piano. The repertory draws mostly from Jobim partnerships with Vinicius de Moraes, Newton Mendonça, Chico Buarque, Dolores Duran, and Aloysio de Oliveira.

“Insensatez” slides under Nara’s double-tracked line, with the voice held close to the acoustic accompaniment. “Samba De Uma Nota Só” flickers through multi-tracked guitar notes before its brisk sung section. “Retrato Em Branco E Preto” sinks into echo and reverberant voicing. “Fotografia” pares the arrangement to voice and plucked accompaniment. “Você E Eu” lingers in the same close-set setting. “Bonita” keeps the voice inside a sparse acoustic field. “Vou Por Aí” threads flute through the added Rio arrangement. “Primavera” turns into Rogério Duprat’s ornate orchestration.

A1. “Por Tôda Minha Vida” [For All My Life] (4:08) – Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes
A2. “Desafinado” [Out of Tune] (2:49) – Tom Jobim, Newton Mendonça
A3. “Minha Namorada” [My Girlfriend] (3:07) – Carlos Lyra, Vinicius de Moraes
A4. “Rapaz de Bem” [Respectable Young Man] (1:53) – Johnny Alf
A5. “Vou Por Aí” [I’ll Go That Way] (2:03) – Baden Powell, Aloysio de Oliveira
A6. “O Amor em Paz” [Love in Peace] (3:26) – Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes

B1. “Sabiá” [Thrush] (2:50) – Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque
B2. “Meditação” [Meditation] (2:18) – Tom Jobim, Newton Mendonça
B3. “Primavera” [Spring] (3:08) – Carlos Lyra, Vinicius de Moraes
B4. “Este Seu Olhar” [That Look of Yours] (2:33) – Tom Jobim
B5. “Outra Vez” [Once Again] (3:24) – Tom Jobim
B6. “Demais” [Too Much] (2:40) – Tom Jobim, Aloysio de Oliveira

C1. “Insensatez” [Foolishness] (2:36) – Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes
C2. “Samba de Uma Nota Só” [One-Note Samba] (2:09) – Tom Jobim, Newton Mendonça
C3. “Retrato em Branco e Prêto” [Portrait in Black and White] (2:37) – Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque
C4. “Corcovado” (2:36) – Tom Jobim
C5. “Garôta de Ipanema” [The Girl From Ipanema] (2:23) – Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes
C6. “Pois É” [So It Is] (2:25) – Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque

D1. “Chega de Saudade” [No More Saudade] (2:03) – Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes
D2. “Bonita” (4:11) – Tom Jobim, Ray Gilbert
D3. “Você e Eu” [You and I] (2:18) – Carlos Lyra, Vinicius de Moraes
D4. “Fotografia” [Photograph] (2:26) – Tom Jobim
D5. “O Grande Amor” [The Great Love] (1:51) – Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes
D6. “Estrada do Sol” [Road of the Sun] (2:13) – Tom Jobim, Dolores Duran

Leão recorded the Paris material at Estúdio Polydor with Tuca as special participant. The Rio material used arrangements by Roberto Menescal, Luiz Eça, and Rogério Duprat. Vocal recording credits name engineer Mr. Bonzon.

Dez anos depois appeared in a sleeve with photography and layout by Nei Sroulevich. Polydor issued a CD edition in 2002.

Os meus amigos são um barato

Nara Leão released her twelfth album Os meus amigos são um barato, in 1977 on Philips.

Leão shares the eleven-title set with a named guest on every track. The sequence pairs her with writer-performers from Gilberto Gil on “Sarará Miolo” through Tom Jobim on “Fotografia.” Roberto Menescal arranges selected titles and supervises recording. Five guests arrange their own titles: Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Edu Lobo, João Donato, and Tom Jobim.

“Sarará Miolo” rollicks with angular flute/Fender glow across a stop-start syncopated rhythm track, overlaid with Nara/Gilberto trade-offs and unison syllable. “Meu Ego” glides over a glossy electric-bass figure while Erasmo Carlos shares the vocal line. “Chegando de Mansinho” pivots on Dominguinhos’s accordion riff and paired vocal. “Repente” turns a simple melody into group replies, triangle taps, and improvised calls. “João e Maria” settles into a calm Nara–Chico duet with Sivuca’s sanfona. “Fotografia” rests on Tom Jobim’s piano chord and close-set paired voices.

