Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
1976
Album Summary
África Brasil is a 1976 release by Brazilian artist Jorge Ben, recording at the time as Jorge Ben. It was Ben's 14th studio album. África Brasil represented a milestone in Ben's career with Ben's switch to electric guitar and incorporation of both Afro-Brazilian and African-American funk music styles into his sound. Known for its funkiness, África Brasil is one of Ben's best-known recordings. Rolling Stone Brazil listed it as one of the 100 best Brazilian albums in history, and it was included in both Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die as well as Tom Moon's collection 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die.
Wikipedia“Africa Brasil” by Jorge Ben Jor (1976) Never heard this album nor this artist. But wow, welcome to my ignorance. The basic thrust of this album is the integration of western American and European) musical motifs into Brazilian urban samba. From the opening bars of "Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)", the listener might expect an American country rock ballad with instrumentation and chord structure like Creedence Clearwater Revival. But eight bars in, Brazil steps up with lead and background vocals. Track two is funk Hermetica. Sounds like a Sly and the Family Stone take on 2nd century B.C. Egyptian mysticism. Apparently Jorge Ben Jor had earlier devoted an entire album on this theme (“A Tábua de Esmeralda” (1974)). Worth exploring if you’re into that sort of thing (as, obviously, I am). Listen to the first few bars of "O Filósofo" (1976) and the opening bars of “I’ll Take You There“ (1972) by The Staples Sisters and you’ll see what’s going on here. Personally, I think a little appropriation is cool. "Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro" is a celebration of his three children (“My Children, My Treasure”). Great sound and sweet lyric. "O Plebeu" gives us a happy tragedy of the collision between poverty and affection, as the penniless poet joyfully resigns himself to the fact that his love for a rich girl must remain unrequited. Interesting take on a classic theme. ‘Xica da Silva” tells real-life story of a wealthy 18th century Brazilian woman welcomed in the royal court, but excluded from her parish church because she was a black former slave. According to Wikipedia, “Xica was banished from the parish church, which was reserved for Caucasians only. To show the locals Xica’s power, [the white nobleman] João Fernandes built a luxurious church attended just by herself.” The song celebrates this act of trans-racial loyalty, and thus becomes a protest against racial exclusivity among social elites. Powerful. Compare the happy autobiographical reflections of a child who was ‘different’ in Jorge Ben Jon’s "A História de Jorge" (1976) with the tragic autobiographical reflections of a child who was ‘different’ in Juanes’ "La Historia de Juan" (2002). Fascinating. However, the most powerful track on the album is the title track, "África Brasil (Zumbi)". We’re treated to angry, driving rhythms and chord structure, with suitable vocal tone. According to Joel Sattler, “Zumbi was the last leader of the Quilombo dos Palmares runaway slave refugee colony in Alagoas, Brazil that also harbored fugitives and deserters. Born a free man in 1655, captured and sold into slavery at the age of six, baptized by his missionary owner, he learned Portuguese and Latin and the Bible. Escaping at 15, he returned home and became a military leader and renowned warrior. When the local governor offered freedom to the colony, Zumbi distrusted the Portuguese and refused to accept the offer while other Africans remained enslaved. He took over leadership of the quilombo and ruled for 15 years until the Portuguese military destroyed the central settlement of Cerca do Macaco with an artillery assault. The colony fell, Zumbi went to ground and led a rebellion for two years, evading capture until betrayed by one of his followers. He was beheaded by the Paulistas, and his head taken to Recife and displayed as a warning to all other slaves. The date of his execution, November 20 1695, has become the equivalent of our Martin Luther King Day.... https://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewpoetry.asp?id=279469 Brazilian rock. This album teaches and connects. Very nice. 4/5 Bonus connection for those familiar with Juanes: Joga bola, jogador Joga bola, corocondô Joga bola, jogador Joga bola, corocondô (from "Ponta de Lança Africano” by Jorge Ben Jor (1976)) Yo te doy todo mi amor Luna de mi corazón Yo te doy todo mi amor Si tú me lo cuentas todo (from “Luna” by Juanes (2002))
Three albums ago I wondered whether we'd get any Jorge Ben Jor...and here we are! Not his best work in my estimation, but still five stars because it's Jorge Ben in his pomp. A lovely mix of tropicalia and funk, plus he has one of my favourite voices in popular music. Nothing here quite touches the greatness of 'Mas Que Nada', 'Take It Easy My Brother Charles' or 'Pais Tropical', but this is a remarkably cohesive collection with some spiky guitar work and insistent, rolling rhythms. So, so good. Oh, and Rod Stewart ripped off 'Taj Mahal' but made it far worse.
