Clube da Esquina

Clube da Esquina formed in Belo Horizonte around Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Márcio Borges, and Fernando Brant. Their 1972 debut album included 'Um Girassol da Cor do Seu Cabelo,' a song that became a touchstone for their sound. That sound mixed Brazilian rhythms with elements of jazz and rock, which some critics initially resisted.

They followed with albums like 'Clube da Esquina 2' in 1978 and 'Clube da Esquina 3' in 1980. Other songs from this period, such as 'O Trem Azul' and 'Cais,' show the group's collaborative writing and arranging. The lyrics, often by Fernando Brant, gave their music a particular poetic weight.

While the core members were central, Clube da Esquina also worked as a loose collective of musicians from Minas Gerais. The name refers more to a movement and a series of records than to a fixed touring band. Their work from the 1970s remains a reference point in Brazilian music.