Portuguese-speaking Progressive Bands!

The only prog band I know that sings in Portuguese is Bacamarte, but I doubt they'd be classified as forgotten or underrated 

Falae irmão, blza? Rapaz, tem sempre os clássicos setentistas, mas se você não os conhece, vou fazer uma lista.

So, prog in Portuguese is quite rare, as bands usually go for the international market and outright sing in english in order to try and attain a larger following/sales (which is specially true in the prog metal scene). Anyway, here's a rather concise list of bands I can remember from the top of my head:


The classics: Os Mutantes and O Terço (absolutely seminal prog bands that defined BR's prog in general; Os Mutantes have an earlier tropicalista phase, which they tried to replicate after they reformed in the early 2000's, and O Terço has english albums in the 90's)

Apocalypse (earlier material, now they sing in English; never liked them, but they are one of the biggest prog bands from the 90's);
Atmosphera (great band; only released a single album under a very small progressive rock label from São Paulo and their album is currently unavailable; great music, an ethereal mix of Camel, Pink Floyd and O Terço; you can try and find them on mercadolivre, but get ready to pay a lot);
Bacamarte (Depois do Fim is one of THE VERY BEST prog albums of all time; it's currently 38th in PA top prog albums);
Banda do Sol (excellent band from São Paulo; mixes Yes, blues-rock and 70's psychedelia);
Barca do Sol (it's a must in multiple levels, it is a Brazilian as it gets; mixes samba, MPB and all kinds of folk musical styles; they actively went searching for folk musical styles in the hinterland and sertão; I can't recommend them enough);
Casa das Máquinas (their second album, Lar de Maravilhas, is an absolute must for BR prog rock; get ready to pay a lot in mercadolivre for it, though)
Haddad (very eclectic band from my very own city, Vitória; they started as a pop-rock/blues band but eventually became a decend prog band with their album Orion; some years ago I managed to speak with the band's leader, Gustavo, and they'll probably never release anything past Eros & Thanatos, which is a shame, it is their very best album);
Módulo 1000 (the very first progressive rock band from Brazil; I don't like them much, but they are an absolutely must if you wish to know BR prog)
Moto Perpétuo (classic band, but not as important as Mutantes or Terço; draws MPB from the time as a significant influence);
Octohpera (a Gentle Giant clone; good, but nothing special);
Poços e Nuvens / Gerson Welang (never liked them as well, but they are a respectable group from Minas);
Recordando o Vale das Maçãs ou RMV (their music is currently unavailable, unless you are ready to pay for some outrageous prices in marcadolivre; if you do, RMV 2, from the 90's is much superior to the original, since the original's style is more akin to rock rural than prog);
Saecula Saeculorum (the group that came before Sagrado Coração da Terra; IMO, superior to Sagrado in every way possible, even though their only release, the self-titled released by Marcus Viana in his own lable, doesn't sound very good; still, the music in it is an undeniable masterpiece, even if it doesn't sound very good);
Sagrado Coração da Terra (Marcus Viana headed this band through 20 years and now they are on a 10+ years hiatus; still, one of the biggest BR prog bands after the 70's; I would avoid their new-age and new-wave albums, though, start with Farol da Liberdade);
Spin XXI (a band from Niterói which allegedly goes all the way back to the early 70's; unusual style and energetic music, but nothing special);
Som Nosso de Cada Dia (their first album is an all-time classic and masterpiece of Br prog rock; too bad they decided to become a mediocre funk-rock / black music band);
Terreno Baldio (the only good Gentle Giant clone that I've ever knew; their debut is a classic and deserving of the masterpiece status, even though it sounds way too much as if it was recorded by an English band; their second album sounds more "Brazilian", but isn't as good);
Trem do Futuro (another band I don't find particularly special or even good; even though they are from Ceará, they have more in common with Jethro Tull than with BR prog, and I don't say that in a positive way);
Violeta de Outono (the biggest psychedelic prog band after Mutantes; they have been around since the mid 80's, but have only become a well-oiled music machine after the 2000's);

Other noteworthy bands: 14 bis and Secos e Molhados (even though they are not prog rock propper, they qualify as art-rock bands in general; 14 bis I and II and Secos e Molhados first and second albums are also quite special, when accounting for BR prog)

I hope this helped.