A fun week of albums continues! This is the first non-English album I have received on this list and comes from a genre I know absolutely nothing about; however, I enjoyed this one a lot for what it is and more than I initially thought I would. The production and instrumentals are great with many unique sounds coming together in a catchy, cohesive manner. It feels like a mix between traditional Brazilian/South American music and Rolling Stones-like blues rock with its prevalent bass and electric guitars standing out in the mix. Although I cannot speak to the lyrics, I found Jorge's vocals to be strong and elevate the energy of the tracks throughout the record. The main reason I cannot rate this higher is that I have no idea how this compares to the rest of his work or the overall style of his music. If there were specific songs that stood out as being amazing, I would be very impressed given my lack of knowledge of the genre, but the songs blend together in a way that makes it difficult to differentiate between tracks at some points. With that being said, I enjoyed this one more than a lot of albums I have received so far and would throw it on as background music again. 3/5.
Aujourd'hui était un jour particulier, puisque nous fêtions l'anniversaire du générateur. En effet, vous n'êtes pas sans savoir qu'il y a de cela tout juste un an, je débutais cette aventure générateurienne avant d'être très vite rejoint par mon envieux camarade d'écoute, le désormais très célèbre robpaupière. A cette occasion, nous avons mis les petits plats dans les grands, en décidant de signer un pacte de non aggression, afin de pouvoir célébrer cet événement comme il se doit. Le projet était le suivant: nous devions débuter la soirée d'anniversaire par quelques biscuits et boissons, afin de nous ammener vers le vrai climax de la soirée. En effet, à 23h55, nous avions prévu de nous cacher derrière les meubles du salon, car à minuit pile, Robert devait faire irruption dans la maison pour nous dévoiler notre album du jour, l'album cadeau d'anniversaire. La soirée débutait sur de très bonnes bases, rob et moi-même choisissant chacun notre tour une chanson à jouer sur l'enceinte disposée au milieu de la pièce, afin de respecter notre quota musical respectif. Aucun débordement ne fût à déplorer, si ce n'est une petite prise de bec sur la place de la trip-hop dans l'histoire de la musique, sans conséquence fort heureusement. Mais au fond de nous, ce que nous attendions réellement, c'était les douze coups de minuit, pour découvrir cet album anniversaire concocté par Robert. Il se murmurait d'ailleurs que l'album devrait être l'un des albums de Nirvana présent dans le générateur, que nous n'avons pour l'instant pas eu la chance d'écouter. Soudain, c'était l'heure. Je courrais me cacher derrière la bibliothèque du salon, pendant que rob peinait à dissimuler son imposant corps grassouillet derrière le canapé. La porte s'entrouvit doucement, et les premières notes de musiques retentirent, précédent un Robert vêtu de ses plus beaux habits. Et la, ce fut la stupéfaction. Les premières notes très latino crachées par Robert laissèrent bientôt place à la voix de Jorge Ben Jor, qui se mit à baragouiner dans un brésilien incompréhensible. Ce n'était absolument pas Nirvana à qui nous avions affaire. Notre déception se lisait sur notre visage, et les explications de Robert sur l'impact de Jorge Ben Jor sur la samba rock ne suffirent jamais à rattraper cet anniversaire gâché. Rob ne réussit d'ailleurs pas à retenir ses larmes, et partit s'enfermer dans sa chambre.
