Maybe five or six years ago I was watching an obscure independent tv station called Link TV and they played this amazing video and song. This is my favourite music video of all time.

Chico Cesar is the youngest of seven children from a poor family in the town of Catole do Rocha in the Northeastern state of Paraíba. It is a region so poor that many children won't reach their fifth birthdays, let alone have access to education. In Brazil, education is a privilege, not a right - and as a result, many of Brazil's children have no access to schools. Cesar's parents are poor uneducated farm laborers, but they were able to get young Chico a scholarship to a boarding school run by German nuns who had fled Europe during World War II. By the age of three he had learned to read, and by 12, he composed his first song - a composition that earned him his first guitar by finishing in fourth place in a regional musical competition. Fifteen years ago, after earning a degree in journalism, Cesar moved to São Paulo.

By 1994 he recorded his first album, a self-produced-and-financed live CD called "Aos Vivos" (which he later sold to Velas Records). The album was a moderate hit commercially, but the live album struck a chord with critics and follow musicians. Brazil's top vocalists began knocking on Cesar's door to ask for permission to cover his catchy musical gems. Elba Ramalho, Maria Bethânia, Zizi Possi and Daniela Mercury lined up to record Cesar's compositions. A public squirmish developed when both Ramalho and Mercury wanted to record Cesar's heartfelt love song, "A Primeira Vista" (At First Sight) In the end, Mercury's lawyers had the last word, insisting on exclusive rights to re-record the song, which became the theme song for Brazil's most popular telenovela (soap opera), "O Rei do Gado" (The king of the herd), and catapulted Cesar into superstardom as a composer.

Two years later, in 1996, Chico Cesar was finally invited into the recording studio to record the now classic, "Cuscuz Cla" (named after his band). The album produced the mega-hit "Mama Africa" which sold over half a million copies. Like so many of Cesar's compositions, he wraps adorable touching tales around simply brilliant catchy melodies. The touches of reggae and rhythmic percussion of Bahia, mixed with Cesar's quirky nasal voice, made the song a an MPB anthem. "I wrote the song about the lives of modern women," explains Cesar. "Most women today have two professions, working both out of the house and also managing the family." The song tells the story of a working mother juggling hectic days at work as a packer in a supermarket while managing to take care of her infant children.

If anyone can say that they've beaten the odds, it is Chico Cesar, the kid who grew up in one of the world's poorest regions and became a leading Brazilian songwriter. "Throughout my career, I've always fought to create the music I wanted," explains Cesar. "This includes the songs, the recordings and even the videos. If someone ever asked me to change or make compromises, I'd look for a new label."

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ivylander says:

I've got this song on a Brazilian compilation somewhere but had never seen the video. I'd say it's charming, but that makes it sound wimpier than it is. His sound reminds me a lot of Gilberto Gil in the Extra/Raca Humana period (which is good). Is the rest of the album like this?

Posted 11 months ago | Delete