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| 1984 |
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In the key year of the fateful novel by writer George Orwell, the world did not end, but the planet was totally polarized between contrary forces. On one side, the powerful conservatism of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan impelled all kinds of radicalism, meaning more bombs, more terrorist attacks, and irreconcilable opinions. Indira Gandhi was assassinated in India. Lord Mountbatten is killed by the radicals of the IRA, the militant faction of the Irish Republican Army. Sudden ruptures, unexpected u-turns, confrontations that began then and last until today. In Brazil, a million people united in Rio de Janeiro demanding direct elections. The military dictatorship, then in power for 20 years, came to an end.
But 1984 also brought a whirlwind of esthetic boldness. The decade of the 80’s went on to delineate once and for all its liberal and profoundly self absorbed style, among artificial colors, futuristic eroticism, and direct messages. As direct as the album Profana, issued by Gal Costa that year. Profana, title extracted from the song Vaca Profana, by Caetano Veloso, marks another change in the course of the trajectory of Gal Costa, who this time emerged with short hair, costumes of synthetic fabrics, and a repertoire of surprising discourse. A good thing for those who deserve it, a slap in the face of the squares.
At the same time, Brazilian rock saw the new groups for the juvenile sound market of the decade: Paralamas do Sucesso, Kid Abelha, and Barão Vermelho. The composer Arrigo Barnabé issued Tubarões Voadores, and Itamar Assumpção performed his Isca de Polícia. It was the paulistana avant-garde on the scene, full of atonality, harmonic asymmetries and poetic outbursts.
On the radio, Madonna sang Like a Virgin, while Stevie Wonder came out with I Just Called to Say I Love You. The world lost Marvin Gaye, Count Basie, and François Truffaut.
Taking stock, 1984 will never be viewed as a year, which disappears from the calendar in white clouds. On the contrary. Perhaps, it should be comprehended as the most decisive moment of that resounding decade.
Eduardo Logullo
translation: Kirsten Weinoldt
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