11 Brazilian songs that are versions of international hits

Brazilian artists who record versions of international songs are not a recent phenomenon: a good part of the successful songs of Jovem Guarda, in the 1960s, were re-recordings in Portuguese of hits of the time. The strategy has stuck, and despite criticism, it almost always works. If it was successful abroad, why not in Brazil?

O awesome.club gathered 11 of these versions that you certainly sang, even if you might not know that one or another of them wasn’t originally in Portuguese.

How about a trio formed by Leandro, Leonardo and Eric Clapton? One of the great successes of the Brazilian duo — which ended in 1998, with the death of Leandro — was inspired by “Wonderful Tonight”, a ballad by the English guitarist, who composed it in 1976 while his girlfriend was getting ready. Leandro and Leonardo also performed Eu Juro, a version of the American country song I Swear, made famous by John Michael Montgomery.

The song is one of the great hits of the band from Rio Grande do Sul, which shone mainly in the 1980s. The inspiration was one of the many songs by David Bowie that deal with space or space creatures. The Portuguese version, from 1989, does not follow the idea of ​​the original song, released in 1972.

Renato and Seu Blue Caps were not the only artists from Jovem Guarda to drink heavily from the source of international music. But the song made from a not very famous Beatles composition, “I Should Have Known Better”, helped make the group a success in Brazil in the 1960s.

Younger people may not remember, but, like Xuxa, Angélica also had a singing career parallel to that of a presenter. In 2001, she embarked on the success of Irish band The Cranberries to record one of the group’s biggest hits, “Linger”, released in 1993.

There are those who compare Zé Ramalho with the American composer — winner of the Nobel prize for literature — Bob Dylan. In this case, the Brazilian deserved the comparison when he recorded one of Dylan’s most famous songs, “Knockin On Heaven’s Door”, whose translation was faithful: “Batando na Porta do Céu”.

Léo Jaime always had a tendency towards humor in his compositions, and he also showed it in this version of a song by the English group The Police. The original “So Lonely” (so alone), became “Solange” in Portuguese. The only similarity, in this case, is in the sound of the titles. The inspiration could not be more curious: Solange Hernandez, who headed a censorship body during the military dictatorship.

“I Want to Know What Love Is” was a classic from the 1980s. Released in 2010, it follows the idea of ​​the original song, from 1984.

The target of much criticism, Kiko Zambianchi himself had doubts about releasing a version of one of the greatest Beatles classics. The fact is that, as part of the soundtrack of the soap opera “Top Model”, from 1990, the song was a huge success. If you haven’t identified it, Kiko is the author of the hit “Primeiros Erros”.

Só Pra Contrariar, a pagode band popular in the 1990s and led by Alexandre Pires, lives not only from the famous cockroach in the neighbourhood. In this case, the success was a very different version of the hit, “It Ain’t Over Til’ It’s Over”, released by American singer and multi-instrumentalist Lenny Kravitz in 1991.

When recording a version of a hit by Cuban singer Gloria Estefan, Brazilian Marina Elali was a great success, also leveraged by the inclusion of the song on the soundtrack of the soap opera “Sete Pecados”, in 2007. Marina continues to be active, although she has not repeated successes like the last decade.

It is likely that you have already heard about Stefhany from Crossfox, who became a meme when she recorded a version of a hit by American singer Vanessa Carlton accompanied by the release of a clip, let’s say, “homemade”. Stefhany Absoluta became an instant celebrity, gaining attention in the press.

Now it’s you, tell me if you know another version and which one you liked best. Leave your comment!