Opa,um amigo brasileiro por aqui! haha

Isn't Tantra another Portuguese band with a couple rated highly 70's prog albums?  Been meaning to check them out but haven't gotten there yet.

andreol263 wrote: Opa,um amigo brasileiro por aqui! haha Well, i've discovered some albums from Brazil some time ago,like:  Algaravia - s/t(A Gem!!) Ave Sangria - s/t(A folk-psychodelic album) Trem do Futuro - s/t(Which i've found very good!) and the Obviously Bacamarte-Depois do Fim, the Masterpiece from Brazillian Progressive. well i've listened to SO many bands from Brazil and SINCERELY, from 10 or 15, only these 4 are really good, the others are pretty normal to me, so now i want some albums from Portugal, which i think that can have a much better collection of forgotten classics :D

Rapaz, tem muito BR por aqui. Pena que o Guigo não é mais ativo como ele era, gente finíssima e sempre disposto a falar de música IRL.

You actually liked Ave Sangria? God, I thought that album was dreadful, LOL. But to each its own, I guess. The bands I suggested have many good albums, and those are only the ones that SING in Portuguese. Many other bands, such as Som Imaginário are instrumental.

Meltdowner wrote: From the 70's, I think that's it

Has the Portuguese scene gotten any better, though? AFAIK, Portugal and Brasil share the same general aversion towards rock music: most people either don't care about it or thoroughly dislike it. With prog is doubly worse because of all the preconceptions brought by the punk scene.


Edited by CCVP - February 03 2016 at 17:04

Hey, Caio, thanks for the 'gente finíssima'! 

Edited by Atkingani - February 03 2016 at 17:48

Atkingani wrote: Hey, Caio, thanks for the 'gente finíssima'!

it's deserved, though. Too bad we couldn't get together any more.

BTW, Poços & Nuvens come from Rio Grande do Sul and talking about gaúchos, I think the most active tupiniquim member here presently is another chimarrão taker/drinker: GKR (Gustavo). I hope he comes here and adds his opinion too.

Whoops, my bad.

Meltdowner wrote: CCVP wrote: Has the Portuguese scene gotten any better, though? AFAIK, Portugal and Brasil share the same general aversion towards rock music: most people either don't care about it or thoroughly dislike it. With prog is doubly worse because of all the preconceptions brought by the punk scene. There are a some Prog Metal, Post Rock and Space Rock bands and a few interesting Prog Folk ones now, but I wouldn't call it a scene.

Meh, the same as here, except without space and folk and with post metal

Meltdowner wrote: andreol263 wrote: Well, it's a shame that a country with a extreme mix of many different cultures and enormous don't have 10 good albums , when Italy it's tiny compared to Brazil but exists a ENORMOUS quantity of good albums,even today are released new prog-albums in Italy that are simply superb and obscured masterpieces waiting to be discovered, well, at least we have Bacamarte Spain doesn't have many great Prog albums, considering it's a much bigger country than Portugal. Most Prog albums here were recorded between the end of the dictatorship in '74 and the appearance of Punk, it might be related. Before, better known artists had to record their albums in France (including Petrus Castrus' Mestre) or England so I guess it wasn't easy to record music here.

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Did Franck and Salazar have policies regarding "intruding" cultural influences? That might also explain it.

Hi,

MAA's(Marco Antonio Araujo)Influencias album is a complete masterpiece from my country(Brazil), finally i've found someone who is in the same level of Bacamarte album, i'm going forward all his works right now, and i recommend some of you too!!