Cálice

Music and art often give us a unique perspective on history; one that is more compelling than a written textbook account of what transpired. In 1964, in the midst of the brutal censorship of artists and musicians by the Brazilian militarydictatorship, Chico Buarque de Holanda, Gilberto Gil and Milton Nascimento, three of the most important names in Brazilian music, wrote and performed "Cálice," a song seemingly about a "chalice." In reality, the subversive song was a challenge to the censors, cleverly using a play on words. In Brazilian Portuguese, "cálice" is pronounced just like "cale se," which translates into "shut your mouth." The vocals are layered such that while one voice narrates, the other just insists "cálice," or, in effect, shut up. Once they grasped what was happening, the censors cut the microphone and you can hear one of the men yell, "meu som!" ("my sound!")http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiT_YHvUThw