The Blues are going home, but the myth of the Brazilian stadium, where the World Cup final will take place, remains. And it is from the Côte d’Azur that Canta o Maracanã emerged. This song by Sol Tropical stands out from the usual tunes heard during the World Cup, with percussion that is not synthetic but authentic.
On the guitar: the exceptional participation of Roberto Menescal. In 1950, he attended the last World Cup match at the Maracanã with his family. In 2014, having become a legend of Brazilian music, still in full creativity with a career crowned in Las Vegas last November with a Latin Grammy Award, he joined the Côte d’Azur band Sol Tropical for this samba dedicated to the Rio stadium.
Part of the images of this music video are featured in the book “Brazil, Travels in Balloons.” Prefaced by the equally legendary Brazilian footballer Zico, it is published by the Côte d’Azur association Nord-Sud Développement.
This book includes texts and 88 photos collected over 20 years in 26 Brazilian cities.
The topic it addresses most abundantly, over seven pages, is precisely… the Maracanã, with firsthand information from the architect of its renovation and three generations of the stadium’s local residents, including one who witnessed the tragic defeat in 1950.
