Gita
Raul Seixas
1974
Rankings
Why This Album Matters
Gita, released in 1974, emerges as an unmistakable landmark in Raul Seixas's discography. The album stands out for its audacious fusion of mystical references and a clear socio-political stance, characteristics that define the artistic singularity of the "Maluco Beleza". The cover's iconography, with Raul dressed as a guerrilla fighter and holding a red guitar, already reveals the provocative and committed nature of the work. The sound of Gita explores the idiosyncrasies of Brazilian rock with lyrics that navigate between the esoteric, the philosophical, and the everyday. Songs such as the title track, inspired by the ancient Bhagavad Gita, or "Sociedade Alternativa", which draws from the work of Aleister Crowley, demonstrate the conceptual depth and cultural breadth that Raul Seixas brought to Brazilian popular music. It is an album that invites reflection and rebellion, wrapped in striking melodies.
Context
The release of Gita occurred at a particularly effervescent moment in Raul Seixas's career, marking his return to Brazil after a period of exile in the United States. This absence was imposed by the Brazilian military dictatorship, making the album's cover, with Raul dressed in guerrilla attire and holding a red guitar, a clear and defiant manifestation against the oppressive regime that had forced him to leave the country.
Recording
Gita was recorded at the Philips facilities, now known as Universal Music, in 1974. Production direction was handled by Marco Mazzola, with assistance from Tolbi and the expertise of technicians such as Ary Carvalhaes, Luigi Hoffer, João Moreira, and Luis Cláudio Coutinho. The mixing was also carried out by Marco Mazzola. The album's orchestration was developed by Miguel Cidras, while the arrangements were signed by Raul Seixas himself. The cutting of the final material was the responsibility of Joaquim Figueira. A wide range of musicians contributed to the sound, including Raul Seixas, Neco, and Tony Osanah on acoustic guitars; Luiz Cláudio Ramos, Rick Ferreira, Raul Seixas, Tony Osanah, and Alexandre on electric guitars; and José Roberto Bertrami, Miguel Cidras, and Jay Anthony Vaquer on keyboards.
Songs
The album Gita is a repository of some of Raul Seixas's greatest hits, many of them composed in partnership with Paulo Coelho. Among the standout songs is the title track, "Gîtâ", deeply inspired by the sacred Hindu book Bhagavad Gita. Another gem is "Sociedade Alternativa", which echoes the philosophy of occultist Aleister Crowley, and the melancholic "Medo da Chuva". Raul Seixas also solely authored notable compositions such as "O Trem das 7" and "S.O.S.". Curiously, the title track, "Trem das Sete", and "Loteria da Babilônia" (the latter with its title inspired by a short story by Jorge Luis Borges) address or mention Aleister Crowley in their lyrics. "S.O.S.", in turn, was identified by André Barcinski as having similarities to the song "Mr. Spaceman" by The Byrds. There was also the aim to record some songs in English, with translations by Marcelo Ramos Motta, to seek success in the United States, but this initiative did not materialise.
Legacy
Gita established itself as the most commercially successful album in Raul Seixas's career. In the year of its release, 1974, the work reached the milestone of 143,000 copies sold, an achievement that earned him the first gold disc of his artistic journey.
Tracks
Credits
Miguel Cidras, Raul Seixas
Erlon Chaves
Ely Arcoverde, Miguel Cidras
Tobi
Mario Tavares
Mazzola
Raul Seixas, Tony Osanah
Chiquinho do Acordeon
Neco, Raul Seixas, Rick Ferreira
Alex Malheiros, Ivan Machado, Juan Roberto Capobianco, Luizão Maia, Paulo César Barros, Sergio Barroso
Gustavo Schroeter, Mamão, Paulinho Braga
Miguel Cidras
Gay Vaquer, Luiz Claudio Ramos, Raul Seixas, Rick Ferreira, Tony Osanah
José Roberto Bertrami, Miguel Cidras, Rick Ferreira
Jairo Gualberto
Joaquim Figueira
Mazzola
Ary Carvalhaes, João Moreira, Luigi Hoffer, Luis Cláudio Coutinho
Luis Cláudio Coutinho, Paulo Sergio, Zé Guilherme
Podcasts
Discoteca Básica Podcast · Parasol Storytelling
O disco que colocou o Brasil inteiro para cantar os segredos ocultos de uma Sociedade Alternativa. Convidado do episódio: Pedro Bial. Assinantes do CLUBE DISCOTECA BÁSICA têm acesso a conteúdo extra. Saiba como assinar: https://podcastdiscotecabasica.com/assine/ E se alguém gritar “TOCA RAUL!” e você não souber tocar nenhum instrumento? Corra já para a MusicDot, uma escola de música online com
Poesia Cantada · Fillipe Queiroz
Prepare-se para uma viagem intensa pelos caminhos da filosofia, da espiritualidade e da música brasileira. 🎶✨Neste episódio do POESIA CANTADA, mergulhamos fundo em Gita, uma das canções mais emblemáticas de Raul Seixas — uma obra que mistura rock, misticismo e questionamentos existenciais de forma única.Entre versos que provocam, símbolos ocultos e mensagens que atravessam gerações, vamos desvend
CMM · Crazy Metal Mind
Episódio originalmente publicado em 28/09/2018. No 368º episódio do Podcast mais Rock’n Roll da internets Rômulo Konzen, Marcel Pfütz e Carlos Augusto batem papo sobre o disco Gita do Raul Seixas. Trilha sonora do podcast (na ordem): *Raul Seixas - Gita *Raul Seixas - Sociedade Alternativa *Raul Seixas - S.O.S. *Raul Seixas - Super-Heróis *Raul Seixas - As Aventuras de Raul Seixas na Cidade de
Ouvindo Estrelas · Marco Mazzola
EPISÓDIO #04 - DESCOBRINDO E PRODUZINDO RAUL SEIXAS: KRIG-HA, BANDOLO! E GITA Ao ser convidado para uma reunião apenas para acompanhar a diretoria, o jovem Marco Mazzola conhece um produtor musical chamado Raulzito, que acompanhava Sérgio Sampaio. Após uma conversa despretensiosa, Mazzola fica sabendo que aquele Rauzito também era compositor, músico e existia um grande artista ainda não reveleado.
