Africa Brasil

This album feels really good. The cuica roots it in that quintessential Brazilian sound along side the blues and funk. Cool that it marked a shift for him to electric guitar.

Funky as all hell.

Pretty nice jams. I enjoyed the 1st track the most.

One song of the repetitious everything was enough.

Really happy music, when you feeling down, it cheers you up…

Me encantó

Jorge Ben's 14th studio album (1976). 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. Nice & funky sound. Liked it.

Taj Mahal!!

This album was really cool. Appropriately named too, with the mix of African and Latin American sounds in the musicals. Favorite track: O Filósofo

No clue what was going on but it was a vibe

Really good. Probably even better if I understood the lyrics… but delivery and music as a vessel… excellent

Like this a lot. Upbeat, just great.

it’s fine, wouldn’t really go out of my way to listen to it but good background music

Not my cup of tea.

Funky cool sound. African mixed with funk rock.

I've never heard of this before, so I'm going in completely blind, and I kind of like it that way. First impression of the first minute of the first track, this is pretty dope. Puts me in mind of Los Yorks. Oh the bass in O Filosofo hits. The music is still really good several tracks in, but the lyrics are getting a bit gratingly repetitive by Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro. The progressions in Taj Mahal sound a lot like Rod Stewart to me lol Da Ya Think I'm Sexy. The music and layers just sounds really ahead of its time.

I can’t understand the lyrics, but I’m sure it’s a scribal fair. Very cruisy

That was very enjoyable. I thought I was hearing Rod Stewart for a few seconds.

A fun, bouncy album that I couldn’t begin to understand due to language barriers. But that said, it was a very uptempo album that would provide fun dancey vibes to any party and make the day a little brighter.

👏 I 👏 am 👏 here 👏 for 👏 world 👏 music 👏

Jorge come over and let’s have a dance party in my living room.

This is a really fun album. I like the blend of traditional acoustic instrumentation with the electric guitars. I have t really been exposed to Brazilian music outside of bossa nova and a taste of samba, so I’m a bit out of my depth here. I’m glad I got the additional exposure. I’m giving it a 4 because to me, a non-Portuguese-speaking person, the album felt a bit like a cluster of decent songs that didn’t feel all that unified. Id happily be disproven or get a better explanation for why the album format doesn’t work the same way in this cultural milieu

this was great! no idea about the lyrics, but everything else was genuinely excellent

Täähän on ihan todella jees! Pari vanhaa tuttuu biisii Jorgen muilta levyiltä, mutta on kyl sulavaa. Ihanaa vaihteluu myös perus poprockille. 4/5

Mukavaa menoa, tykkään. Ei kaikkein eeppisintä brassitunnelmaa kuitenkaan.

Funkkaavaa menoa! 3/5

Sometimes funky, sometimes melancholic, sometimes rocking. Always elegant. I truly become a fan of Brazilian music.

It's not really the kind of music I like, but it's definitely not bad and there are some parts I quite liked. In particular, I enjoyed the jazzy/bluesy guitars which are somewhat untypical for the style. The guy also has a good voice. Giving this 3.5 stars, but rounding down as it didn't really grab my attention.

Nice listen whilst working

Africa AND Brazil, that's a lot of beats.

After the first two tracks, I almost called this a snap four star album. The subsequent tracks dipped a bit, lowering the overall album to a high three, but they were still very good, and the album is overall still very enjoyable.

rnr

Amazing. One of the best discoveries from this list so far. Funky and danceable with African rhythms and melodies commingling with Latin rhythms and touches of soul. He’s a great, charismatic singer. His vocals on “Xica Da Silva” are awesome. Really catchy song. The music is crazy fun. It’s also complex at times. On “Cavaleiro Do Cavolo Imaculado,” there’s an interesting guitar part that comes in around 2:10. It feels detached from the melody and adds a cool layer of tension and contrast. Definitely an album where every track is strong but these ones particularly stood out to me: “Ponta De Lança Africano,” “Xica Da Silva,” “Cavaleiro Do Cavolo Imaculado,” “África Brasil (Zumbi)” (wow - this one really rocks)

Very cool sound and not what I was expecting from the album cover. I love it. Very cool and has a tinge of "badass" in that guitar throughout the album. This is a really cool addition to the list and I'd love to hear more of him. "Taj Mahal" and "Ponta De Lanca Africano" are early favorites!

leuk, de samba zit er goed in Ik kan me voorstellen dat ik sommige nummers hiervan nog 'ns beluister

T3B 1. Ponta De Lanca Africano 2. Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu 3. Xica Da Silva The monkey drum was almost driving me nuts. Very jarring at times.

