Djavan

Djavan

1989

Cover of Djavan
Top 100

Why This Album Matters

Djavan's ninth studio album, popularly known as Oceano, is considered one of the high points in the artist's discography, consolidating his unique style in Brazilian music. Although the title track achieved enormous success and became a landmark, the album is praised for the consistency and quality of its entire collection of songs, revealing Djavan's compositional mastery in its fullness. With a rich and multifaceted sound, the album traverses ballads with Spanish influences, such as the emblematic "Oceano", to forays into samba and funk, without losing the singer's unique identity. The lyrics, in turn, address themes ranging from love to social issues, with the characteristic depth and poetry of his work.

Recording

The album Djavan was recorded entirely in Brazil, a fact that highlights the authenticity of its production. Mazzola was responsible for the album's production, while all tracks were produced by Djavan and Ronnie Foster.

Songs

The title track, "Oceano", stands out as the album's biggest hit, driven by a strong Spanish atmosphere evidenced by the flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía's solo. Other highly impactful songs include "Vida Real (Dejame Ir)", "Cigano", and "Mal de Mim". In "Curumim", Djavan explores indigenous themes, staging a dialogue between two indigenous people, performed with his daughter, Flavia Virginia. The composition of "Corisco" is a partnership with Gilberto Gil, while "Vida Real" was co-written with Arturo Castro, and "Você Bem Sabe" features Nelson Motta, with the latter described as a modern choro with sections in English. The album also features the samba "Avião" and romantic ballads such as "Mal de mim" and "Mil vezes".

Legacy

Djavan received extremely positive reviews, being rated 4.5 out of 5 stars by Alvaro Neder of AllMusic, who highlighted "Oceano" as the biggest hit and praised "Curumim" as "a beautiful reggae". Mauro Ferreira of Notas Musicais awarded 3.5 out of 5 stars, stating that the album "reinstated the artist on the charts on the back of the blockbuster ballad 'Oceano'". The album's popularity was also boosted by the inclusion of three of its songs in TV Globo telenovela soundtracks between 1989 and 1991: "Oceano" as Lucas's theme in "Top Model", "Cigano" as Renato's theme in "Rainha da Sucata", and "Vida Real (Dejame Ir)" as Ana's theme in "Barriga de Aluguel".

Rankings

Tracks

Credits

Arranged By

Luiz Avellar

Arranged By, Music By, Acoustic Guitar, Written-By, Vocals

Djavan

Producer

Mazzola

Vocals

Flávia Virgínia

Alto Saxophone

Mauro Senise, Paulo Moura

Arranged By [Cello], Cello

Jaques Morelenbaum

Bass

Arthur Maia, João Baptista, Luizão Maia, Sizão Machado

Drums

Cláudio Infante, Paulinho Braga, Teo Lima

Flute

José Carlos Machado Ramos

Guitar, Acoustic Guitar

Celso Fonseca

Keyboards

Larry Williams, Luiz Avellar, Paulo Calasans

Percussion

Armando Marçal, Geraldo Bongô

Piano

Luiz Avellar

Strings

Luiz Avellar

Tambourine

Djavan, Luiz Quinha, Paulinho De Pilares

Trombone

Serginho Do Trombone

Trumpet

Bidinho, Marcio Montarroyos

Engineer

Eduardo Costa

Recorded By

Antonio Foguete

Artwork

Julio Lapenne

Photography By

Claus Meyer

Podcasts

Djavan – Oceano: Histórias e Bastidores de um Clássico da Música Brasileira

Ouvindo Estrelas · Marco Mazzola

24 min·26 Jan 2026

Djavan – Oceano: Histórias e Bastidores de um Clássico da Música BrasileiraO álbum “Oceano”, lançado por Djavan em 1989, não foi apenas um sucesso comercial. Foi um divisor de águas na música popular brasileira. Neste episódio especial do canal Ouvindo Estrelas, eu, Marco Mazzola — produtor musical e diretor artístico do projeto — conto pela primeira vez os bastidores reais da criação, gravação e

Oceano, de Djavan — Os Bastidores Reais de um Disco Fundamental da MPB

Ouvindo Estrelas · Marco Mazzola

24 min·26 Jan 2026

Djavan – Oceano: Histórias e Bastidores de um Clássico da Música BrasileiraO álbum “Oceano”, lançado por Djavan em 1989, não foi apenas um sucesso comercial.Foi um divisor de águas na música popular brasileira.Neste episódio especial do canal Ouvindo Estrelas, eu, Marco Mazzola — produtor musical e diretor artístico do projeto — conto pela primeira vez os bastidores reais da criação, gravação e co

Films

Analyses

Discogs

Djavan – Discogs

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