Raul Santos Seixas (28 June 1945 – 21 August 1989) was a Brazilian singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, considered the "Father of Brazilian Rock". His musical work consists of seventeen albums released during his 26-year career. His musical style is traditionally classified as rock and baião, and he did indeed manage to unite both genres in songs like "Let me Sing, Let me Sing". His debut album, Raulzito e os Panteras (1968), was produced when he was part of the group Raulzito e os Panteras, but he only gained critical and public acclaim with songs like "Ouro de Tolo", "Mosca na Sopa" and "Metamorfose Ambulante," from the album Krig-ha, Bandolo! (1973). Raul Seixas had a musical style that was called "rebellious and mystical". This is due to the ideals he championed, such as the Alternative Society presented in the album Gita (1974), influenced by figures like the British occultist Aleister Crowley.
Skeptical and agnostic, Raul was interested in philosophy (mainly metaphysics and ontology), psychology, history, literature, and Latin. Some ideas from these fields were heavily incorporated into his work, which was well-received or at least sparked curiosity because of this. He was one of the most acclaimed artists of his decade. In the 1980s, his career declined, but he continued producing albums that sold well, such as Raul Seixas (1983), Uah-Bap-Lu-Bap-Lah-Béin-Bum! (1987), and A Panela do Diabo (1989), the latter in partnership with his friend and fellow Bahian, Marcelo Nova. His musical output has continuously grown, as his records (especially posthumous albums) continue to sell, making him a symbol of Brazilian rock and one of the most revered and beloved artists among fans in recent years. In October 2008, Rolling Stone magazine published its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Brazilian Music, placing Raul Seixas at number 19,surpassing names like Milton Nascimento, Maria Bethânia, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and others. The previous year, the same magazine published a list of the One Hundred Greatest Albums of Brazilian Music, where two of his albums appeared: Krig-ha, Bandolo!, at number 12, and Novo Aeon, at number 53.
In 2025, Raul Seixas's life story was portrayed in the miniseries Raul Seixas: Eu Sou, released by Globoplay in celebration of the artist's 80th birthday. Directed by Paulo and Pedro Morelli and starring Ravel Andrade, the production dramatizes significant moments in the musician's life and career, from his childhood in Salvador to his consecration as an icon of Brazilian rock. The soundtrack, produced by musician Kassin, was praised for its careful recreation of the sounds of the 1970s and 1980s. The series also highlights collaborations such as Raul's with Paulo Coelho, his experiences with occultism, and the repression he suffered during the military dictatorship.
Seixas was born on 28 June 1945 in Salvador, Bahia, to a middle-class family. As a child living near the United States consulate, he became fluent in the English language, and was introduced to early rock and roll records of artists such as Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley through his contacts with American diplomats' children around 1956. Presley's music in particular was influential in young Raul's decision to become a musician. At the age of twelve, Seixas formed his first group, The Panthers, later changing their name to the Portuguese-language Raulzito e os Panteras ("Little Raul and The Panthers"). They appeared on TV Itapoan doing covers of Lewis, Little Richard and Presley, a style of music which was at the time called "cowboy music" in Brazil.
In the mid-1960s, Os Panteras started backing some of Brazil's most famous pop singers of the time, such as Jerry Adriani whenever they went to Salvador. Impressed with their talent, the stars would always advise Raul to move down south and take a chance in the thriving Jovem Guarda scene.
Following the promises of fame and fortune, the band moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1967. In the following year they released their first and only album on the Odeon label (later EMI-Odeon), which included a Portuguese language version of the Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" among many original numbers. Without any publicity, the record sunk and the band disbanded. Seixas was totally shaken by the failure of the Panteras, and his return to Salvador. He wrote: "I spent all day locked in my room reading philosophy, with only a very feeble light, what ended up spoiling my eyesight [...] I bought a motorcycle and did crazy things in the street."
