Below is a complete-ish discography of the Clube da Encruza: the São Paulo collective of “dirty samba” musicians who have been working together since about 2008: Marcelo Cabral, Rodrigo Campos, Kiko Dinucci, Thiago França, Romulo Fróes, Sérgio Machado and Juçara Marçal. (Gui Amabis seems to have joined the group around 2020.) Their recording careers stretch back before that interaction—several crossed paths over years before recording together; some didn’t meet others until after solo careers were under way. Eventually they recognized each other as kindred spirits in rethinking samba for their Brazil and their time. Collaborations formed, albums recorded, groups emerged. (You can read a bit about it here and in this terrific interview). But collectives are fuzzy things, so the borders of this group are porous: Elza Soares, Criolo, Douglas Germano and others have worked deeply within or alongside the Clube. Those Soares and Criolo albums are considered key albums of Brazilian music of the ’10s. So I’ve tried to list all relevant Clube-related albums below. The central Clube albums are in bold.
I’ll try to update this as needed, but I mainly wanted a record of the contributions of what might be the most fecund musical movement on the planet in the ’10s. You can find most of these albums reviewed on this blog.
Last Updated: 2 March 2023
1990s
- Personal Choice, Mutual Respect, 1994 (KD)
- Personal Choice, Raise Your Head, 1994 (KD)
- Personal Choice, Live in Buenos Aires, 1995 (KD)
- Personal Choice, Days of Trust, 1996 (KD)
- Losango Caqui, Losango Caqui, 1997 (RF)
- Losango Caqui, Losango Caqui II, 1999 (RF)
- Vesper, Flor d’Elis, 1998 (JM)
2000
- A Barca, Turista Aprendiz (JM)
2001
- Romulo Fróes, EP
- Vesper Vocal, MPB4, Roberto Silva and Luit Tatit, Tributo a Adirondan e Noel (JM)
2002
- A Barca, Baiao de Princesas (JM)
2004
- Romulo Fróes, Calado
- Vesper Vocal, Ser Tao Paulista (JM)
2006
- A Barca, Trilha, Toada e Trupe (JM)
- Romulo Fróes, Cão
2008
- Juçara Marçal and Kiko Dinucci, Padê
- Kiko Dinucci and Bando Afro Macarrônico, Pastiche Nagô
2009
- Rodrigo Campos, São Mateus Não e um Lugar Assim Tão Longe
- Coisa Linda Sound System, Da Vide E Do Mundo (MC)
- Kiko Dinucci, Na Boca dos Outros
- Duo Moviola, O Retrato do Artista quando Pede (KD and Douglas Germano)
- Thiago França, Na Gafieira
- Romulo Fróes, No Chão Sem O Chão
2010
- Coisa Linda Sound System, Rochedo de Penedo (MC)
- Lurdez da Luz, Lurdez da Luz (MC)
- Luisa Maita, Lero Lero (RC)
- Sambanzo, Sambanzo (TF)
2011
- Criolo, Nó Na Orelha (MC)
- Romulo Fróes, Um Labirinto em Cada Pé
- Douglas Germano, Ori
- MarginalS, MarginalS (TF)
- Metá Metá, Metá Metá
- Passo Torto, Passo Torto
2012
- Rodrigo Campos, Bahia Fantástica
- MarginalS, MarginalS 2 (TF)
- Metá Metá, Metal Metal
- Sambanzo, Etiópia (TF)
- Vesper, Na Lida (JM)
2013
- Tony Allen and Metá Metá, “Alakorô/São Paulo No Shaking”
- Kiko Dinucci, Thiago França and Sérgio Machado, Dada Radio Session
- Verônica Ferriani, Porque A Boca Fala Aquilo Do Que O Coração Tá Cheio (MC)
- A Espetacular Charanga do França, …Ataca Novamente! (TF)
- Thiago França, Malagueta, Perus e Bacanaço
- Thiago França, Kiko Dinucci and Sérgio Machado, Fun Fun Sessions
- Cacá Machado, Eslavosamba
- MarginalS with Thomas Rohrer, Ao Vivo No Espaço Soma (TF)
- MarginalS with Guizado and DJ Marco, Ao Vivo No Espaço Soma (TF)
- MarginalS with M. Takara, Ao Vivo No Espaço Soma (TF)
- Os Metas Negras, Ao Vivo Na Casa De Francisca (KD and TF)
- Passo Torto, Passo Elétrico
- Sombra, Fantástico Mundo Popular (MC)
- Submarinos, Pela Mágica Imaginação (MC)
2014
- Criolo, Convoque Seu Buda (MC)
- Romulo Fróes, Barulho Feio
- Alessandra Leão, Pedra de Sal (KD)
- Juçara Marçal, Encarnado
- Pipo Pegoraro, Mergulhar, Mergulhei (RF)
- Sambanzo, AH! (TF)
2015
- Mariana Aydar, Pedaço Duma Asa
- Vicente Barreto, Cambaco
- Rodrigo Campos, Conversas com Toshiro
- Marcos Campello and Kiko Dinucci, FILIPINAs
- Romulo Fróes, Por Elas Sem Elas
- Juçara Marçal and Cadu Tenório, Anganga
- Juçara Marçal, Thomas Harres and Kiko Dinucci, Abismu
- Metá Metá, Metá Metá EP
- Passo Torto and Ná Ozzetti, Thiago França
- Sambanzo, Coisas Invisíveis (TF)
- Síntese ft. Akilez, Kiko Dinucci & Thiago França, Boomshot Apresenta
- Elza Soares, Mulher do Fim do Mundo
- Space Charanga, R.A.N. (TF)
2016
- Clima, Monumento ao Soldado Desconhecido
- Criolo, Ainda Há Tempo (MC)
