Barulhinho Bom - Uma Viagem Musical
Marisa Monte
1996
Why This Album Matters
Barulhinho Bom, released with the subtitle Uma Viagem Musical, represents a singular milestone in Marisa Monte's discography, standing out for its innovative structure as a double album blending studio recordings and live performances. This hybrid approach offers listeners a multifaceted panorama of the artist, balancing the intimacy of her unreleased compositions with the contagious energy of her stage performances. The album solidifies Monte's reputation as one of MPB's most versatile voices, capable of moving fluidly between various genres such as pop, samba, bossa nova, rock, and jazz, always with her characteristic and captivating vocal delivery. Beyond its musical richness, Barulhinho Bom gained immediate notoriety due to its cover art, a provocative illustration by the porn-naif comic artist Carlos Zéfiro. The choice of image generated wide controversy and discussions, turning the album into an object of cultural debate and adding a layer of audacity and originality to its identity. Marisa Monte explained that the intention was to create a dialogue between music and popular visual arts, and that the voyeurism explored in the image related to the interaction between audience and artist. This visual element, combined with the sonic proposal, cemented Barulhinho Bom's status as a complete and intriguing work of art.
Context
Before Barulhinho Bom, Marisa Monte had already established a trajectory of success and recognition within the Brazilian music scene. Her career took off with her live debut album, MM (1989), followed by the acclaimed studio albums Mais (1991) and Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor-de-Rosa e Carvão (1994). These works established her as a central figure in Música Popular Brasileira, celebrated for her expressive voice, her sonic experimentation, and her creative partnerships with names such as Arnaldo Antunes, Nando Reis, and Carlinhos Brown. The recording of Barulhinho Bom's live sections took place amidst the successful tour for Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor-de-Rosa e Carvão, demonstrating a period of intense activity and artistic maturity for the singer. This sequence of well-received albums paved the way for Barulhinho Bom, her fourth consecutive work, to also reach the top of the charts in Brazil, underlining her growing influence and appeal to the public.
Recording
The production of Barulhinho Bom was an intricate and geographically dispersed process, reflecting Marisa Monte's artistic ambition. The live sections of the album were captured at two distinct times and locations: at Teatro Guararapes, in Recife, Pernambuco, between 13 and 14 October 1995, and at Teatro Carlos Gomes, in Rio de Janeiro, on 28 March 1996. These recordings were made during the acclaimed tour for the album Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor-de-Rosa e Carvão, conveying the energy and spontaneity of her performances. Meanwhile, the studio sessions that make up the other half of the album took place at Impressão Digital studios, in Rio de Janeiro, in June 1996, and at the renowned Kampo Audio/Video, in New York, in July of the same year. The album's production was handled by Marisa Monte herself in collaboration with experienced musician and producer Arto Lindsay, who had previously played a significant role in the singer's earlier works. This international collaboration and the careful selection of recording locations contributed to the project's rich and polished sound.
Songs
The album Barulhinho Bom is a sonic tapestry weaving unreleased songs with interpretations of classics and previous successes by Marisa Monte, reflecting a "walk through her affective memory". The studio disc features three unreleased songs by Carlinhos Brown: "Arrepio", "Maraçá", and "Magamalabares", which stand out for the partnership's characteristic inventiveness and rhythm. Among her own compositions, "Blanco" is particularly notable for being the musicalisation of a poem by Octavio Paz, translated by Haroldo de Campos, demonstrating Monte's inclination towards the fusion of different art forms. Complementing the original material, the album includes highly expressive covers, such as Moraes Moreira's "Chuva no Brejo", Gilberto Gil's "Cérebro Eletrônico", and Lulu Santos's iconic "Tempos Modernos", which gain new layers of meaning in her voice. The live part of the album revisits hits that had already marked the singer's career, such as "Segue o Seco", "Ao Meu Redor", "Bem Leve", "Ainda Lembro", and "Beija Eu", in addition to other covers, allowing Marisa Monte's vibrant performance to re-signify these songs for the audience.
