Nana Neném / Boi da Cara Preta

Two of Brazil’s best-loved lullabies, often sung together — soft, soothing melodies wrapped around playful warnings about the mythical Cuca and a black-faced ox, in a beloved tradition of gently teasing a child toward sleep. The Cuca, often pictured as a crocodile-headed witch, has long served Brazilian parents the same purpose that boogeyman-style figures serve in lullaby traditions worldwide, a playful warning meant more to amuse than truly frighten, and ‘Boi da Cara Preta,’ the black-faced ox song sung alongside it, has become such a fixture of Brazilian childhood that generations of children have grown up humming both tunes without ever meeting either creature.