With a blend of kaleidoscopic rock music fused with traditional rhythms and modernist poetry, the tunes of Cátia de França, a Brazilian singer born in the poor northeastern state of Paraíba, reverberated across Brazil as she toured in the 1970s and 80s. Despite her efforts, her music largely went unnoticed. Undeterred and resilient, she held to her blend of music and poetry faithfully.
However, in the wake of the pandemic, she retreated to a conservation area tucked away in the mountains above Rio de Janeiro. Unplugged from the world, her life changed in 2021 when a phone call beckoned her back to her musical roots.
On the line was a representative of an independent label in São Paulo. He wanted to reissue her 1979 debut album, “20 Palavras ao Redor do Sol” (20 Words Around the Sun), resuscitating it with a nearly forgotten format: vinyl. Initially skeptical, de França soon realized it was not a prank and embraced the opportunity with open arms.
This unexpected twist tossed the 77-year old singer into limelight, bringing her recognition and reinvigorated her career. This surge in popularity is part of a larger revival. Last year, vinyl records outperformed CDs and DVDs in sales for the first time in decades in Brazil. The vinyl market in Brazil generated 11 million reais ($2.2 million) in 2023, growing from the previous year and vastly out-stripping sales from 2019.
Yet, despite these promising figures, the market for used vinyl albums never truly disappeared, according to Carlos Savalla, a 66-year old music producer from Rio who boasts a collection of over 60,000 vinyl records. Today, it is being rediscovered not just locally but also by foreign music enthusiasts looking to explore the rich music veins of samba, bossa nova, tropicalismo, and Brazilian popular music.
This resurgence of vinyl in Brazil mirrors a global trend that has unfolded over the last 15 years. Revenues from vinyl records in the U.S. alone reached $1.4 billion in 2023. Taylor Swift’s 2022 album “Midnights” was notable for its vinyl sales exceeding CDs, marking the first such occurrence since 1987.
In Brazil, though, this revival is driven by a desire to rediscover classic albums and previously overlooked artists, rather than by commercial hits from top-streamed artists. Factors contributing to this shift include efforts by individuals like João Augusto. Inspired by the vinyl resurgence in Europe and the U.S., Augusto breathed new life into a former vinyl pressing plant, now known as Polysom. Since its revival, Polysom has pressed 1.3 million records.
Among those reaping the benefits of this vinyl revival is the 32-year old sound engineer, João Noronha, who co-founded the label Três Selos. Working with de França, they have managed to reissue her debut album on vinyl. Initial skepticism has turned into acclaim, leading de França to feel validated for her unwavering commitment to her music.
While de França’s story epitomizes the trend, large companies are not standing on the sidelines. Universal Music’s Brazilian subsidiary launched its own vinyl club in 2022, repressing albums by iconic Brazilian artists like Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, Rita Lee, and Maria Bethânia.
On April 19, de França lit up a warehouse-turned-venue in São Paulo. A swaying crowd of enthusiastic 30- and 40-somethings, some accompanied by their children, responded with calls of “Marvelous” and “I love you!” as de França performed with her signature Afro-Brazilian rattles known as caxixis, her presence illuminated by the stage lights.
After her performance, she meandered off stage, donning woolen garments to shield against the evening chill. The moment captured more than just the end of a successful performance; it marked the long-overdue recognition of a resilient, persevering, and timeless artist, who in her twilight years, has finally become a rockstar.