Fantastic album! Amazing instrumentation, and amazing vocals. Can't give criticism to the lyricism because I dont speak portuguese but damn what an amazing album
What a funky groove. These guitar riffs are great. The variety of each track is amazing, and the energy never dips.
The 1001 Albums series often gets (warranted) flack for its lackluster selection of 'World Music' in it's catalog, but they certainly know to include the absolute essentials when push comes to shove. "África Brasil" is a masterclass in rhythm and performance, with secretive but long-lasting influence that can still be felt today. Even for any listeners wary of any language barrier with music, Jorge Ben Jor makes music that anybody can immediately understand and groove along with.
Insanely funky album. The arrangements, perhaps, are a bit samey. But the instrumentation is consistently interesting and I find Ben's voice magnetic. The energy oozes from every minute, though there are certainly peaks.
I was really surprised by how much I liked this album. I also noticed the song Taj Mahal was very close to Da ya think I'm sexy by Rod Stewart. As it turns out Rod Stewart lost a copyright infringement lawsuit over the similarities.
Great! But the problem with stuff you're not familiar with is you don't actually know if it's good or not! Is this the best Brasil record, or does it sound the same as the rest?!
So much funk here, a little bit of Sly, James Brown and Curtis Mayfield, but based around Samba? It works really well, with the interwoven percussion, guitar work, warm vocals and funky bass lines providing an extremely enjoyable record. I can hear a lot of influence on David Byrne here.
Loved the breezy 70s laid-back jazz funk and beautiful Brazilian melodies and female backing singers. 1st track is very cool, pity there wasn't anything else solar in a slightly more edgy rock style.
Starts every song at full throttle, then makes them go harder, through a combination of surprise breaks, ecstatic vocals, the push-pull of formless scatting and ultra precise tightness, and introductions of new rhythms and melodies that are like intriguing subplots.
Its not as good as A Tábua de Esmeralda or Força Bruta, but still a damn good and classic Jorge Ben album. closer to a 4.5
I love this but i don't know what he's saying. Absolutely fantastic album, i was jammin
Groovy and a little bit gnarly. Yes I am IN TO this. Party funk rock! (I am also a sucker for a nice cuica)
This is great! But it had to be with a title like that.. First album i've downloaded so far.
Really good, lively and well made. If you’re the best in brazil you know you have something going on
This is the kind of thing I came here for. It wouldn't occur to me to seek this kind of music out and, even if I did, I wouldn't know where to start. And how else would I find out that Rod Stewart got sued for stealing the melody for "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy"? Lots of fun.
365 DAYS!!!!! And couldn't have landed on a better album for it. SAMBA FUNK. So much fun. You could play O Plebeu on repeat and just strut around town for probably 12 hours straight with out even a drink of water or muslie bar. Plus the drum fills in that song are absolute perfection. Also so happy that my 365th featured the Cuica so heavily, it's fast becoming my new favourite instrument, look out ride cymbal. Anyway just so stoked with this whole process at the one year mark, have discovered so so many five star albums. Looking forward to the next two and a bit years.
Even nowadays when you go to samba-funk bars in Brazil you might hear some songs from this album.
Makes me wish I understood what he was singing about, but even that isn't necessary to enjoy the funk.
Relentlessly fun interesting album that sounds timeless - there is no fat here - every note and rhythm has its place and even after repeated listens it never gets boring.
Fun and refreshing. Lots of cool instruments making cool sounds. Reminds me how much fun this kind of music. Definitely will check this out again.
I really loved this. Great voice, funky, groovy. An easy 5/5 for me. Added to my library immediately!
This album is an excellent example of how adventurous Brazilian musicians are and how open they are to fusing musical styles. This is a real treat.
2º melhor álbum do Jorge Ben. Uma experiência muito boa ouvir em sequência. Com vários clássicos dele. Melhores músicas: Taj Mahal, Xica da Silva e Ponta de Lança Africano
what a vibe! you can hear the influence of later artists in the work. really digging the sound of these 70s albums.