Felt like dancing

Not a fan

Love the grooves here! Fave is Historia de Jorge

This was a really fun album

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

Timelessly excellent funk and samba. All 70s music should have been this rich and compelling. Sounds contemporary still.

Very good and catchy apart from the train whistle being used as a beat in every song

I'm not super familiar with MPB or samba funk so probably not the best person to evaluate it. Nevertheless, even if I try to look beyond my own exposure and preferences (e.g. way too much cuíca for me...), I would say this is some decent, easy listening with a just a few tracks standing out from the rest.

Groovy

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.

Quite fun and good melodies but did get a bit boring after a while.

7/10. Pretty cool album, not sure how I feel about it guest starring The Watermelon Man from the third track onwards.

Somehow I had heard the first track of this album before. Overall I liked it but couldn’t get super into some of the sound. 7/10

Meh

Pretty cool, kind of rock, kind of reggae, kind of R&B.

An enjoyable African-Reggae album. The tracks were forthright enough to keep me interested, but not so melodically demanding as to take my attention away from other things. Some of the instrumental choices (see: the prominent 'woo!' sounds on most of the tracks) grated on me a bit, but I can definitely see myself turning this on and vibing while getting some work done in the future.

Good listen. Never listened to the type of music before. Tan mahal my favorite

3.5, pretty solid funk

I'm not Brazilian and I don't speak the language, so it was a non-starter for me. I did listen to all of it, and the tune was catchy in parts, but it wouldn't have been my choice.

Narrhhh… don’t get it

Great album

Groovy and Spanish

Interesting AFro-Brazilian album. Kinda jazzy

it just kinda went along in the background in its own flow. nothing I would write home about, but also nothing I would actively turn off.

Really good

Shucks, another horizon-broadener I wanted to like more than I actually liked. Love the energy though! And the song "Taj Mahal" made me wonder why it's so familiar - which made me find Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" - which made me find that although i can't stand him, that song is BOSS.

Not my favorite album from him but super rad production. Deserves more love for sure

Solid

4, exceptional

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.

I really enjoyed the 2nd half of this album, probably worth 4 stars, but the first half dragged it down to 3. I've never listened to much Brazilian music so this was a fun time. The fusion of genres had me bopping along.

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)."

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.

Прикольный альбом, необычный. Люблю африканские завывания.

A light 4, not my favourite Jorge Ben Jor album but still some great bops

I don't know Portuguese, but this was still enjoyable.

Veldig masse gnikkelyda

Not my style

It has a lot of that tropical instrument that I can't name but that is often featured in comics or whatever.

I'm too depressed to dance to this tropical nonsense.

World music at his best, great utilisation of so many instruments. Love it

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!

Had one song I really liked. Might have a good song for Road Work.

Cool

Bacana!

Gefällt mir nicht. Ist nicht furchtbar, bleibt aber trotz aller Einflüsse uninteressant.

Very American sounding instruments. Would be four stars if there was any English on it but as it is it kinda blends together for me.

Quite funky. Worth a listen

Excellent salsa vibes

Loved it

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.

Idk didnt like it

what a vibe! you can hear the influence of later artists in the work. really digging the sound of these 70s albums.

A fun album but it drags near the middle portion till the end.

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.

I am in an elevator in a funky NYC hipster hotel. It is hot and muggy. I am annoyed. I am unsure if the music is making it better or worse.

Cool

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.

Not really my taste.

Meh

I’ve never really listened to an album like this before. Definitely worth revisiting. I think it would take a few listens to get really into

A percussive wonder. 3.9⭐

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.

Sehr rhythmisch und temperamentvoll

Obrigado for some funky Brasil-Afrobeat good times. I managed to pick up the melody that Rod Stewart got sued for.

Fantastic album that's a very fun listen. Great grooves throughout, really liked the horns and reggae feel in some of the songs.

