Mpb

MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) was born in Brazil in the 1960s as a synthesis of Brazilian musical traditions — samba, baião, choro — with the influences of bossa nova, American jazz and international pop. It was a period of intense cultural ferment and political resistance under the military dictatorship: artists like Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento and Elis Regina carried an engaged music that transcended the decades and continues to define Brazil's musical identity. MPB is less a fixed genre than an ever-evolving space of artistic freedom.

Musically, MPB is defined by its harmonic richness inherited from bossa nova — complex chords, unexpected modulations — and its ability to incorporate elements from highly diverse styles: maracatu, forró, axé, funk carioca, electronic pop. Arrangements are often sophisticated, blending traditional acoustic instruments with modern production. The voice holds a central place, with particular care given to diction and prosody in Brazilian Portuguese. Lyrics, poetic and frequently socially engaged, celebrate Brazilian life in all its social and cultural complexity.

Today, the MPB scene continues to renew itself with artists like Ana Frango Elétrico, who fuses vintage MPB with alternative pop, and Marina Sena, a representative of a generation plugged into contemporary sounds while honouring its roots. LUIZA is an unmissable figure on the scene with an exceptional festival presence, and the legendary GILBERTO GIL continues to embody the very essence of this genre as a living bridge between generations.

At festivals, MPB radiates far beyond Brazilian borders — it features at Womad, Les Francofolies, Festival Rio and Paleo Festival in Switzerland. These events are prime opportunities to discover the richness of Brazilian popular music in all its diversity. Explore our selection of MPB festivals to immerse yourself in the rhythms and harmonies that make Brazil proud.