Photo: Mídia promocional do programa Carnavais do Brasil, remixada por Olimor · CC BY 3.0 br · credits
Timeline
16 events▣ Album 13◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1✦ Award 1
1930s
1990s
· Debut release
Debut release: Estrada Tokyo-Rio
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2000s
2010s
2020s
Biography
English biography297 words · 2 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1349863695
Biography
Roberto Menescal (born October 25, 1937) is a Brazilian composer, record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and pioneer of bossa nova. In many of his songs there are references to the sea, including his best-known composition "O Barquinho" ("Little Boat"). He is also known for work with Carlos Lyra, Nara Leão, Wanda Sá, Ale Vanzella, and many others. Menescal has performed in Latin music genres such as bossa nova, samba and MPB. He was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his work with his son's bossa group Bossacucanova in 2002, and received the 2013 Latin Recording Academy Special Awards in Las Vegas in November 2013.
Career
In 1957, he worked as sideman for Sylvia Telles in Brazil. A year later he started a guitar school with Carlos Lyra. He formed one of the earliest bossa nova bands with Bebeto, Henrique, João Mário, and Luís Carlos Vinhas. He spread bossa nova through performances and concerts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, such as the I Festival de Samba Session. Alaíde Costa recorded Menescal's song "Jura de Pombo" in 1959. "O Barquinho" was recorded the next year by Maysa, Paulinho Nogueira, and Perry Ribeiro. He sang "O Barquinho" at Carnegie Hall in 1962 when he attended the Bossa Nova Festival with Carlos Lyra and Antonio Carlos Jobim. During the middle to late 1960s, he was an arranger and record producer for PolyGram, producing music for Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben Jor, and Caetano Veloso. In 1970, he became the talent scout for PolyGram. He composed music for movies and television and was a sideman in the studio for Nara Leão, Elis Regina, Jair Rodrigues, and Claudette Soares. In the 1980s, he concentrated on a solo career, recording with jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson. He owns the record label Albatross.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 10 | 58.3th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 17 | 85.9th |
| Studio albums | 13 | 93.5th |
| Awards recorded | 1 | 89th |
| Timeline events | 16 | 91.8th |
| Recording span (years) | 27 | 60th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (17 release groups · 13 studio albums)
Albums · 13
1999 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 14 tracks · 51:41
1Estrada Tokyo-Rio4:462Nas Quebradas Da Vida3:083A Volta4:034The King Of Rock'n'Roll3:195Vai De Vez2:506Revolução4:467Só Quiz Você4:288Balansamba1:299Dançar Com Você4:2910Contemplação5:0211Rio2:2812Manequim4:1113Saudades de Você3:5914Novas Bossas2:432001 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 12 tracks · 51:20
1Telefone2:532Nanã4:033Rio3:224Guanabara5:165Água de beber5:146Garota de Ipanema5:017A morte de um Deus de sal3:078Brasilidade5:249Surfboard3:3210Nós e o mar4:0611Mais perto do mar3:4612Bye Bye Brasil5:362006 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 13 tracks · 39:30
1Vaide vez2:132A morte de um deus de sal3:093Copacabana de sempre3:484Telefone2:235Amanhecendo3:286Adriana4:227Um abraço no Menescal e no Bôscoli3:468A banca do distinto2:429Mar amar2:2210Bye Bye Brasil3:4211Errinho á toa3:0112Tem dó2:1213Ninguém2:222007 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 14 tracks · 52:52
1Agarradinhos3:022Ah, se eu pudesse / O barquinho / Você / Nós e o mar5:403O céu nos protege3:114A volta4:235Eu preciso de você2:436Tanto que aprendi de amor4:087A morte de um deus de sal3:428Luz da natureza3:199Minha Mangueira3:2610O que é amar4:4311Revendo amigos / E era Copacabana4:0712Encontro das águas4:0913Ninguém2:5014Eterno feitiço3:292008 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 13 tracks
1O Barquinho2Batida Diferente3Só Danço Samba4Agarradinhos5P'ruzé6Samba Da Creuza7Preciso Aprender A Ser Só8Vagamente9Samba De Verão10Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar11Wave12A Rã13Bye Bye Brasil2012 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 14 tracks
1Rio2A Morte De Um Deus De Sal3Vagamente4Ninguém5Vai De Vez6Solidão Nunca Mais7Você8Agarradinhos9O Barquinho10Eu Canto Meu Blues11Copacabana De Sempre12Nós E O Mar13Bye Bye Brasil14P'ru Zé2013 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 41:45
1's wonderful2:102Retrato em branco e preto3:453Eu e a música (tá oquei)4:074Outra vez4:125Roxanne4:016Sabe você3:217Estate3:538Abraço vazio4:379Body and Soul4:1410Saudade fez um samba2:1211Corazón partío5:132017 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 41:04