Legacy
Barulhinho Bom quickly became a resounding success, debuting at number one on Brazil's best-selling album charts and marking Marisa Monte's fourth consecutive album to achieve this feat. Its repercussions were amplified by the controversy surrounding the cover, which featured a drawing by the artist Carlos Zéfiro. The image generated debate, and in the United States, where it was released as A Great Noise, the cover was censored with a black strip over the drawing's breasts, while in Brazil, some stores packaged it with colourful plastics, increasing curiosity and buzz around the work. The album was acclaimed by specialised critics, who recognised Marisa Monte's "extraordinary talent" and "authenticity", highlighting her ability to surprise with a live album full of magic and emotion, in a contemporary and delicate style. The audacity and musical quality of Barulhinho Bom consolidated it as an iconic album in Brazilian music. Years later, in June 2020, the album's legacy was extended with the digital release of "Hotel Tapes", an extra collection of live tracks recorded in December 1996, as part of the Cinephonia project, offering even more recordings from this creative period of the artist.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
João Augusto
Carlinhos Brown
Leonardo Netto
Arto Lindsay, Marisa Monte
Suely Aguiar
Newton Maciel
Mauro Bianchi
Antoine Midani
Guilherme Calicchio, Marcio Barros
Suely Aguiar
Fernando Caneca
UE Nastasi
Fernando Aponte, Patrick Dillett
Alex De Jonge
Dave Robbins, Jim McNamara
Claudemir Rufo
Jorge Nunes, Roberto Marques, Zorro
Alex De Jonge, Dave Robbins, Jim McNamara
Marco Hoffer, Marcos Vicente
Fernando Aponte, Patrick Dillett
Bruno Porto
Leonardo Eyer
Gringo Cardia
Patricia Fernandes
Carlos Zéfiro
Marisa Monte
Books
Marisa Monte: notas além da música
Emerson Rossetti · 2025
Este livro oferece um registro singular de toda a obra de Marisa Monte, combinando história, análise estética e linguística. É um estudo aprofundado que aborda a carreira completa da cantora, sendo altamente provável que dedique atenção significativa a álbuns importantes como 'Barulhinho Bom'.
The 500 Greatest Brazilian Albums of All Time
Ricardo Alexandre · 2022
The election was spearheaded by journalist Ricardo Alexandre, creator of the Discoteca Básica podcast. Ricardo consulted 162 specialists including journalists, YouTubers, podcasters, musicians, record-shop owners and producers. The result was published as a 200-page hardcover book, with graphic design by Fernando Pires.
Analyses
Barulhinho Bom - Uma Viagem Musical – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
30 anos depois, "Barulhinho Bom", de Marisa Monte, continua icônico ...
noize.com.br
Listamos cinco curiosidades que explicam a importância desse disco e como ele ainda ecoa em alto e bom som mesmo 30 anos após o seu lançamento.
Disco 4: Barulhinho Bom - Marisa Monte
facom.ufba.br
"Barulhinho Bom" foi um dos melhore CD's do ano de 96. Trata-se do quarto álbum de Marisa Monte, com dois CD's - um ao vivo, com 11 canções gravadas entre Recife e o Rio, e outro com sete faixas gravadas em estúdio.
Edição Especial - Barulhinho Bom (1996)
newslettermm.substack.com
"Barulhinho Bom, uma viagem musical" surgiu da ideia de transformar o show "Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor de Rosa e Carvão" em disco misturando as cenas de palco com encontros de Marisa Monte e convidados especiais.
Marisa Monte - Barulhinho Bom - Uma Viagem Musical (Ao Vivo) (1996)
musicasdonordeste.net
Esse encontro histórico, que foi eternizado ao final da turnê de 1996 com um show gravado no Canecão (RJ), teve mais dois volumes, sem a presença de Alceu Valença.
Discogs
Barulhinho Bom - Uma Viagem Musical – Discogs
discogs.com