The home of so many artists, music genres, and most of all a way of life that has made music an integral part of public spaces, Rio de Janeiro owes so much of its culture to singers and composers who have taken their verses about the city to the four corners of the world. That being said, it is only right that these figures, who have immortalised the beauty of our city in their music, have had their likenesses honoured in stone and bronze. Today it is they that have been immortalised on the beaches, hills and in the squares of Rio, sculptures that have rendered their settings even more beautiful. Put your headphones on and get out to discover the statues of Rio’s most iconic musicians.
Writer of the world-famous “Garota de Ipanema”(The Girl From Ipanema), which has lent its name to everything from bars to clubs to boats, a song that has been translated to several different languages, Tom Jobim is one of Brazil’s national treasures. The samba and bossa nova maestro has been honoured with a statue in Ipanema, the neighbourhood in which he lived and served as inspiration for his famous song and countless others. The statue stands by Arpoador and was inaugurated in 2014, on the 20th anniversary of his death.
Soundtrack: of course it has to be “Garota de Ipanema”.
Next to Vila dos Pescadores (Fisherman’s Village) on Copacabana beach, you’ll find the Bahia composer in a relaxed with eyes and arms wide open welcoming those arriving by sea with the entirety of the Copacabana coast behind him. The sea was always a recurrent theme in his music and for this reason he has been immortalized here by the sea. The work was created in 2008, the year of his birth. And just a few metres away stands another famous statue, that of celebrated poet and writer Carlos Drummond de Andrade, the bronze glasses of which seem to be constantly stolen by people with seemingly little else to do.
Soundtrack: “Sábado em Copacabana” (Saturday in Copacabana).
The bohemian way of life, sprinkled generously with samba, was the life and inspiration of the Poet from Vila Isabel. Rosa lived just 26 years, but that was enough for him to create one of the most illustrious bodies of musical work in Brazil. Inaugurated in 1996 on Boulevard Vinte e Oito de Setembro, in Vila Isabel, his statue depicts a very everyday scene in which the composer appears seated at a bar, smoking a cigarette, a glass of beer beside him, being served by a waiter.
Soundtrack: “Conversa de Botequim” (Conversation at a Bar).
Michael Jackson’s unforgettable video for his 90s hit “They Don’t Care About Us” was shot in Salvador da Bahia and in the Santa Marta community, in the hills above Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, where his statue stands. Inaugurated a year after his passing in 2010, the statue was the creation of artist Estevan Biandini, who has depicted the King of Pop in the iconic Olodum T-shirt he wears in his music video.
The big man with the even bigger personality, Tim Maia is one of Tijuca’s most celebrated sons. A master of so many genres from soul, funk, and disco to bossa nova, jazz and MPB his statue in Afonso Pena Square in his hometown certainly does the man and his proportions justice at 1.8m tall and weighing 650kg. Plastic artist Christina Motta, who has also immortalized Brigitte Bardot in Rio beach town Búzios, is responsible for this great work which incidentally stands on a pedestal, perfect for taking a selfie.
Soundtrack: “Do Leme ao Pontal” (From Leme to Pontal)
Address
: Rua Martins Pena, , Tijuca
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