Brazilian Standards + Belgian Disco = Italy’s Ultimate New Year’s Hit

On "Disco Samba" by Two Man Sound

Sing, or approximate, “pe pe pepepepe”, “A E I O U YPSILON”, or “Brigitta Bardot, Bardot” to any Italian, and chances are they will closely associate it with a debauched, yet wholesome, New Year’s celebration.

While these are excerpts from Brazilian standards, it’s mostly thanks to a Belgian band that they entered the Italian (and European) pop-cultural vernacular. Enter “Disco Samba” by Two Man Sound, released in 1977.

Originally a Belgian pop trio, Two Man Sound became famous all over Europe for giving Brazilian standards a Euro-disco spin.

Lou Deprijck, Yvan Lacomblez, and Sylvain Vanholme sought to stave off the gloomy European winter by conjuring a warmer, and more welcoming, atmosphere via a combination of disco, schlager, and, yes, songs that are part of the Brazilian tradition. They famously released a cover of “Charlie Brown” in 1976, and, relatedly, Deprijck and Lacomblez also penned “Ça plane pour moi” by Plastic Bertrand.

“Disco Samba” is a medley that includes standards such …