A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ ˈbɐ̃dɐ ˈmajz boˈnitɐ dɐ siˈdadʒi], The Most Beautiful Band in Town) is a Brazilian MPB/indie rock band that gained popularity in late May 2011 following the release of its music video "Oração" ("Prayer") on YouTube.[1][2]
A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil |
| Genres | MPB, indie rock, indie folk |
| Years active | 2009 – present |
| Members | Uyara Torrente (vocalist) Vinícius Nisi (keyboardist) Rodrigo Lemos (guitarist) Diego Plaça (bassist) Luís Bourscheidt (drummer) |
| Website | bandamaisbonitadacidade |
The video received more than 4.9 million views in three weeks, and it became highly publicized by the Brazilian press after MTV named it video clip of the week.[3][4] Shortly thereafter, a number of English-language news sources, including The Washington Post and NPR, drew international attention to the band.[4][5]
Formation and early musical endeavors
editThe band formed in 2009 in Curitiba, a city in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná.[1][3][6] Its name was inspired by the title of the short story The Most Beautiful Woman in Town, by American author Charles Bukowski.[7] In the beginning, the band performed songs by local composers, and since then, it has begun to adapt such songs to its own musical style. A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade has performed publicly at the Wonka Bar in Curitiba, where its lead singer, Uyara Torrente, put on a show called "A Saudade Mata Gente, Panaca" ("Longing Kills People, Fool").[8]
Oração
editThe video clip for "Oração" was filmed as a long take on February 6, 2011, in a hundred-year-old house in Rio Negro, Paraná.[3][9] In the clip, the song's composer, Leo Fressato, is filmed in real time as he sings and walks through the house with a microphone. Along the way, he encounters the band's musicians, who play their instruments and accompany him in singing.[9] "Oração" is essentially a six-minute repetition of a chorus with four strophes. The video clip was released on May 13, 2011, and due to the music's catchy rhythm and simple message (a series of metaphors about the heart), it rapidly went viral in online social networks.[10]
Influence
editA Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade has stated that the video for "Oração" was influenced by the music video for "Nantes", a 2007 song by American band Beirut.[2][9]
Media response
editOn May 18, 2011, MTV named "Oração" video clip of the week.[3] In the following days, both Brazilian and international news media published stories on the band, and many, including Globo, UOL, The Washington Post, and NPR, posted copies of "Oração" on their websites.[4][5][9] Some Brazilian press sources have reported that A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade appears to be at the center of a local indie rock movement in Curitiba called Novos Curitibanos (New Curitibans), which is similar to the São Paulo movement Novos Paulistas (New Paulistas).[1][2] The latter movement is well known in Brazil due to the fame of many of its participating musicians, including Tulipa Ruiz, Dudu Tsuda (former member of Pato Fu), Tiê, and Thiago Pethit (winner of the MTV Bet Award at the 2010 MTV Video Music Brazil).[2]
Within a week of its launch on YouTube, "Oração" inspired several tribute videos and parodies from fans and critics of the song.[11]
Discography
edit- A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade (2009)
- Canções Que Vão Morrer no Ar – Compact Vinyl (2012)
- O Mais Feliz da Vida (2013)
- De Cima do Mundo Eu Vi o Tempo (2017)
References
edit- ^ a b c "Oração da Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade vira hit" [Prayer of A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade is a hit]. Os Paparazzi (in Portuguese). May 21, 2011. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade: Internet phenomenon". Sounds and Colours. THG Creative. May 26, 2011. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Rocha, Davi (May 20, 2011). "A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade nos conta os bastidores do clipe 'Oração'" [A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade gives us the inside story on the clip 'Oração']. MTV Brasil (in Portuguese). Grupo Abril. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- ^ a b c Bell, Melissa (May 25, 2011). "A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade: A Brazilian prayer". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
- ^ a b Garsd, Jasmine (June 1, 2011). "This week on Alt.Latino: Mexican garage rock, Argentine industrial beats and more". npr.org. NPR. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
- ^ Tavares Filho, Sérgio (May 21, 2011). "'O país inteiro está compartilhando a nossa alegria', diz vocalista de banda" ['The whole country is sharing our happiness,' says band's vocalist]. G1 (in Portuguese). Globo Comunicação e Participações. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ "A banda mais famosa da cidade" [The most famous band in town]. AHH! Arte é Pública (in Portuguese). May 23, 2011. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade". Last.fm (in Portuguese). CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Quinteto curitibano reúne dezesseis convidados para gravar clipe em plano-sequência" [Curitiban quintet invites 16 people to film clip as a long take]. UOL (in Portuguese). Grupo Folha. May 19, 2011. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ "Banda curitibana vira hit na internet" [Curitiban band becomes internet hit]. Jornale (in Portuguese). Tutela Empresarial. May 21, 2011. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- ^ "A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade ganha paródias na internet" [A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade gets parodied on the internet]. Veja (in Portuguese). May 24, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
External links
edit- Official website (in Portuguese)