Society

Did Black Sabbath plagiarize this Brazilian singer?

You don’t have to know anything about music to notice the astonishing similarities between “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” one of the best-known songs by British rock group Black Sabbath, and an older tune recorded by Brazilian singer Vanusa.

“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” was released in December 1973 and went on to become an instant classic. Four months earlier, however, Vanusa—a singer who has fallen into obscurity over the past 20 years—released her self-titled album with one track in English, titled “What to Do.” You’ll have trouble saying which is which before the vocals kick in.



The case is an odd one because Vanusa is not exactly well-known worldwide. But she...

Rodrigo Durão Coelho

Rodrigo is a journalist since 1997, and has been published by the BBC, UOL, plus55 and Carta Capital.

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