MPB4 is a vocal and instrumental Brazilian group formed in Niterói

Niterói

Niterói is a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast region of Brazil. It has an estimated population of 487,327 inhabitants and an area of ², being the sixth most populous city in the state and the highest Human Development Index. Integrates the Metropolitan Region of Rio de...

, Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

, in 1965, and has been active since.The groups main genres are sung samba

Samba

Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...

 and MPB

MPB

MPB can refer to:* Methane producing bacteria, another name for methanogen bacteria* Media Prima Berhad, a Malaysian media corporation* Música Popular Brasileira, Brazilian Popular Music* Male pattern baldness, a form of Androgenetic alopecia...

, and they are considered among the best vocal interpretation group in Brazil. They have frequently collaborated with Quarteto em Cy

Quarteto em Cy

Quarteto em Cy is a Brazilian girl group originally composed of four sisters hailing from Ibirataia, a town located in the Brazilian state of Bahia: Cybele, Cylene, Cynara and Cyva - their real first names. They started performing in 1959, appearing on local television in that year...

, Toquinho

Toquinho

Antônio Pecci Filho , better known as Toquinho , is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. He is well-known for his collaborations, as composer and performer, with Vinicius de Moraes.-Childhood and musical studies:...

 and Chico Buarque

Chico Buarque

Francisco Buarque de Hollanda , popularly known as Chico Buarque , is a singer, guitarist, composer, dramatist, writer and poet...

. In 2001, MPB-4 completed a 36-year career with the same formation (registered in the Brazilian edition of the Guinness Book of Records).

Founding

The group was founded when the members met through the Centro Popular de Cultura (Popular Culture Center, or CPC), affiliated with the União Nacional dos Estudante (National Students Union, or UNE). The initial lineup featured Miltinho (Milton Lima dos Santos Filho, Campos dos Goytacazes

Campos dos Goytacazes

Campos dos Goytacazes is a municipality and city located in the northern area of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, with a population of 463,545 inhabitants. Its area is 4,031.910 km², which makes it the largest municipality in the state and its elevation is 14 m...

, October 18, 1943), Lean (Antonio José Waghabi Son, Itaocara

Itaocara

Itaocara is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Its population is 23,047 and its area is 428 km²....

, RJ, November 14, 1943), Achilles (Achille Rique Reis, Niterói, RJ, May 22, 1948) and Ruy Faria (Ruy Alexandre Faria, Cambuci

Cambuci

Cambuci is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Its population was 14,439 and its area is 562 km². Its population as of 2009 is 18,256 by newest recalation. It is very popular among tourists....

, RJ, July 31, 1937). The quartet was originally known as Quarteto do CPC. With the extinction of the CPC (and of the UNE) after the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état, the group adopted the name of MPB-4,

1960s and 70s

In 1965, the band moved to São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

. In the city they came into contact with recently launched artists who would later achieve fame: Chico Buarque

Chico Buarque

Francisco Buarque de Hollanda , popularly known as Chico Buarque , is a singer, guitarist, composer, dramatist, writer and poet...

, Nara Leão

Nara Leão

Nara Lofego Leão was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB singer and occasional actress. Her husband was Carlos Diegues, director and writer of Bye Bye Brasil....

, Sidney Miller, Quarteto em Cy

Quarteto em Cy

Quarteto em Cy is a Brazilian girl group originally composed of four sisters hailing from Ibirataia, a town located in the Brazilian state of Bahia: Cybele, Cylene, Cynara and Cyva - their real first names. They started performing in 1959, appearing on local television in that year...

. Their themes often included references to Brazilian culture and customs ad well as criticism of the country's political situation immersed in the military dictatorship. During this period the group also participated in many National Brazilan music festivals. The group recorded their first self-titled LP in 1966. Throughout the late 1960s they also participated in several Brazilian song festivals.

Their collaborations with Chico Buarque was one of their longest lasting. They recorded "Roda Viva" together in 1967, and traveled with him on his tours in Brazil and abroad. Their partnership lasted through the mid 1970s.

1980s and Beyond

In 1980, the group released, together with Quarteto em Cy, the children's LP "Flicts." MPB4 recorded another children's LP in the next year, "O Pato."

In 1991, the quartet recorded Sambas da Minha Terra, dedicated to the works of Dorival Caymmi

Dorival Caymmi

Dorival Caymmi was a Brazilian singer, songwriter, actor, and painter active for more than 70 years beginning in 1933...

, Toquinho/Vinícius, Zé Kéti, and Ary Barroso

Ary Barroso

Ary Barroso was a Brazilian composer, pianist, soccer commentator, and talent-show host on radio and TV...

, among others. The group commemorated their 30-year career in 1995 with the show, "Arte de Cantar" and an album of the same name.

Discography

• "Samba bem" (1964) Sarau Compacto duplo
• "Samba lamento/São Salvador" (1965) Elenco Compacto simples
• "MPB-4" (1966) Elenco LP
• "MPB-4" (1967) Elenco LP
• "MPB-4" (1968) Elenco LP
• "Deixa estar" (1970) Elenco/Philips LP
• "De palavra em palavra" (1971) Elenco/Phonogram LP
• "Cicatrizes" (1972) Phonogram LP/CD
• "Antologia do samba" (1974) Phonogram LP/CD
• "Palhaços & Reis" (1974) Phonogram LP
• "10 anos depois" (1975) Phonogram LP
• "Canto dos homens" (1976) Phonogram LP
• "Antologia do samba nº 2" (1977) Phonogram LP
• "Cobra de vidro" (1978) Phonogram LP
• "Bons tempos, hein?!" (1979) PolyGram LP
• "Vira virou" (1980) Ariola LP
• "Flicts-Ziraldo e Sérgio Ricardo" (1980) LP
• "Adivinha o que é?" (1981) Ariola LP/CD
• "Tempo tempo" (1981) Ariola LP
• "Caminhos livres" (1983) Ariola LP
• "4 Coringas" (1984) Barclay LP
• "Feitiço carioca-do MPB-4 para Noel Rosa" (1987) Continental LP/CD
• "Ao vivo-do show Amigo é pra essas coisas" (1989) Som Livre LP/CD
• "Sambas da minha terra" (1991) Som Livre CD
• "Encontro marcado-MPB-4 canta Milton Nascimento" (1993) PolyGram CD
• "Arte de cantar-MPB-4 ao vivo" (1995) Som Livre CD
• "Bate-boca-Quarteto em Cy e MPB-4" (1997) PolyGram CD
• "Somos todos iguais-Quarteto em Cy e MPB-4" (1998) PolyGram CD
• "Melhores momentos - Ao Vivo" (1999) CID CD
• "Vinícius-A arte do encontro. MPB-4 e Quarteto em Cy" (2000) Som Livre CD
• "MPB-4 e a nova música brasileira" (2000) Abril Music CD
• "MPB-4 40 anos ao vivo" (2007) Emi Music CD
• "MPB-4 40 anos ao vivo" (2007) Emi Music DVD
• "Toquinho e MPB-4 - 40 anos de música" (2008) Biscoito Fino CD
• "Toquinho e MPB-4 - 40 anos de música" (2009) Biscoito Fino DVD