Jazzinho is a London based outfit featuring lead vocalist/
composer Guida De Palma. Although it’s hard to believe,
Guida is not Brazilian but Portuguese, a singer with an
amazing vocal range and the improvisatory soul of a jazz
singer of the first rank. Even so, this eponymously titled
release is not a jazz record but a beguiling fusion of bossa,
jazz, samba and contemporary beats for dancing.
The
new album is a series of breathtaking collaborations with
such luminaries of Brazilian music as Carlinhos Brown, Os
Mutantes, Daniel Jobim and Pedro Baby, Marius de Vries and
excellent world musicians such as Japanese
guitarist Masaharu Shimizu, English arranger Chris Elliot
and producer Pascal Gabriel.
Bossacucanova
- Uma Batida Diferente (Ziriguiboom/Crammed) New Sounds for your head from Rio! The re-invention of bossa nova continues
to swell into a new wave that embraces not only its own
traditions with a fearless conviction but also plants a
foot firmly into the future. The latest release in this
wave is the gorgeous “Uma Batida Diferente”
(A Different Mix) by Bossacucanova, a trio consisting of
DJ Dalua (turntables & programming), Alexandre Moreira
(keyboards & programming) and Marcio Menescal (bass,
vocals & programming).
divas do brasil -
various (Creative Vibes)
We all know samba and anyone who
has delved even superficially into Brazilian music could
have hardly failed to note the plethora of styles that
can reflect the different regions of the country...the
sensual musicality that runs through the veins of the
people personalises everything.
brazilian electronica
- various (World Music Network)
The
evolution of Brazilian electronica is a movement that
has been steadily growing since the late 90’s. Fusions
with funk, rock, jazz and reggae have been around for
decades forming a crucial element of MPB, and so too can
the sound of the international club provide a creative
template for the shamelessly cannibalistic Brazilian musical
sensibility. World Music Network has come up with a collection
“Brazilian Electronica” that is fresh, original
and extremely varied.
Nacao
Zumbi (Session Records)
Imagine a bunch of thrashers who know how to play outside
the square and have roots that stretch to the centre of the
earth ...their eponymously titled album on Session Records
is the second since the untimely death of Chico Science, the
group’s founder and Brazil’s leading hard-rocker
at the time.
Trio Mocoto-
Beleza! Beleza!! Beleza!!! This release features the funky wah
wah guitar, soul vocals and ebullient presence of the superb
Skowa who replaces retired original member
Fritz Escovao. Beleza! is split
between classics and new compositions. You could point out
the guest appearances by Zuco 103 (with Lilian
Vieira’s superb vocals on the romantic samba
“Onde Anda O Meu Amor”), Max De Castro,
Apollo 9 and the drums‘n bass closer
“Eu Tambem Quero Mocoto”, but this is samba at
its funkiest and a superb party record.
os ipanemas - afro
bossa (Far out recordings)
A
12 piece group led by widely acclaimed percussion maestro
Wilson Das Neves are possibly the leading exponents of the
bossa tradition in Brazil today. “Afro-Bossa”
alternates between jazzy bossa and percussively sambaish
pieces that link more overtly to the African tradition.
Paula Lima
- Diva Paulista (Mr Bongo)
Sao Paolo soul songstress Paula Lima'sDiva Paulista. Paula was voted Brazil's first R&B
diva. For those wary of cardboard cookie cutouts, let me tell
you that this lady is much more than that. Imagine if the
great jazz singer Sarah Vaughan were to be reincarnated in
the samba-funk mould and you'd be on the right track.
Ravi
– The Afro-Brazilian Project (ARC Music Ltd) Ravi
is an Anglo-Indian kora player who has several highly respected
releases that fuse the traditions of Africa and Asia with
his highly distinctive improvisational flair. He has been
attracted to the music of Brazil for many years and has
also performed with some of the great musicians of Cape
Verde. The Afro-Brazilian Project stems from a 6 month sojourn
in Brazil.
The
Pulse of Brazil -(ARC Music)
When I first put this one I was struck by the
loveliness of Rita Ribeiro’s beautiful chorro-pop, the
contemporary afoxe pop of Chico Cesar’s Beleza Mano
and some sparkling chorro instrumentals...
