When Brazil’s capital is Buenos Aires

Short link: fishuk.cc/spanish-rc

I’m not very used to write in English on my page, but since the story has once again evolved in English, I didn’t want to translate into and explain all of it in Portuguese, hehe. In this amazing edition of an NPR’s program about Latino music, an emotional story about Roberto Carlos’ song Amigo (Friend) is brought by Felix Contreras, in which he tells how a woman got moved by its lyrics in Spanish.

Yes, Roberto has composed most of his songs in Portuguese (he’s recognized as the most prominent Brazilian popular singer), and a great part of them has also been translated into Spanish to attract the rest of Latin America population. However, Contreras presented it as if it were originally written in Spanish and does not relate Roberto and his work to their actual movement, that is, the broad Brazilian ‘MPB.’ After making some corrections, I decided to publish here a letter I sent to NPR’s production, pointing out some major mistakes and omissions:

I have been very delighted this morning in listening to such a kind tribute to the simply most prolific and talented singer, composer, and musician of all Brazilian history. It is also an honor that Roberto Carlos has recorded tracks in so many languages as Spanish, Italian, and French, making him very loved by our friend Hispanic neighbors.

However, even if the woman in the story found Amigo a life-change masterpiece, I cannot help making some remarks on imprecisions and omissions about Roberto and that song, what prevents listeners to find out all complexity behind the topic.

First, you did not even mention that the original language of the song is PORTUGUESE, and I guess you know, as most of Americans, that Brazil’s official language is not Spanish. Fortunately, most of Roberto’s songs were translated into this language to be enjoyed also in the Hispanic world.

Second, ‘Carlos’ is not his last name (or surname), but a second name. His last name is Braga, but Erasmo Esteves (died in 2022) was such a close friend of Roberto’s that they regarded themselves as brothers (irmão or hermano, following the first verse of Amigo). Thus, Erasmo chose ‘Erasmo Carlos’ as his stage name, and that makes no sense in saying that ‘They are not related, despite sharing the same name.’

And third, there is also not a single mention to the movement which Roberto is really linked to, that is, the ‘MPB’ (Brazilian Popular Music), a concept too broad and of complex definition. What I can say is that, despite the undeniable Hispanic influences, any attempt to bound MPB to ‘Latino’ music in general is quite problematic, so is the relationship between Brazilian cultures and the broader Hispanic world.

Indeed, the recent tendence of Brazilians, especially students and scholars, living in the US to identify themselves as ‘Latinos,’ ignoring possible confusions with the Hispanic world, has been rather political than cultural. (But do not understand me wrongly: I do not mean Brazilians cannot anyway be considered ‘Latinos,’ but the point is the total absence of MPB in your story, which is far more relevant to describe Roberto’s work than any affiliation to ‘Latinoity.’ I guess, after all, translating his songs have had much more a financial than an intercultural sense...)

And despite much criticism, mostly against the way he treats other people, Roberto is simply considered the ‘King’ of the MPB, what is not without relevance in Brazil!