Tom Zé – Correio Da Estação Do Brás

Vinyl 12"

Gatefold sleeve. Reissued for the first time outside of Brazil. Tom Zé is considered the most “paulista” of all Tropicalistas. He came from Bahia, but his wry urban poetry, infused with the uncomfortable sounds of the largest metropolis in South America, is pure São Paulo. The variety of musical genres on the LP (samba, sertanejo, bolero, xote, repente and forró), reflects the cultural diversity of the Brás neighbourhood, a meeting point for Italians, nordestinos, Africans and Latinos.

This reissue includes unseen photos, new testimonials from Tom Zé himself and a lengthy article by Bento Araújo, author of the book series Lindo Sonho Delirante.

Away from radio and TV, and with live performances becoming increasingly scarce by the end of the 1970s, Tom Zé was a risky investment for record labels, agents and concert promoters. Always eager to pursue innovation and creativity, Tom Zé wanted to release another album following the cult Estudando o Samba (1976).

The result was Correio da Estação do Brás (1978), a record built around tension and distressing chronicles of real life, interpreted and reported by the artist in an often autobiographical manner. Tom Zé had achieved what seemed impossible: contemporary working-class music created not for the elite, but for the people themselves.