Uma das obras-primas de Raul Seixas e seu disco mais vendido, Gita completa em 2024 seu 50º aniversário. Neste episódio, conversamos sobre as letras geniais, os arranjos riquíssimos, Paulo Coelho, Bruce Springsteen, Aleister Crowley e tudo mais que envolve Gita e Raul. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Videos
The album "Gita" and the sacred songs of Raul Seixas!!!!
Canal Musicália
Por Dentro de Krig-Ha, Bandolo! e Gita — Raul Seixas: Segredos e Bastidores dos Clássicos (EP 04)
Ouvindo Estrelas
RAUL SEIXAS - GITA | ALBUM [REVIEW]
Discomaníacos
Episódio 10 - Raul Seixas - Discografia + Bio - 1974 - Gita + O Rebu - PARTE FINAL
Sylvio Passos
GITA - RAUL SEIXAS - O DISCO
Roque Batista
RAUL SEIXAS: TRACK BY TRACK OF "GITA" (feat. Flávio Bandeira) | TUPFS Review #136
Tomar Uma
Books
Os 500 Maiores Álbuns Brasileiros de Todos os Tempos
Ricardo Alexandre · 2022
The largest Brazilian music election ever conducted: 162 specialists, spanning journalists, critics, musicians, producers and podcasters, each nominated 50 essential albums, supported by a masterlist of more than 2,000 works. Led by Ricardo Alexandre with tabulation by Sérgio Jomori, it was published in December 2022 as a 200-page hardcover book with graphic design by Fernando Pires.
Raul Seixas
Jotabê Medeiros · 2019
The trajectory of one of the most iconic names in Brazilian music. How did Raulzito, the middle-class boy from Salvador who was an Elvis Presley fan, transform into Raul Seixas, one of the biggest icons of Brazilian pop culture? How did the young dreamer, after "starving for two years in the wonderful city"
Raul Seixas e o sonho da sociedade alternativa
Luciane Alves · 1993
This academic work profoundly analyses the concept of the 'Alternative Society', central to Raul Seixas's work and intrinsically linked to the album 'Gita'. It explores the philosophical influences and cultural impact of this idea, which culminates in the title track and the general theme of the 1974 album.
Analyses
Gita – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Raul Seixas: Gita (1974) I was too young to know...
vinylspinning.tumblr.com
1974's Gita may be his signature work, and it plays like a belated compendium for Brazil's hippie counter-culture, in all of its scattered, metaphysical chaos; its songs co-written by Seixas and his friend and frequent collaborator, Paulo Coelho.
Gita (1974) - Raul Seixas | Bloggallerya
bloggallerya.wordpress.com
As the most popular album of Raul Seixas's career, Gita sold 600,000 copies in its release year, earning the musician his first gold record. It had several re-releases over time, both on cassette and CD format, in addition to the acclaimed vinyl.
"Gita" é apontado como melhor disco de Raul Seixas em votação popular ...
cristolucifer.com.br
Released in 1974, Gita marked a phase of consolidation of Raul Seixas's artistic identity: the album blends rock, mysticism, and lyrics with profound existential and social content — a combination that became the singer's trademark.
Raul Seixas ganha relançamento em vinil vermelho de 'Gita', clássico de ...
supertransado.com.br
Featuring 12 tracks, the album is a landmark in national music for uniting spirituality, social criticism, humour, and rock'n'roll. The cover, showing Raul in a red beret and guitar in hand, features the Alternative Society seal, a concept based on the teachings of the occultist Aleister Crowley.