This was a fun album, but not the greatest for sitting at a desk at work. Also wish I knew the name of that whooping instrument in the back of some tracks
-Really dig this right off the bat with Ponta De Lanco Africano -The songs are so long but I really enjoy it! -O Plebeu is also a favorite--it went into my beach playlist
oh boy I love this FUNK. that electric guitar fits so well. mmm these percussion sounds
Fantastic, funky, infectiously groovy and a lot of fun even with the language barrier. Also, copious use of friction drums! Fave track - "Taj Mahal" - can't really blame Rod Stewart for ripping off that great melody!
Production: 15/20 Songwriting: 16/20 Innovation: 15/20 Bangers: 15/20 Emotional response: 16/20 =77 Cracking stuff this
This album was a bit of a revelation to me. Celebratory, brimming with ideas. It was like a window into a whole new realm of music. Favourite track: Africa Brasil (Zumbi)
i thought it was good even though i can't understand the words. i particularly like o plebeu
Hot album with hot tunes got me jammin world wide. I don’t understand the lyrics but the music was beautiful and I want to be in brasil ayyy Top tracks : Africa brasil, Taj Mahal, historia de jorge
Muito bom, gostei, principalmente a música sobre os filhos. Não considero o melhor álbum do Jorge Ben Jor mas é bom.
Great mix of Brazilian, African, and soul/blues/R&B. This album is incredibly interesting rhythmically and the combination of the familiar (to western audiences) and the unfamiliar is very effective. The album remains exciting and fast paced from the first to the last song.
funky, I'm jamming better than most of the other albums I've listened to, and I don't even know what they're saying in this one Didn't realize it finished
Has some really awesome instrumentals and vocals. One of the most fun albums I’ve listened to in a while, I’ll definitely throw this on to get hyped in the future.
Had heard the lead track but not the rest. Very listenable and something I should revisit.
I wasn't familiar with the artist or the album, but I have been casually listening to some Brazilian music recently. Nice grooves and an infectious rhythm that is very easy to listen to. Thanks for the suggestion!
So welcome after that Jane's Addiction schlock. I don't even need to speak the same language to have this music speak more clearly to me... This is an interesting mix of tropicalia and funk. The female backup vocals are welcome and excellent. Had never heard this artist but am so glad I did. I read a little about Jorge Ben Jor and it appears he's known for his satirical lyrics. That's cool. Obviously, I have no clue. But I like his voice. I want to be on a tropical beach listening to this. Or driving next to a beach in an old convertible. I'll take either one. I think my internal rating criteria really benefits bands/artists that I've never heard but am pleasantly surprised by. Jorge Ben Jor is definitely in that category. So maybe this is actually a 3.5 but I'm rounding up to 4.
I liked this album. It's unique and I liked the varity of songs. My favorite song from the whole album is probably Taj Mahal.
This is some fun and funky Brazilian music. I listened to “Ponta de Lanca Africano” as I was driving and I felt like it should I should be in the ending of some 1970s film. It was smooth, funky, and cool. “Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu” continued that feeling. Great opening songs! “O Plebeu” was really nice. I loved the “Lalalála lalalá lalá”s. And it really sounded like Rod Stewart stole some of the melody from “Taj Majal” for his song “Do Ya’ Think I’m Sexy?” Other highlights included “História de Jorge”, “Cavaleiro do Cavalier Imaculado”, and a really nice ending with “África Brasil (Zumbi)”. I quite enjoyed this album.
This was again something that I had never heard of, and I had a heck of a lot of fun listening to it. Funky with a vibe of the seventies.
What fun to see what the writer of "Mas Que Nada" was doing with Brazilian music in the 70s. Happily it still has a good dose of the cuíca, which makes everything sound like it's a Carnaval party parade. This was a great listen. Standout songs were "Ponta de Lanca Africano" (a soccer anthem), "Taj Mahal" (which apparently snuck into Rod Stewart's head), "Xica da Silva" (about an 18th century woman born into slavery who became a "great lady"). Brazil hasn't disappointed me yet. Hope to hear more. I'm swaying and moving and singing along (the best I can) and enjoying every minute.