I liked it

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

Diferente e interesante

I absolutely love this

Samba. Alegre

Fun, listenable Brazilian Samba? Rock? I'm not sure about the genre. Not enough hooks to draw me in though and that in combination with Lyrics I can't understand made it feel almost like jazz and a bit too abstract.

Not my cuppa tea

Very nice album

Loved it!

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

I usually get excited when you i get world music. I was surprised by the shortish 3-4 mins tracks and it didn't really grab me. There were no memorable hooks and it kinda washed over me. However there were plenty of funky grooves and instrumentation. Still, wanted more. 3

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.

It was interesting I guess

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.

I am really enjoying this project as it is exposing me to music from other countries and cultures that I would normally never come across. I enjoyed the music even though I didn't understand the language it was being sung in. Very cool!

Africa Brasil is not better than the countless other stuff we've had of a similar ilk. 2/5.

yay, more Brazilian stuff. 2/5 this, we've had worse Brazilian music and this was a bit funkier and cooler than the previous. Still not of huge interest.

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.

Very pleasant background music. Lots of african/south american rhythms, similar to Santana but without the blistering guitar. No idea why this would be on the list.

Sweet jam

-first 3 tracks are kind of nice, but not particularly exciting -"Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro" totally kicks into a funky groove that's pretty sweet -I read on Wikipedia that Rod Stewart Got sued because "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" sounded like "Taj Mahal," and it really does, like, a lot, lol. -"A História de Jorge" is pretty fun, and I can actually sing along when he says "Jorge." -"Cavaleiro do Cavalo Imaculado" starts off with a ripping bass line and then cool drums get thrown on top of that. Sadly they kind of go to the background for a calmer vocal delivery. But the intro was pretty fun. -"África Brasil (Zumbi)" gets some cool yell-y vocals -This had some sparks of really cool moments, but they were pretty spread out, and as the album is in Portuguese it is a bit harder for me to follow. If more of the album was like those cool moments and/or it was in English, I could see it potentially bumping up to a 4 or a 5

Solid. Old, interesting, groovy and a fusion of different styles.

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

i liked it! would listen again

Favorite Tracks: Ponta De Lanca Africano O Filosófo Taj Mahal Xica Da Silva África Brasil

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.

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!

I first got introduced to Brazilian music when I picked up David Byrne's excellent Luaka Bop series in the early 90s and Jorge Ben was featured prominently on the Brazilian Classics discs. Ponta de lanca Africano (Umbabaruama) is a classic track that doesn't seem to age. I also love Jorge Ben's smooooth voice, come to think of it all Brazilian singers seem to have velvety smooth voices, dunno if its the culture or the language that causes this. Taj Mahal is a playful tune and its more fun than Rod Stewart's knock-off.

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.

Zomerse muziek, maar dit kon me precies iets minder goed boeien

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.

Nice atmosphere & nice to have something not in English but seemed kind of shallow.

besto disco. Ponta, historia do Jorge,meus filhos 10/10

Wow, this is so great, so much energy, just makes me want to dance. Faves: Ponta De Lanca Africano, O Filosofo, Taj Mahal.

Lively, fun, afro-latin romp!

Interesting Latin african mix, good for background working in my case

Love. This. Album.

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...

barabaradumba

Very enjoyable

I really loved this. Great voice, funky, groovy. An easy 5/5 for me. Added to my library immediately!

Theres a lot of bangers on here

This album is a lot of fun

Porra, bom pa caralho.

Jorge Ben deixant enrera la seva samba més chill i propera al soul per donar entrada a ritmes africans i sonoritats del funk, sense perdre la seva identitat pel camí. Interessant experiment de barreja de géneres portada a bon fi

Good beats, good tunes. I liked this more than I thought I would. I don’t think I’ll listen again but this wasn’t bad.

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.

Good groove! Funky guitar work. Didn't understand a word! However, would listen again, could see playing this in background while working on stuff. 3

Cool album. Probably deserves more recognition than just the whole Rod Steward thing, decent disco funk grooves throughout.

enjoyed it!

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

Yeeeeeah this was good stuff. Lively, joyous music from damn fine musicians.

ok

Muy bueno

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.

