O Que Será (À Flor da Terra) is a 1976 MPB song by Chico Buarque, who wrote both the music and the lyrics for Bruno Barreto's film Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos, based on Jorge Amado's novel. The film uses several versions of the song, titled Abertura, À Flor da Pele and À Flor da Terra, each marking a different passage of the plot. The Abertura, which opens the film, was sung by Simone, whose 1976 single is the original recording. The À Flor da Terra version is a duet between Chico and Milton Nascimento and appears on Chico Buarque's album Meus Caros Amigos (1976, Phonogram/Philips). The duet came about casually: Francis Hime played the song on piano at the record company studio, Milton suggested singing it together, and Chico and Hime finished the arrangements with Milton's voice in mind. Milton also recorded the À Flor da Pele version on his album Geraes. Chico said his inspiration was photographs of Cuba shown by journalist Fernando Morais, but maintained that the lyrics have nothing to do with the country. The song was reused in the telenovelas Vidas Opostas (2006) and Amor e Revolução (2011) and in the miniseries Justiça (2016). It is sung in Portuguese, has been covered widely, including in Spanish as Qué será, and is one of the best-known Brazilian standards.