Some shit-hot playing on here. Wouldn't normally listen to stuff like this, but this one stays.
Det här är så nära en femma man kan komma. Det blir liiiite för långrandigt. Det hade kunnat kortats ner med en eller två låtar. Men fram till spår 7 är det otroligt bra och svängigt.
I have to reveal my ignorance here: I'd never heard of Jorge Ben before and didn't know any of his music. Of course, I immediately knew I could get behind anyone who inspired David Byrne. But I can't judge "Africa Brasil" against many other Brazilian albums, much less try to contextualise the album's fusion of samba with Afrobeat, rock and African-American funk. And of course, the lyrics are lost on me. All I really had to go on was impulsive response to the beat... the melody... the rhythms... the feel. As an introduction to this genre, this particular blend of sounds and Brazil's culture in the 1970s, "Africa Brasil" is an exhilarating listen. Whether Ben Jor is revelling in samba roots ("Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro"), foreshadowing disco ("Taj Mahal") or going for straight-up funk ("Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu"), he's having a whale of a time across the album. One of my main takeaways from it was the obvious Western cross-over appeal here, more than I expected there to be (which is perhaps how it made the list). Right from the off, the album's first sound is a swampy electric guitar riff tantamount to southern rock. Later, "O Filosofo" and "O Plebeu", two of the album's gorgeous softer numbers, are structured around simple three chord progressions commonly found in the major scale of Western pop. There's also a heavy presence from funky, skittering electric guitars throughout, and synthesisers underscoring vocal hooks (to great effect in "O Plebeu") The rest of the instrumentation- more traditional to South American or African music- is arranged and mixed to finish off the album's party atmosphere, particularly the layers of syncopated percussion throughout each song (often dominated by the squeaky friction drums known as cuicas). The backing vocalists are exceptional and often add some of the best dimensions to the album: take the call-and-response vocals in the opener, or the glorious refrain of "Taj Mahal". While I found the album's first half exceptional, some its second seemed to be trying the same ideas to slightly diminished effect. "Camisa 10 Da Gavea" has a great counter melody on flute, but doesn't have the same drive or rhythmic intensity as some of the earlier tracks. The last last two tracks redeem things slightly, with "Cavaleiro de Cavalo Imaculado" returning propulsion and the finale closing proceedings on a note of anthemic passion with its chorus of layered vocals. I had a great time with "Africa Brasil" album and feel keen to go into more of Ben Jor's work as well as that of his contemporaries. My only other slight gripe is that whenever I have it stuck in my head in future, I'll need to clarify to everyone that I am singing "Taj Mahal" and not "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy".
Really enjoyed the sound. I honestly wish there were more non-english language albums on this list. Plan to listen to more of the artist in the future. 3.5/5
I’m not sure what type of music this is. Maybe some samba influence but also plenty of electric guitar and some African beats. The first song is excellent as is the title song to finish up. It has a real angsty feel even though I have no idea what the lyrics are saying. Interesting sounds and I’ll listen to it more for sure.
la légende raconte qu’après des semaines d’absence, le soleil est revenu en Belgique au moment exact où j’ai cliqué sur play
Wow this music makes me wanna dance, makes me wanna play football makes me wanna understand and live the Brazilian lifestyle Groovy, catchy, tropical. African roots mixed with South American, a can't miss mix 4/5
Not really my thing, but was fun to listen to. Sounds like the kind of music that gets sampled in other songs. :)
An unknown artist for me, and what a treat to enjoy the entertaining rhythms from South America! That's what I hoped for when I signed up here.
Another classic in World music. I find that non-American artists have an easier time including unique sounds into their compositions, which is refreshing. I enjoyed hearing all the parts in these songs, and they provided something new with each listen. Even though it’s a different language than English, the record is still very listenable.
Blusey, funky African, Brazilian roots rock. Play this and embarrass yourself when you're dancing and everyone thinks you're appropriating two different cultures when you're not - this just has fucking tunes! Best Tracks: Ponta De Lanca Africano; Taj Mahal; Xica Da Silva
Cool album. Probably deserves more recognition than just the whole Rod Steward thing, decent disco funk grooves throughout.