A1. “Sarará Miolo” [Frizzy Blond Head] (3:32) – Gilberto Gil
A2. “Odara” (3:44) – Caetano Veloso
A3. “Meu Ego” [My Ego] (3:53) – Roberto Carlos, Erasmo Carlos
A4. “Chegando de Mansinho” [Arriving Quietly] (3:32) – Dominguinhos, Anastácia
A5. “Repente” [Improvised Verse] (2:52) – Edu Lobo, Capinan

B1. “Nonó” (2:54) – Nelson Rufino
B2. “João e Maria” [John and Mary] (2:21) – Chico Buarque, Sivuca
B3. “Amazonas” (3:04) – João Donato, Lysias Ênio
B4. “Flash Back” (3:23) – Roberto Menescal, Ronaldo Bôscoli
B5. “Cara Bonita” [Pretty Face] (2:42) – Carlos Lyra
B6. “Fotografia” [Photograph] (2:00) – Tom Jobim

Leão recorded Os meus amigos são um barato with producer Roberto Santana, recording supervisor Roberto Menescal, and recording technicians Jairo Gualberto and Luiz Claudio Coutinho. João Moreira and Santana mixed the album.

The sleeve credits Aldo Luiz with graphics and Jorge Vianna with final artwork. Roberto Maia photographed the cover. Djalma Corrêa photographed the insert. Philips issued a CD edition in 2002.

Nasci para bailar

Nara Leão released her sixteenth album, Nasci para bailar, in 1982 on PolyGram/Philips.

Leão co-produced the thirteen-title set with Antônio Adolfo, who arranged and directed eleven titles. João Donato arranged and directed the title track and “Gaiolas Abertas.” The repertory includes two Chico Buarque versions of Silvio Rodríguez songs, “Supõe” and “Imagina Só.”

“Nasci Para Bailar” steps through a dance-driven canto, with Nara’s soft lead placed inside an acoustic, flute-marked arrangement. “Gaiolas Abertas” turns João Donato’s earlier motive into a sung line for Nara.

A1. “Nasci Para Bailar” [I Was Born to Dance] (3:18) – João Donato, Paulo André Barata
A2. “Pede Passagem” [Ask for Passage] (2:24) – Sidney Miller
A3. “Luz do Sol” [Sunlight] (3:23) – Caetano Veloso
A4. “Supõe (Supon)” [Suppose] (4:40) – Silvio Rodríguez, version by Chico Buarque
A5. “Maravilha Curativa” [Curative Wonder] (4:00) – Miltinho, Kledir Ramil
A6. “Tou Com o Diabo no Corpo” [I’ve Got the Devil in My Body] (3:32) – Sivuca, Paulinho Tapajós

B1. “Questão de Tempo” [Question of Time] (3:41) – Kleiton Ramil
B2. “Manto Negro” [Black Mantle] (2:34) – Elton Medeiros, Antônio Valente
B3. “Gaiolas Abertas” [Open Cages] (3:45) – João Donato, Martinho da Vila
B4. “Imagina Só (Imagínate)” [Just Imagine] (2:43) – Silvio Rodríguez, version by Chico Buarque
B5. “Caso do Acaso” [Case of Chance] (2:37) – David Tygel
B6. “Penar” [To Suffer] (3:24) – Antônio Adolfo, Paulinho Tapajós
B7. “A Primeira Sentença” [The First Sentence] (2:57) – Túlio Mourão

Leão recorded Nasci para bailar with producers Antônio Adolfo and Nara Leão. Recording credits name Ary Carvalhaes, Jairo Gualberto, João Moreira, and Luis Cláudio Coutinho. Carvalhaes and Gualberto mixed the album, and Ricardo Pereira edited the master.

The sleeve credits Frederico Mendes with cover photography, Mariano Martins with artwork, and Edson Araújo with graphics. PolyGram issued a CD edition in 2002.

Discography:

Nara (1964)
Opinião de Nara (1964)
O canto livre de Nara (1965)
5 na bossa (live, 1965 • Nara, Edu Lobo & Tamba Trio)
Manhã de liberdade (1966)
Nara pede passagem (1966)
Nara (1967)
Vento de maio (1967)
Nara Leão (1968)
Coisas do mundo (1969)
Dez anos depois (1971)
Quando o carnaval chegar (OST, 1972 • Chico Buarque, Nara Leão & Maria Bethânia)
Meu primeiro amor (1975)
Os meus amigos são um barato (1977)
…E que tudo mais vá pro inferno (1978)
Com açúcar, com afeto (1980)
Romance popular (1981)
Nasci para bailar (1982 • Nara)
Meu samba encabulado (1983)
Abraços e beijinhos e carinhos sem ter fim… (1984)
Um cantinho, um violão (1985 • Nara e Menescal)
Garota de Ipanema (1986)
Meus sonhos dourados (1987)
My Foolish Heart (1989)