After his former bandmates moved back to Salvador, Seixas made a living as an English teacher before being hired by CBS, still in 1968, as creative director and record producer. In 1971, tired of writing and producing records by bland, commercial artists, he took advantage of a label director's vacations and produced Sociedade da Grã-Ordem Kavernista Apresenta Sessão das Dez, an avant-garde album featuring himself, singer Sergio Sampaio, samba artist Miriam Batucada and Edy Star. The record's mix of Tropicalia, rock and roll and anarchic surrealistic experiments launched Raul Seixas as an icon of Brazilian counterculture.
In the 1970s, Seixas became popular in urban centers such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Music broadcast on TV and radio was satirical, sarcastic with esoteric themes. References to a wide range of historical and fictional personalities are found within his lyrics: The Beatles, Aleister Crowley, Al Capone, Marlon Brando, Jesus, Julius Caesar and Shakespeare, for example. Seixas was subject to censorship during Brazil's period of military dictatorship. Like the music of his contemporaries such as Chico Buarque and others, Seixas's lyrics hide political messages within double meanings.
1971 also saw the beginning of a relationship with esoteric author Paulo Coelho, beginning with Krig-Há-Bandolo in 1973. Through Coelho, Seixas was introduced to the work of controversial English mystic Aleister Crowley, which influenced their collaboration. The influence extended not only to music, but also to plans for the creation of the "Sociedade Alternativa" (Alternative Society), which was to be an anarchist community in the state of Minas Gerais based on Crowley's premise: "'Do what thou wilt' shall be the whole of the Law." The project was considered subversive by members of the Brazilian military, which imprisoned all prospective members of the group. Seixas and Coelho are reported to have been tortured during their imprisonment.
Seixas got into self-exiling himself in the United States following the presumed detention by government repressive agents, where his American wife of the time was living. (Seixas was legally married twice to Edith Wisner and Gloria Vaquer Seixas.) He has three daughters. He would later claim that during his exile he had met his childhood heroes John Lennon and Jerry Lee Lewis, although this claim has been disputed.
The 50 performances across Brazil resulted in what would be the last album released during Raul Seixas' lifetime. The album, titled A Panela do Diabo, was released by Warner Music Brazil on August 19, 1989. On the morning of August 21, Raul Seixas was found dead in his bed, around eight o'clock in the morning, in his apartment in São Paulo, a victim of cardiac arrest: his alcoholism, aggravated by the fact that he was diabetic and had not taken insulin the previous night, caused him to suffer fulminant acute pancreatitis. The LP released two days prior, sold 150,000 copies, earning Raul a posthumous gold record, which was given to his family and also to Marcelo Nova, thus becoming one of the most successful albums of his career. Raul's wake was held at the Anhembi Convention Palace, amidst shouts, tears, and songs from fans who participated in the event. The following day, his body was flown to Salvador and buried in the Jardim da Saudade Cemetery.
After his death, Raul remained among the hit charts. Several posthumous albums were produced, such as O Baú do Raul (1992), Raul Vivo (1993), Se o Rádio não Toca... (1994 ) and Documento (1998). Numerous compilations were also released, such as Os Grandes Sucessos de Raul Seixas (1993), the vast majority without new material, but some with unreleased songs such as As Profecias (with a live version of "Rock das 'Aranha'") from 1991 and Anarkilópolis (with "Cowboy Fora da Lei Nº 2") from 2003. In 2002, singer Zé Ramalho released the DVD Zé Ramalho Canta Raul Seixas: Ao Vivo, featuring some of Raul's songs in the repertoire. In 2004, the cable channel Multishow promoted a special tribute show to Raul, entitled O Baú do Raul: Uma Homenagem a Raul Seixas. The show, recorded at Fundição Progresso and released on CD and DVD, featured artists such as Toni Garrido, CPM 22, Marcelo D2, Gabriel o Pensador, Arnaldo Brandão, Raimundos, Maurício Baia, Nasi, Caetano Veloso, Pitty, and Marcelo Nova (the last three from Bahia, like Raul).