Tem Que Acontecer

Sampaio is one of those artists whose music is born of the honest telling of his own life. But Sampaio’s ability to turn his personal universe (marked by anguish, alcoholism, and disillusion) into extraordinary songs is uncomparable on Tem Que Acontecer (It Has to Happen, 1976). Considered the best of Sampaio’s short, four-album-career, Tem Que Acontecer sounds like a personal diary that blends existential pain, philosophical reflections, and a good amount of sarcasm. Luckily for us, Sampaio decided to “share” this diary with listeners. Other than Sampaio’s unpretentious but profoundly sensible lyrics, Tem Que Acontecer presents flawless arrangements and some top-notch instrumentalists from Brazilian music’s old-school team, most of whom come from the samba scene. Samba, indeed, seems to be the ruling genre in the album, but Tem Que Acontecer is as complex in terms of genre as is Sampaio’s artistic soul. One of the most beautiful lyrics and melodies of the album, the title track is a rock song in which the lyrical subject tries to redeem himself after having failed his own love story. Other highlights are “Velho Bandido,” a sarcastic choro enlightened by the flute of Altamiro Carrilho, and “Cada Lugar na Sua Coisa,” where Sampaio wordplays with the essence of things — and how this essence might be fading away.