"Clube da esquina" is now a genre on RYM

Say hello to Clube da esquina! Named after the 70s Brazilian group and resulting movement, Clube da esquina was a musical movement mixing bossa nova, prog rock, jazz, Brazilian folk music, and classical influences.

I'm personally a massive fan of a lot of the big names of the movement and some of their greatest works, including Clube da Esquina (a must listen Brazilian cult classic), Minas, & Geraes by Milton Nascimento, Nelson Ângelo e Joyce's self-titled album, A Via-Láctea by Lô Borges, and Terra dos pássaros by Toninho Horta e Orquestra Fantasma.

Here's the full genre bio as per RYM:

Clube da esquina is a Brazilian musical movement comprising lyricists and musicians from the state of Minas Gerais. The movement allegedly emerged from the meeting of musicians on the corner (in Portuguese, esquina) between Paraisópolis and Divinópolis streets, in the Santa Teresa neighborhood in Belo Horizonte in the 1960s. Closely related to the ascension of MPB and Pop Rock/Psychedelic Rock in the vein of The Beatles in the same decade, the musicians from Clube also incorporated influences such as Jazz and Bossa nova harmonic languages and Brazilian Folk Music, particularly from the state of Minas Gerais, resignified through a Contemporary Folk perspective. Lyrically, the movement was influenced by a Singer-Songwriter poetic approach and used recurring themes such as Minas Gerais's geographic features, religious imagery and Latin American integration.

The first album recorded with Clube's musicians in a prominent role was Milton Nascimento, released in 1968, with lyrics penned by Nascimento himself, Fernando Brant, Ronaldo Bastos and Márcio Borges. Nascimento became nationally known after participating in Song Festivals and went on a streak of solo albums, with collaborators such as the backing group Som Imaginário, composed of members from Clube and other musicians that were active in the Rio de Janeiro MPB scene. Nascimento also reunited most of Clube's main names to record the album Clube da Esquina. Released in 1972, the album reflected the collaborative ethos of the movement, with musicians and lyricists sharing compositions and playing interchangeable roles during the recording sessions. The record also propelled the solo careers of some of the musicians involved, namely Lô Borges, who would release his first solo album, Lô Borges, in the same year; Nelson Angelo, who recorded the album Nelson Ângelo e Joyce with his then-partner Joyce Moreno, also in 1972; and Toninho Horta, a virtuoso guitarist who became a requested session musician for notable Brazilian artists like Gal Costa, Elis Regina and João Bosco.

At the height of the Brazilian military dictatorship in the 1970s, the movement was also targeted by official censorship, notably in the album Milagre dos peixes (1973); most of the lyrics were banned by the regime. Another important change throughout the decade was the incorporation of elements from other contemporary genres in Clube's sound palette, including Progressive Rock and Jazz Fusion, in albums like the collaborative Beto Guedes / Danilo Caymmi / Novelli / Toninho Horta (1973) and Beto Guedes's solo album A página do relâmpago elétrico (1977). A second and last group effort featuring most of the members from Clube was recorded in 1978 and released as the album Clube da Esquina 2.

Despite the absence of other recorded collective reunions, the main musicians from the movement went on solo careers that would last until the 21st century. Clube's sound would also be an influence on later prominent young Brazilian musicians not affiliated with the movement, such as the group Boogarins and the pianists Amaro Freitas and Zé Manoel.

Check out some releases if you get the chance!