Quelle désillusion... Comme vous le savez, eltrapeze et moi-même, robanniversaire, avions prévu de fêter un an de générateur en cette magnifique journée d'hier. À cette occasion, c'était l'album Nevermind de Nirvana, l'un des rares poids lourds encore cadenassés, qui allait être généré par Robert. Ce dernier ne l'avait pas confirmé mais l'information avait fuité depuis un bon moment déjà. C'est pour cette raison qu'eltrapeze et moi-même avions conjointement décidé de signer la veille un « pacte de non agression » afin de mettre en parenthèse le conflit ouvert qui faire rage entre nos deux camps le temps d'une soirée festive qui allait se dérouler au domicile de Robert. Tout avait été organisé par son fils Mike Ladd. Nous devions au cours de l'après-midi dresser une grande table au milieu de la pièce et apporter biscuits apéritifs et boissons. Le moins que l'on puisse dire est que la fête ne s'est pas passée comme prévu. Sous les coups de vingt heures, alors que je discutais calmement avec les Beau Brummels, Mike Ladd entra affolé dans la pièce : « Ils arrivent ! Je les ai entendus dans le couloir ! » Tout le monde alla trouver une cachette. Je m'accroupis derrière un fauteuil et eltrapeze derrière une lampe (eltrapeze est très maigre). Soudain, la porte s'ouvrit. C'est alors que nous nous levâmes et nous exclamâmes « Surprise ! » en cœur. L'enthousiasme laissa soudain place à l'incompréhension. Robert n'était pas avec Kurt Cobain mais avec une personne totalement inconnue. « Ehhhhhhh Africa Brazil !!! Africaaaa Brasiwwww !!! » s'écria celle-ci avant d'embrayer sur un baragouinage des plus incompréhensibles. Personne n'osa répondre quoique ce soit pour ne pas risquer de vexer ce monsieur. Une fois les présentations faites, Robert installa le baragouineur sur une scène située au fond de la pièce devant nos regards médusés. Eltrapeze et moi commençâmes alors à enchainer les toasts au tarama pour oublier notre déception. Robert raccompagna finalement Jorge Ben Jor à la porte à la fin de son baragouin. Une fois celle-ci fermée, la totalité des invités déferla sur ce premier et le tabassa pendant de longues minutes, transformant une soirée d'anniversaire prometteuse en un terrible désastre.

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.

Really like this one.

Best Song: Taj Mahal. Upbeat, joyous music. One I will definitely go back to. Worst Song: Cavaleiro Do Cavalo Imaculado. I like the tempo, I don't like that high-pitched honking in the background. Overall: Decent groovy music. Not terribly memorable, but something I can easily imagine listening to on occasion.

Super fun beat. Great energy.

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.

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.

Makes me wish I understood what he was singing about, but even that isn't necessary to enjoy the funk.

Like walking into a Latin American night club on funk knight.

3/07/22

hlustaði ekki

3/5 not good enough

Even nowadays when you go to samba-funk bars in Brazil you might hear some songs from this album.

not bad

Not really my thing, but was fun to listen to. Sounds like the kind of music that gets sampled in other songs. :)

This entire album was full of fun beats 😍. Would definitely listen to again!

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

Listen to Samba Esquemo Novo instead, this aint it fam

C'est pas mes 2 pays préférés

Idéal pour bien commencer la journée.

la légende raconte qu’après des semaines d’absence, le soleil est revenu en Belgique au moment exact où j’ai cliqué sur play

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.

Great album, felt like Summer was here.

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

great album. could listen to this album over and over again.

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".

I really enjoyed this album, enough to give it 4* !

Perhaps slightly over-rated but really enjoyed the first half of the album.

Incredible brazilian album

Álbum que representa o há de mais brasileiro na musica nacional.

Neobično, ali lipo. Slušala san dok san čitala i dobro dođe ko pozadinska glazba

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.

4.5

My heart sank when I saw the cover - oh no, another jazz album, I thought. But I was pleasantly surprised! Some really lovely music.

Not great not terrible, had some good rhytms

Brilliant

Suprisely funky, dont hate it

Started with some great bluesy, funky samba. But towards the end it felt a bit samey

Not an album Iv heard of, found this enjoyable no idea what the lyrics mean but does have a good grove to it.

Hafði aldrei heyrt þessa, en hún er mjög hressandi. Mæli með.