1Michelle3:172A Day in the Life4:043The Long and Winding Road4:104Love Me Do2:395Yesterday4:176Something4:257Eleanor Rigby2:548She Loves You3:159With a Little Help From My Friends2:5110While My Guitar Gently Weeps5:1111Across the Universe4:012018 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 14 tracks · 50:44
1Corcovado4:122Preciso Aprender a Ser So2:243Tristeza de Nos Dois3:434A Volta3:345Domingo Azul No Mar2:586Mentiras3:407Minami3:078O Que e Amar3:049Manha de Carnaval3:1710Nos e o Mar4:4711Fuji Samba4:2312Wave5:0613A Minha Cidade Sou Eu3:0514TeTe3:242018 · studio album
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Tracklist · 17 tracks · 1:00:38
1Agarradinhos4:292Telefone2:343Ah! Se eu pudesse3:194Você me ganhou2:555A morte de um deus de sal3:016Você2:467Errinho à toa2:338Vagamente3:409Nós e o mar3:5010Bye, bye, Brasil4:4311Eu e a música (tá oquei)3:4512Adriana3:1813A volta5:0214Nara6:0015Amanhecendo2:4116O barquinho2:5017Rio3:122019 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 13 tracks · 42:09
1Adriana4:212Há controversias3:073Nanã4:414Mas que nada2:335Swingueira4:046Agarradinhos3:497Ciúme2:268Sabedoria2:599A morte de um deus de sal3:1910Balansamba1:2911Samba da pergunta3:1112Tem dó2:1613Swingueira (remix)3:542019 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 32:53
119373:112Mandacaru2:423Train to Ipanema3:224Sambalaya4:195Blues Bossa2:066Laudir’s Theme3:417Bossa Got the Blues3:018Kalunga Rocket3:169Vou Nessa3:0710Galeria Menescal4:082026 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 12 tracks · 43:50
1Bossa Sempre Nova3:212Samba de Uma Nota Só3:043Samba Magno3:314Triste3:105Era Uma Vez3:346Ela Quer Sambar2:467Nós e o Mar3:368Cidade Mulher Bonita4:469Eu e a Brisa5:1110Pro Menesca (Pruzé)4:0111Corcovado4:1312O Brasil Precisa Balançar2:37
Album · 3
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Pure Bossa Nova - A View On The Music Of Roberto MenescalSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 32:161Rio1:48 2O Barquinho2:06 3Nós E O Mar2:54 4Ah! Se Eu Pudesse1:54 5Você2:00 6Amanhecendo2:10 7Moça Da Praia2:25 8Balansamba1:56 9Vagamente2:41 10Errinho À Toa3:10 11Telefone1:44 12A Morte De Um Deus De Sal2:21 13A Volta2:37 14Se Pelo Menos Você Fosse Minha2:30 | Compilation | 2007 | |
| 2008 | Coleção Folha 50 anos de bossa nova, volume 11: Roberto MenescalSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 39:571Meditação1:28 2Céu e mar2:02 3Rio2:47 4Corcovado3:50 5Menina feia1:44 6O pato1:53 7A morte de um deus de sal3:11 8Telefone2:25 9Adriana4:25 10Mar, amar2:25 11Copacabana de sempre3:50 12Amanhecendo3:31 13A banca do distinto2:44 14Bye bye Brasil3:42 | Compilation | 12 October 2008 | |
| 2018 | MPBossa: 60 anos da Bossa NovaSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks · 56:201Agarradinhos (instrumental)4:21 2Bye Bye, Brasil3:47 3Chega de Saudade4:32 4Desafinado3:48 5Frevo para Menescal3:22 6Garota de Ipanema2:44 7Manhã de Carnaval4:44 8Nanã3:44 9O Barquinho (instrumental)4:28 10O Barquinho3:01 11Rio2:56 12Samba de Verão2:41 13Samba do Avião3:21 14Samba Magno3:29 15Telefone2:52 16Você2:30 | Live | 13 July 2018 |
Single · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | As Cores das FloresSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 3:021As Cores das Flores3:02 | 23 October 2020 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Roberto Menescal head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 10 | 58.3th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 17 | 85.9th |
| Studio albums | 13 | 93.5th |
| Awards recorded | 1 | 89th |
| Timeline events | 16 | 91.8th |
| Recording span (years) | 27 | 60th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | lifetime |
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copa 5(band) | 1965 | present |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 br · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roberto_menescal_tvbrasil.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/94dd9440-a937-4106-9ffa-f6d128ce94c8discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/94dd9440-a937-4106-9ffa-f6d128ce94c8core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2395222genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2395222seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Menescalbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Menescal
Why this artist is in the database
- List of Brazilian musicians
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Mídia promocional do programa Carnavais do Brasil, remixada por Olimor · CC BY 3.0 br · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q2395222 · MusicBrainz: 94dd9440-a937-4106-9ffa-f6d128ce94c8
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