This album is good enough that I can almost overlook how much I normally dislike the sound of the cuica. Certainly Rod Stewart liked one of the songs on here, "Taj Mahal", enough to steal it outright for "Do You Think I'm Sexy"... I don't speak a word of Portuguese, but I get the overall period funk vibe (dig the synthesiser as well); no idea about its place in the overall scheme of "world music" (ergh) but I liked it a lot. And not enough songs name-check Hermes Trismegistus...
This was a great album that 100% deserves to be on this list. Holy SHIT, the opening track (Ponta de lança Africano) fucking slaps and is by FAR my very fave. I'd rate this 4.5 stars if I could because while every track was enjoyable I would only return to listen to a few of them. Side note: Did Rod Stewart sample "Taj Mahal" (another great track) with Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? Because if so...the original is better. This artist, by the way, is well known for his adaptation of the classic jazz standard "Mas Que Nada." Whew, this was a great way to spend a morning.
When I saw we got Jorge I was hoping that at least one of the songs I would consider his "anthems" would be on it, and I lucked out and got 2: "Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)" and "Taj Mahal". This was certainly funky stuff for 1975 and Brazilian hits are great to sing along to, as live audiences down there love to do!
Favorite Tracks: Ponta De Lanca Africano O Filosófo Taj Mahal Xica Da Silva África Brasil
A fresh combination of samba, afrobeat, and funk. I'm a fan of his voice, the Nick Cave-esque gospel back vocals, the clear production, and the high funkiness that results in half the tracks being fun to dance to. The percussions are clever, especially the use of the speaky cuica. Riffs are deep and subtle. There were a good amount of highlights. They even embodied the jazz-funk spirituality of Herbie Hancock in "A Historia de Jorge." I hear good things from A Tábua de Esmeralda. Favorites: O Filosofo, O Plebeu, Taj Mahal, Xica Da Silva, Africa Brasil
This was fun. I had never heard of this artist before and I wasn't really sure what it was going to be, but I enjoyed it. This isn't really a genre I have much experience with but I'd consider listening to it again. 3.5 getting the round up because it deserves it.
It's fun when this list gives me albums from genres I haven't heard much before, artists I'm unaware of, from countries I don't normally think of as a source of music (sepultura obsession aside here lol). This doesn't strike me as a best-of-all-time sort of album. But give me this sort of fun romp over yet more UK rock/pop any day at this point. 4/5.
An audible shot of pure bliss. As an added bonus, it also made me learn that Rod Stewart is a thief, something we all suspected and hoped was true.
Samba rock!? I love this album. A lot of different genre blending (funk, jazz, Afro soul, Rock). My perception of samba up to this point has been Stan Getz and his soulful acoustic music and soft voice while Jorge Ben is the polar opposite. Beats are catchy and the guitar work is impressive. Wish I could speak Portuguese so I could understand what he is saying. Will be listening to this one again 4.5/5
Fantastic album that's a very fun listen. Great grooves throughout, really liked the horns and reggae feel in some of the songs.
Obrigado for some funky Brasil-Afrobeat good times. I managed to pick up the melody that Rod Stewart got sued for.
This is why I do these sort of challenges. A very pleasant surprise from this off-the- radar gem. A seemingly bewildering array of influences (blues rock, bossa-nova and African hi-life) is balanced so brilliantly by the songwriting without ever sounding derivative. Will definitely be returning to this outstanding album.
when I listened to the last album, this is the exact kind of album I thought I might prefer to see in this list. really neat. first full album in portuguese I've ever listened to, I think.
This was an interesting and very fun album to listen to. It's a very successful mix of Brazilian sounds and Afro-funk, that just puts you in a good mood.
What a refreshing selection in the 1001 challenge. Finally a bit of samba, where the rhythms are creative and polyphonic and where the arrangements contain plenty of synth and wonderfully well-used brass. Very happy to have discovered this album!
