Brazil

I believe that Brazilians are the most naturally musical people on the earth and I first started to love their music in 1989 when I bought 2 David Byrne compilations ‘Brasil Classics 1 and 2’. I thought it time that I did a recommendation of ten great brazilian albums that I believe that anyone who wants a ‘rounded’ collection should have. Brazilian music has been described as the perfect combination of ‘happy sadness’ and to my mind all of the different emotions in between. It is often melancholic but never depressing and in one incarnation the world’s best party music too. I hope you might explore one or two of the selections on this list. If you want to ‘ease’ yourself in then I do recommend the David Byrne collections.

Brasil 2mil: Various

The Belgium label ‘Ziriguiboom’ has been responsible for some of the key Brazilian releases in the last 6-7 years and this is a great compilation (from 1999) that shows where Brazilain music was, and has proved to be heading. It gives homage to the great Brazilians of the past as well as the future but the music is undoubtedly ‘now’. The standout tracks come from Chico Science, Vinicius Cantuaria (great live) and a sensational finish from Arakatuba.


Radio Sa.mba: Nacao Zumbi

I saw Nacao Zumbi live in 2003 and I (plus two friends) appeared to be the only non-Brazilians there. This is one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Nacao Zumbi are a Brazilian rock band with enough samba influences to create a sound like no other. Their guitarist, Jackson Bandeira, is to my mind one of the best guitarists out there and a track such as ‘Na Balada Do Rio Salgado’ shows exactly what he can do – you can imagine this piece being used in a contemporary spaghetti western. I choose this album just ahead of one of their others ‘CSNZ” performed with the great singer Chico Science – who died young around 2000. Both albums are great and intelligent examples of music we shut our minds off from in the west because they don’t sing in English. Or rather, the singer ‘Pixel 3000’ doesn’t.


Quarteto Novo: Quarteto Novo

Perhaps one of the most important jazz albums ever made, let alone Brazilian albums. The fabulous debut album which introduced Airto Moreira and Hermeto Pascoal to the world. These are two of the world’s great musicians and we hear them here at their absolute best. This music is sharp, clever, rhythmic and superbly played. The tightness and intricacies involved in the music showcase genius but also a band who had honed themselves perfectly – and of course owe much to the brilliant arrangements of Hermeto Pascoal. Great tracks include Misturada and Ponteio (actually a bonus track) which have become staples of many Brazilian compilations.


Seeds on the Ground: Airto Moreira

Possible his last really ground breaking work. That is not to say he did some great stuff afterwards but probably not much that really sounded like nothing done before. He made this close to the time when he appeared with Miles Davis at The Isle of Wight festival and he provided a great description of walking on stage and being confronted by a seething mass of 400,000 people waiting to hear Miles and band play. Particularly when his live gigs prior to that were more akin to 250 in a jazz club.

Airto came out of the great ‘Quarteto Novo’ with Hermeto Pascoal (who adds his brilliance to this) and he married the singer Flora Purim who also appears on this album. Every track is great, some are experimental and ever changing such as O Galho da Roseir and ‘Papo Furado’ just ‘burns’ superbly in the way only late 60’s music can. Ron Carter plays great bass too. Perhaps one of the most important things about this record is that it is one of the last statements of pure 1960’s Brazilian jazz before the sound became diluted by US jazz-fusion and US recording techniques.


Cantiga De Longe: Edu Lobo

Edu Lobo is one of the most important musicians of the post 1965 period but this is a little different from his usual orchestrated, highly arranged pieces. This album, which features Hermeto Pascoal once again is simple but stunningly played and several of the tracks – ‘Zanzibar’ for example – have become staples in western music.

This is rare indeed but it has appeared on CD and I was lucky to pick up a copy about 10 years ago. If you see it, buy it and you will not regret it. This album, along with the Quarteto Novo one formed the heartbeat of the unique Brazilian jazz sound in 1967.


San Paulo Confessions: Suba

Suba is actually Serbian (Mitar Subotic) and he won a 3 month UNICEF music scholarship to Rio and stayed. This is an absolutely breakthrough album from year 2000 that fused classic Brazilian sounds (Chico Buarque samples for example) with electronics and newer beats. But this music is undeniably Brazilian. The album introduced us to the voices of Bebel Gilberto and Cibelle and Suba was closely involved with BG’s ‘Tanto Tempo’ – reputedly the biggest selling world music album of the last ten years. A great dance album too with not a weak track. Suba was killed trying to save the master tapes for his follow up album in a studio fire. He helped kick start a renaissance in 21st century brazilian music when it had lost it’s way in the 1990’s. Being an outsider undoubtedly helped. Many great musicians pooled together to produce ‘Tributo’ in honour of him after his death.


Africa Brasil: Jorge Ben

The composer who wrote classics such as Mas Que Nada is in my opinion the best Brazilian singer-songwriter there has been. The great Caetano Veloso himself has sad that Jorge Ben is incapable of writing a bad song. This album could justify inclusion for the sensational ‘Unbarabauma’ alone – written in homage to Brazilian football but all the tracks on the superbly rhythmic album are top class. I do recommend a four CD compilation of his music which traces his career from Chove Chuva in 1963 up to 1975 and including 5 tracks from Africa-Brasil. Money well spent if you want to hear some of the best in Brazilian music from that era.

Cru: Seu Jorge

If you have seen City of God or Life Aquatic you will know the actor and singer Seu Jorge. This is his best album from 2004. It goes back to the languid cool sound of the late 1960’s but is unquestionably modern. Great tracks include Tive Razao, Bem Querer and Una Mujer. He doesn’t have the best voice in the world (as those who have heard his album of Bowie covers will know) but his music is highly charismatic and cool.


Milton Nascimento: Clube Da Esquina

Possibly THE giant of Brazilian music and certainly one of Brazil’s greatest musicians. The best of America such as Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter play with him regularly and they would be doing that if he couldn’t live in that company. A great vocalist and quality musician this album features the cream of Brazilian musicianship such as Lo Borges (who is co-credited) as well as Deodata, Beto Guedes and Toninho Horta on guitar. It’s hard to pick a standout they are all so strong but this album is probably for those who want musicianship first and standout ‘tunes’ second.


Brazuca Matraca:Wagner Pa

Friend and colleague of the superb Mano Chao, Wagner Pa is Brazilian but has chosen to make his home in Catalonia. This a marvellous modern album made with top class musicians with Wagner Pa producing a stellar vocal performance – particularly on the opening track where he raps in a way I have never heard before. Like Chao he can sing in a number of languages and does so, all to great effect. This gets better and better every time I listen to it and I prefer it to Clandestino.