Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé, three-time world champion with the Brazilian
national team, scorer of more than a thousand goals, and idol of Santos and the New
York Cosmos, also had a parallel career that not everyone knows about… The
player actually recorded albums and composed songs in several different musical
genres.
His debut happened in 1969, when he recorded alongside singer Elis Regina, two
songs written by Pelé himself and performed as a duet with Elis Regina.
In one of the talking parts on the record, Pelé reveals that one of the songs was born
out of longing for a great love, written during a Santos Futebol Clube tour.
This was a year before Brazil won its third World Cup title in Mexico. At the time, he
was already mega-famous around the world.
There was also a partnership with Sérgio Mendes…
One of the major peaks of Pelé’s musical career came in 1977, the very year he
ended his career as a professional player, playing for the New York Cosmos in the
United States.
Let’s just say his time in the United States was well spent! Pelé recorded an album
alongside the renowned Brazilian musician based in the US, Sérgio Mendes, and his
group, Brasil ’66.
The album alternated between songs recorded or composed by Pelé himself
(including the project’s standout track, “Meu Mundo É Uma Bola”) and songs by
members of Sérgio Mendes’s group, world-renowned for popularizing bossa nova
outside Brazil.
After that came the meeting with Roberto Carlos.
Still in 1977, during a TV Globo year-end special dedicated to building anticipation
for the 1978 World Cup, the “kings,” as they’re called in Brazil, shared the
microphone on one of the songs from the album he recorded with Sérgio.
He even ventured into music for children…
Years later, Pelé decided to try his hand at writing music for a completely different
audience: he took part in the album “Clube da Criança,” from the TV show hosted by
Xuxa Meneghel (if you know a bit about the player’s history, you already know the
two had a relationship for a few years).
Later on, he recorded the song “ABC do Bicho-Papão” with the children’s group
Trem da Alegria, a song that praised values like respect for parents and dedication
to studies.
Interestingly, that same melody would later be given new lyrics and become part of a
campaign by Brazil’s Ministry of Education.
It’s interesting to think that, back then, top football players’ involvement was mostly
tied to endorsements for sports brands, music, and even government campaigns,
while today, with the strong presence of new forms of entertainment like casinos,
these players are more present in the world of online media.
In summary, Pelé transitioned naturally between different musical genres, with a
voice that was deep yet gentle on the ears. His musicality was genuine, the product
of a long-standing interest, and it ended up leaving behind yet another legacy from
his career.
