The band is considered one of the main groups in Brazilian rock. Like most groups from the 1960s, Os Mutantes were heavily influenced by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Sly & the Family Stone. However, Brazilian musicians were also immersed in their local culture, exercising their own creativity in the use of feedback, distortion and studio tricks of all kinds, just as was done by the Liverpool quartet and the group The Beach Boys. In this sense, Mutantes were pioneers in mixing rock and roll with Brazilian musical and thematic elements. Another characteristic of the group was irreverence. Like Os Mutantes, there began to be a kind of mixture of foreign and Brazilian music and the addition of new ideas, with doses of experimentalism, thus opening the way for musical hybridism.
Os Mutantes began their activities in 1966, as a trio, when they performed on the program O Pequeno Mundo de Ronnie Von on TV Record. On the eve of the program's premiere, the trio had the name "Os Bruxos", but neither Rita Lee nor the Dias Baptista brothers (Arnaldo and Sérgio) were satisfied with that name and wanted to change it. According to Carlos Calado,[2] the idea for the name "Os Mutantes" came from an ironic joke between Alberto Helena Júnior, the program's producer, and Ronnie Von, who, at the time, was reading O Império dos Mutantes, by Stefan Wul, and did not talk about any other subject. "Are you guys still looking for a name for the boys ensemble? Why not The Mutants?" Ronnie Von liked Alberto Helena's idea and took it to the group, who approved it immediately.
The group soon became one of the main exponents of the new MPB, influenced by Tropicália, until it dissolved in 1978. Over these twelve years, nine albums were recorded, two of which - O A e o Z and Tecnicolor - were only released on 1990s, when the group began to be recognized, on the national and international rock scene, as one of the most creative, dynamic, radical and talented of the psychedelic era and the history of world rock. In 2006, the band reunited, without Rita Lee or Liminha, but with the presence of Arnaldo Baptista and Zélia Duncan on vocals. The following year, Arnaldo and Zélia left the band, which was recomposed with other musicians and continues to perform under the leadership of Sérgio Dias, the only remaining member of the original lineup.
Ave Gengis Khan
Os Mutantes Lyrics
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Ave Gengis Khan
Pápárapárátchorárá
Ave Gengis Khan
Ave Gengis Khan
The song "Ave Gengis Khan" by Os Mutantes is a fascinating mix of Spanish and Portuguese lyrics with a heavy influence of jazzy rock rhythms. The lyrics are very enigmatic and evoke a sense of mysticism, possibly referring to the Mongolian leader Gengis Khan, who was known for his ruthless military conquests. The repetition of the phrase "Ave Gengis Khan" gives a spiritual dimension to the song, almost like a prayer or a chant.
The verses are punctuated by the playful and nonsensical phrase "Pápárapárátchorárá," which seems to serve as a break or a release of tension. The music itself is a vibrant and eclectic blend of electric guitar riffs, percussive beats, and organ sounds, creating a psychedelic and otherworldly atmosphere. The use of distortion and echo effects enhances the surreal quality of the song, making it an unforgettable sonic journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Ave Gengis Khan
Hail Genghis Khan
Pápárapárátchorárá
This nonsensical chant has no meaningful translation
Ave Gengis Khan
Hail Genghis Khan
Ave Gengis Khan
Hail Genghis Khan
Contributed by Thomas E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.