- A Espetacular Charanga do França, O Último Carnaval de Nossas Vidas (TF)
- Romulo Fróes, Barulho Feio A Vivo No Arena
- Romulo Fróes, Rei Vadio: A Canções de Nelson Cavaquinho
- Romulo Fróes and Cesar Lacerda, O Meu Nome é Qualquer Um
- Douglas Germano, Golpe de Vista
- Metá Metá, MM3
- Juliana Perdigão, Ó (RF)
- Plim, Plim (SM)
2017
- As Bahias e a Cozinha Mineira, Bixa (MC)
- Rodrigo Campos, Juçara Marçal and Gui Amabis, Sambas do Absurdo
- Clube da Encruza, Cultura Livre performance 28 March 2017 (video)
- Criolo, Espiral de Ilusão (MC)
- Kiko Dinucci, Cortes Curtos
- A Espetacular Charanga do França, Chão Mulhado da Roça (TF)
- A Espetacular Charanga do França, Bomba, Suor e Bapho (TF)
- Instituto, Duani e Thiago França, O Roubo da Taça
- Metá Metá, EP3
- Metá Metá, Gira
2018
- Rodrigo Brandão, Outros Barato
- Marcelo Cabral, Motor
- Rodrigo Campos, 9 Sambas
- Romulo Fróes, O Disco das Horas
- Metá Metá, Sessões Selo Sesc #3: Metá Metá
- Elza Soares, Deus É Mulher
- Space Charanga, Suíte Intergaláctica (TF)
2019
- Clima, La Commedia É Finita
- A Espetacular Charanga do França, Charanga No Conceição (TF)
- Douglas Germano, Escumalha
- Jards Macalé, Besta Fera
- Paal Nilssen-Love, New Brazilian Funk (KD)
- Paal Nilssen-Love, New Japanese Noise (KD)
- Juliana Perdigão, Folhuda (TF)
- Romulo Fróes, “Elza Aqui”
2020
- Kiko Dinucci, Rastilho
- Thiago França, KD VCS
- Thiago França, Charanguinha
- Morris, Homen Mulher Cavalo Cobra (RF)
- Guilherme Held, Corpo Nós (RF)
- Rodrigo Vellozo, O Mestre–Sal Da Minha Saudade (RF)
- Marcelo Cabral, Naunyn
- Rodrigo Campos, Meu Samba Quer Se Dissolver
2021
- Metá Metá oficial – Youtube page. Includes a series of group and solo studio concerts recorded during the pandemic. Watch here.
- Romulo Fróes – Youtube page. Includes a series of solo acoustic shows covering his solo albums recorded during the pandemic. Watch here.
- A Espetacular Charanga do França, Nunca Não É Carnaval
- Romulo Fróes, Aquele Nenhum/Ó Nóis
- Kiko Dinucci, VHS
- Juçara Marçal, Delta Estácio Blues
- Thiago França & A Espetacular Charanga do França, The Importance of Being Espetacular
- Thiago França, Bodiado
2022
- Juçara Marçal, EPDEB
- Sambas do Absurdo, Sambas do Absurdo, Vol. 2
- Verônica Ferriani and Marcelo Cabral, De Boca Cheia
- Romulo Fróes, “Gagágogó”
- Benito 80, Novo Samba Sempre Novo (RF)
2023
- Romulo Fróes and Tiago Rosas, Na Goela
- Rodrigo Campos, Pagode Novo
- Anna Vis, Como Um Bicho Vê (RF, MC)
Notes:
The central Clube recordings in bold are the solo albums and cross-pollinated collabs that have helped the Clube emerge as a distinct movement within Brazilian music. Other albums recognize either earlier work that’s more tangential to the Clube, collaborations by outsiders with Clube members, or recordings by people working in parallel to the collective. I’ve listed the initials of Clube member in parenthesis after albums. If no one is listed it’s because several Clube members participated.
Initials: MC = Marcelo Cabral; RC = Rodrigo Campos; KD = Kiko Dinucci; TF = Thiago França; RF = Romulo Fróes; SM = Sérgio Machado; JM = Juçara Marçal
No doubt I’m missing things. I bet there are Marcelo Cabral productions I’ve missed. Kiko Dinucci was in at least three early bands—Clean Head, Electric Sickness and Nitrate Kid—who may have a recorded legacy, but I can’t find it. (In addition, there are both a different Marcelo Cabral and Rodrigo Campos out there whose albums don’t belong.)
I didn’t include every appearance on a record by a Clube member, but only ones where they were critical contributors—producers, artistic directors, performers or songwriters—for most of the album. I also included releases by Clima, Mariana Aydar and Douglas Germano even though they are slightly more tangential. Germano has worked closely with Dinucci in Duo Moviola and Metá Metá, while Clima and Nuno Ramos (who produced the Aydar record) were Fróes’ main partners before the Clube coalesced and continue to work with him. I could have spun the web even further to include work by Daniel Ganjaman or Tulipa Ruiz or Guillerme Kastrup, because, as I keep learning more and more, the São Paulo scene has all kinds of integrations. But you have to stop somewhere, and I think I’ve chosen a reasonable place. Let’s just say that if Portuguese were spoken as widely as English, then that scene would be recognized like Swinging London or ’70s punk New York.
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