First song got me boppin. I was expecting another samba/salsa type album but this is funkier so far. I actually added 3 songs to my spotify even though I don't speak spanish above a 3rd grade level. Super groovy and catchy melodies. Taj Mahal and Ponta De Lanco were insta-adds.
Really fun record to sit through! My fave tracks are probably "Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)," "Taj Mahal," "O Plebeu," "Cavaleiro do Cavalo Imaculado," "Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu," and "África Brasil (Zumbi)."
It starts out with a blues riff, a drum fill, and then... bam... three percussionists. Then by the chorus we have five. And it's like that for most of the album. Under every song, a tapestry of rhythmic interplay. The guitar parts are fairly simple, but the urgent strumming often makes it act as part of the rhythm section (sometimes more so than the bass guitar, which seems more often to be serving to highlight the melody). I feel like we're so used to music that tries to make a small number of drums feel huge and fill the space, so this aspect really stands out. The wikipedia article for the album lists 15 musicians under personnel, 11 of whom play some sort of percussion instrument. Unfortunately one of those is the cuica. Maybe it's culturally ignorant of me of something, but the incessant monkey hoops of the cuica really just add way too much cheese to some otherwise great music. I don't mind when it comes to the forefront briefly, only to sink bank along with everything else, but frequently it's just too prominent in the mix. The production is treating the monkey like a vocalist, and the instrument (or how its played here at least) isn't melodically complex enough, or rhythmically accurate enough, to benefit the songs when it takes center stage the way that it frequently does. That aside, there are some great songs on this, especially in the second half. I love in both Taj Mahal and In Cavalerio Do Cavalo Imaculado, how the tempo is fast from the start, but the vocals start out relaxed, before matching the tempo and urging the song on. His vocals shake as he's strumming his guitar too. Your pampered modern fave is recording 20 different takes straight into a mic without a guitar in sight, old mate here is recording his guitar and vocal in the same take! (Is this recorded live? Surely not. That many percussion instruments would be a nightmare you'd think.) Xica Da Silva, the way the vocal contributes significantly to both the rhythm section and to the melody. The pacing of the lyrics in the chorus, the way the bass weaves in and out of it, and the rich backing vocals when they come in for the second line. I'm feeling emotional typing this. This song is so good. The closing track Africa Brasil (Zumbi) is a highlight for it's dirty dirty bass, and the growling vocals. It's an interestingly dark closer for something that frequently had a party feel for most of the album. I might not listen to the whole album again, but I've definitely added a few of these to some playlists. Really fun listening.
7/10. Pretty cool album, not sure how I feel about it guest starring The Watermelon Man from the third track onwards.
The selection of World Music in the 1001 list that I've gotten has been... lacklustre... to put it politely. But luckily I now know that albums like this one have been included as well. 40 minutes of incredible funky, danceable and high tempo afrobeats and samba. Especially the second half of the album with Cavaleiro Do Cavala Imaculado as the final highlight have made a great impression. Great album from, apparently, one of the icons of Brazilian music. I will look into some more of his repertoire.
Timelessly excellent funk and samba. All 70s music should have been this rich and compelling. Sounds contemporary still.
I mish mash of so many styles. I wasn't expecting some of the sounds coming out of this. It took me a bit to get used to but I got hooked when I realised this is the missing like between Fela Kuti style Afro Beat and the stuff Talking Heads infused into their music
leuk, de samba zit er goed in Ik kan me voorstellen dat ik sommige nummers hiervan nog 'ns beluister
Catchy as hell. Some of the lyrics are pretty clever, from what I could tell by reading them on Google Translate, but it doesn't really come across in the music, so I'm hesitant to give a higher score. A worthy entry that I probably won't think about again. Best track: Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)
Not really my usual thing, I really enjoyed this though. It doesn't sound anywhere near as old as it is, the production values are great, it's all so crisp and clear. There are super funky beats throughout, and despite not understanding a word of the lyrics, I find myself humming along because some of these songs are obscenely catchy. A very nice surprise to find.