The ease with with Chico Buarque seems to have married social criticism with the seamless songcrafting of the popular vein earned him more critical praise than any other singer/songwriter from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s, no small feat in a nation of singers and songwriters. Musicá popular brasileira (MPB) became a current term early in Buarque's early career, which took off at the first MPB festival in 1965. By 1968, he was criticized for not politicizing his festival contest entries. When he did produce political songs, he faced censorship from the military dictatorship. As a consequence he moved to Italy in 1969. When he returned in 1970, many other MPB luminaries had left the country and the dictatorship was at its cruelest.

As the 1970's progressed the political situation eased somewhat, MPB found full flowering, and Chico became more and more involved in flim and theater. His songwriting continued to reach new highs, and political anthems, like "Cálice," mingled with sentimental love songs at a time when he was reworking greek tragedies into contemporary working-class dramas set in Rio's slums. By the late 1970's censorship was diminished, and Buarque's political side took him to Cuba and Angola. He also openly supported political causes, such as striking workers. The sentimental lyracism of his tunes celebrated music and dance from the beginning, and always this celebration implied sentiments of political brotherhood as the path to happiness.

Even erotic songs took on political concurrents. "Let us commit a sin/spread open, sweaty, all steamy," sings Buarque, in lyrics which explore the explore the geopolitical role of "developing" Brasil as much as the act of personal intercourse.

Chico Buarque, Não Existe Pecado ao Sul do Equador