The music is lively, funky, fun. It gets you moving. But for me the lyrics are the most important and engaging part of any song. Not speaking the same language as Jorge makes it hard for me to enjoy it. Not into foreign or world music, I’m just not. Musically though it was much more of a joy than some of the other crap on this list.

Bra sväng men inte mycket mer

A fun listen

Awesome Brazilian jazz, really dig this one

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.

Not my style but good bar music.

Yeah, good. Not particularly something I'll want to listen to again. Very interesting to hear Rod Stewart's plagiarism, though.

Sve u svemu čudno i zanimljivo

Dvoumila sam se između 3 i 4 jer su neke pjesme stvarno definicija srece (O plebeu) i sve je jako fankiii ali ajde, stroga sam!!

Great album to just sit back and feel the funk

Some shit-hot playing on here. Wouldn't normally listen to stuff like this, but this one stays.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I like. Love the cover. I'm not sure what to rate it A 3

1.75

Primera mitad interesante y divertida. Bossa-funk-africa. En la segunda mitad se hace un tanto pesado, baja el interés

Pretty sweet album, nice and funky

Very cool!

I enjoyed this much more than I had anticipated.

Samba brasileña muy animada. Venga, le pongo un 5.

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.

Muy bueno

Fun album to listen to like many Brazilian samba albums. 7/10.

I can dig it!

This was really not my type of music. By the end I found it grating to the ears.

Funky! Recognized some sounds I didn't know were borrowed from Jorge

4/10

Funky Brazilian beats. What's not to like.

Nothing much against it, but not my cup of tea. I like some Sergio Mendez, but this wasn’t quite up to that level.

This got me dancing in the kitchen.

One of those albums that I listened to the whole thing and didn't even realize it. It was not what I expected. It's hard for me to rate cause I'm not sure I really listened. It just kinda happened in the background.

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.

In a vein next to Seu Jorge and ACJ. A very good vein

Kind of boring, found myself drifting off and not really paying attention to the music.

I enjoyed this. Not something I would listen to regularly, but I'm happy it was on the list. 3 stars.

Fucks 4/6

Really good, lively and well made. If you’re the best in brazil you know you have something going on

Episkt

Brazilian samba funk?

Fun and upbeat. Gave me a pep in my step on my way from work!

Wonderful rhythms... Did not mind that I don't understand Portuguese...

Taj Mahal - Da think im sexy Album gesamt 3.5/4

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.

This was like Bob Marley, Isaac Hayes, and - like - Jason Mraz had a baby. I mean that in a good way. It was funky and fun to listen to, even though I had no idea what he was singing about. I probably won't ever listen to it again, but I enjoyed it and it is well-deserving of a spot on this list. (On a side note - how did this guy not sue the pants off of Rod Stewart for stealing the melody from Taj Mahal and using it to record Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?).

interesting, like the energy in this

Real funky, super cool

Great fun

I enjoyed this a lot. My kind of funk. And I can see exactly why he sued Rod Stewart.

Brazilie en Afrika heb ik muzikaal beide weinig mee en een combinatie daarvan wordt er blijkbaar niet beter op.

Ook best leuk en vrolijk voor een keer. Werkt wel goed op een feestje lijkt me, maar niet thuis.

Ook niet mijn ding.

Ik kon dit waarderen.

album needed subtitles

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!

Easy listen! 3 stars but only because I like some of the people inspired by him better. -1 star cause the album art creeps me out a little.

eeh maar deze is echt genieten ! cavaleiro, taj mahal en ponta neem ik mee

PUURU GENIETEN

That was funkin’ WILD. Gimme more dat Brasil Bop.

Brazil tunes

October 11, 2021 I liked the first song but it kind of went downhill from there. OK but I didn't get very into it.

Had heard the lead track but not the rest. Very listenable and something I should revisit.

Bangin'. Wasn't familiar with it but it had me hooked.

3.5/5. This was alright, nothing really stood out to me. I liked it, however, because I have not heard a lot of music like this.

