Saúde
Rita Lee e Roberto de Carvalho
1981
Why This Album Matters
Saúde is a milestone in Rita Lee's discography, representing her ninth studio album and the first to explicitly credit the creative partnership with multi-instrumentalist and producer Roberto de Carvalho. Released in 1981, the record consolidated the commercial prestige Rita Lee already enjoyed with her previous albums, maintaining her prominent position in the Brazilian music scene. This work is distinguished by the notable incorporation of new wave sounds, moving slightly away from the more predominantly pop influence of her previous releases. This sonic experimentation, coupled with the compositional genius of the Lee and Carvalho duo, made Saúde a vibrant and innovative album for its time, one that deserves to be revisited for its originality and impact.
Context
The release of Saúde followed a period of great success for Rita Lee. Pregnant with her third son, Antônio, and shortly after concluding the promotional tour for the acclaimed album Rita Lee (also known as Lança Perfume), the artist entered the studio with Roberto de Carvalho to begin a new project. This album marks a significant turning point in the duo's career, being the first work to officially credit the collaboration of Lee and Carvalho as main artists, and not just with the singer in the spotlight. This officialisation of the partnership highlighted the creative strength and musical synergy they both shared.
Recording
The recording sessions for Saúde took place at Sigla studio in São Paulo, during September 1981. The album's production was led by Rita Lee and Roberto de Carvalho themselves, under the production direction of Max Pierre. A notable fact during production was the use of the Korg electronic drum kit on some tracks, which drew criticism towards the singer at the time. The mixing and mastering of the record were carried out at the renowned Sigma Sound and Sterling Sound studios, both located in New York. The mixing process, according to Lee, was quite intense, requiring approximately 20 hours of continuous work.
Songs
Saúde is replete with songs that became major successes in Rita Lee's catalogue. Highlights include "Mutante", later re-recorded by Daniela Mercury, and the tracks "Saúde" and "Banho de Espuma", both composed in a "pop rock-carnavalesco" style. These songs reached the fifth and third positions, respectively, among the 100 most played in Brazil in 1982. The track "Atlântida" was included in the soundtrack of the 1982 telenovela Sétimo Sentido. The song "Tititi (Galinhagem)" also gained popularity through a version by the band Metrô, which served as the opening theme for the telenovela Ti Ti Ti. In her autobiography, Rita Lee described "Atlântida" as her favourite from the album and classified "Tatibitati" as one of her "silly ones". "Banho de Espuma", initially titled "Afrodite", suffered governmental censorship due to expressions like "bolinando" and "em qualquer posição", which were altered to "esfregando" and "com toda disposição" for its release. A new version of "Mamãe Natureza", retitled "Mother Nature" and with English verses, was included on the album due to the censorship veto of other tracks, once again featuring the vocal collaboration of guitarist Lúcia Turnbull, who also contributed to "Banho de Espuma" and "Tititi (Galinhagem)".
Legacy
The album Saúde left a significant legacy in Brazilian pop culture. The track "Atlântida" featured in the soundtrack of the telenovela Sétimo Sentido in 1982. Years later, "Tititi (Galinhagem)" gained a popular cover version by the band Metrô, becoming the opening theme for the telenovela Ti Ti Ti in 1985. Rita Lee herself would re-record this song in 2010 for the remake of the same telenovela. The commercial success and popularity of the songs "Saúde" and "Banho de Espuma", which achieved prominent positions among the most played in Brazil in 1982, solidified the album's impact. Recognising its importance, Saúde was re-released on compact disc in 1995 as part of the Rita Lee Collection and, in 2022, 41 years after its original release, it was remastered and re-released on vinyl record by Universal Music.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Max Pierre
Rita Lee, Roberto De Carvalho
Rita Lee, Roberto De Carvalho
Roberto De Carvalho
Cidinha, Lucia Turnbull
Jamil Joanes, Lee Marcucci
Alfredo Lynn, Picolé
Lee Marcucci, Robson Jorge, Wander Taffo
Lincoln Olivetti
Ariovaldo Contesini
Leo Gandelman, Oberdan Magalhães, Zé Carlos
Serginho Do Trombone
Bidinho, Marcio Montarroyos
Jay Mark
John Luongo
Célio Martins
Videos
Por que o disco Saúde é meu favorito de Rita Lee e Roberto de Carvalho ?
Vinte Discos
Films
Rita Lee - Biograffiti: Cor de Rosa Choque
2007
Rita Lee became the leading reference in Brazilian rock-pop. She composed iconic songs exploring the feminine universe, the theme of "Cor de Rosa Choque", the third part of the documentary series "Biograffiti". Topics such as women's witchcraft, the muses who inspired her, the wonders of ageing, and the untold mysteries of the feminine soul are dealt with in this documentary in a humorous and moving way. "Todas as Mulheres do Mundo", "Pagu" and "Erva Venenosa" are some of the many songs shown, taken from the concert recorded in November 2006 at Morro da Urca, in Rio de Janeiro. There are also precious historical archives, such as the meetings of Rita and Elis in 1978, singing "Doce de Pimenta", and Rita and Cássia Eller, in 1998, singing "Luz del Fuego". "Cor de Rosa Choque" also features the recording of the song "Tão", a previously unreleased rock track.
Rita Lee - Biograffiti: Baila Comigo
2007
Life on the road is the theme of ‘Baila Comigo’, the second part of the "Biograffiti" documentary trilogy about Rita Lee's life and work. The singer talks about the pleasure of composing, her affinity with the audience, and explains how some of her songs came to be. She also discusses cinema, drugs, and Rio de Janeiro. The documentary shows Rita and João Gilberto meeting and singing Joujoux et Balangandans, catches Rita and Roberto de Carvalho finalising a new song called ‘Dinheiro’, and presents songs from the singer's concert in January 2007 at Copacabana Beach. There Rita sang hits like ‘Mania de Você’, ‘Lança Perfume’, ‘Agora só falta Você’ and ‘Flagra’, among others. And to honour the Marvellous City, she sang ‘Valsa de Uma Cidade’ along with the 180,000 people present on the beach.
Rita Lee - Biograffiti: Ovelha Negra
2007
Brazilian singer Rita Lee narrates moments about her life, from her childhood to the meeting with Roberto de Carvalho. The documentary is permeated with excerpts from the singer's concerts, with songs sung entirely.
Rita Lee: Mania de Você
2025
Just before her departure, Rita Lee writes a farewell letter to her three children and her husband and musical partner, Roberto de Carvalho, in which she reflects on her life and joyfully celebrates her family. Her final moments also mark the time to look back and review a career full of unforgettable successes, which led her to sell more than 55 million records. But it is also a time to reveal her downfalls, her vulnerable side, and her excesses as the queen of rock. With completely unseen personal archives and exclusive testimonies from her own family, as well as producers, journalists, musicians, and celebrities such as Gilberto Gil and Ney Matogrosso, "Rita Lee: Mania de Você" presents her definitive legacy.
Books
Analyses
Rita Lee e Roberto de Carvalho relançam álbum 'Saúde', obra ... - G1
g1.globo.com
Depois dos álbuns Rita Lee (1980), Rita e Roberto (1985) e Rita Lee (1979), é a vez de Saúde voltar ao catálogo em LP decorridos 41 anos do lançamento original em 1981.
Tudo Sobre A Música Saúde - Rita Lee & Roberto de Carvalho
canalparadahits.com
"Saúde" é uma daquelas músicas que todo mundo lembra ao ouvir, uma composição de Rita Lee e Roberto de Carvalho que segue a pegada leve e divertida, bem no estilo dos dois.
Discogs
Saúde – Discogs
discogs.com