This is undoubtedly one of the better attempts to incorporate funk into Brazilian music, but that isn't saying much. It just means that it isn't outright embarrassing like Tony Tornado's output, another James Brown imitator. Actually, that's not quite fair. Jorge Ben is more taking the path of tackling American funk by way of Fela Kuti, which is to say that he's diluted and dumbed down the American funk elements before incorporating them, which probably also accounts for Africa Brasil's appearance on this list. (It also probably doesn't hurt that the opening track from Africa Brasil was included on the David Byrne anthology Beleza Tropical: Brazil Classics 1.) That Fela strategy isn't as difficult as straight imitation and allows for a more balanced fusion as well. There's another reason using Fela as a touchstone makes sense. The call and response elements so central to Fela's music are also central to the Samba-de-Roda style that came out of Bahia, which is explicitly African in origin. That's all well and good, but the unfortunately, the result is rather bland. The funk aspect is generic, and the main thing, aside from Jorge Ben's voice, that gives this music some Brazilian character is prominent use of the Cuica drum, with its characteristic talking squeak. Also, the melodies are undistinguished, even if Ben's singing is fine. All this makes for a pleasant enough, if dull listen. But when you think of of all the absolutely magical Brazilian albums they could have picked for this list, it's a real head scratcher. Well, actually not so much, if you want to be lazy and follow mainstream critical thinking, led by tastemakers like David Byrne (nothing against him). The sad thing is, as weak as Brazilan/funk fusions usually are, there are much better attempts at American funk/Brazilian music that could have been chosen, like Banda Black Rio's Maria Fumaça or Dom Salvador E Abolição's Som, Sangue E Raça. But that would require actual taste and critical thinking

Не нашла альбом, сори

Nice fun album. More than 3 but not quite 4.

Inoffensive background music. Decent stuff but won't be listening to it again.

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.

Overwhelmingly reminded me of music from the Sims. But I did quite enjoy it. Very fun

This was good fun! Got me bopping.

This is great! But it had to be with a title like that.. First album i've downloaded so far.

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

This was different. I wasn't a huge fan, but it's good for what it is.

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.

Wonderful to listen to

Not my taste but a nice album. lots of bongos

Groovy and a little bit gnarly. Yes I am IN TO this. Party funk rock! (I am also a sucker for a nice cuica)

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.

B R A S I L low-key better than expected. OG Taj Mahal comes from this album

3.5 decent background vibes

Not really doing much for me

The music is ok but I can't understand a word! ;-)

Brazilian music. First song is about soccer

Not my favorite style of Brazilian.

I've never willingly sat down to listen to a Brazilian Afro-Cubano-Salsa-Pop record. The experience of África Brasil by Jorge Ben was eye-opening. The influence of this type of music and this album, in particular, is easy to pick up. My issue with some different styles of global music is that the repetitive rhythms and verses get frustrating and this record does not difer, still a really good listen.

This is a very good album. It’s eclectic from track to track. Some tracks rock and are full of electricity and some are smooth with a tropic blend. But the one thing that was consistent was that all the tracks slapped - it’s a banger for anytime. Top tracks O Filosofo Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro Taj Mahal Cavaleiro do Cavalo Imaculado

I liked it much more than expected. Especially the first "side".

Fun

Muito bom, gostei, principalmente a música sobre os filhos. Não considero o melhor álbum do Jorge Ben Jor mas é bom.

Cant understand but still good, Brazilian. 5/10

Good fun. I have a soft spot for brazillian music, and this tickled it.

Good music, but not something I enjoy listening to.

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

Taj Mahal and Xica da Silva are the only slightly memorable songs. Taj Mahal was the basis for Do Ya Think I'm Sexy by Rod Stewart.

Listened to 5/6/21

What a funky groove. These guitar riffs are great. The variety of each track is amazing, and the energy never dips.

not my thing

Funky Brasilian/Latin American beats. Not really my jam, but in the right setting this could be a cracker album. Definitely think the back half of the album is better than the front. Had to re-listen to Rod Stewart's 'Da Ya think I'm sexy' to hear the similarities in 'Taj Mahal' that would constitute a settlement. Best: Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro; África Brasil Worst: O Plebeu

Anyone can be Fantano. Just put this album on and say the following: "Sure, Bruno Pernadas is a great example of MODERN Portuguese Language Jungle Jazz Funk, but of you want to truly understand the genre, you have to go back to the OG." An extra star for the pretentiousness potential. More like this, less tired boomer rock from the 70s

very fun and progressive

Not as much my style, but enjoyed the rhythms and sounds. Appreciate the talent. This is not something I would listen to much, but can't deny the album is pretty great.