Africa Brasil

Good melodies but a bit samey in places

3.5/5

Nem hallgattam meg az egészet, mert Spotin hiányos az album, Apple Musicon pedig az egész nincs fent.

Fun!

This is just as good as his older masterpieces, but in a different style. A

Very easy listening. Great way to end the week.

Excellent! Funky. Catchy. Cool. Daydreaming of going to jazz clubs in Brazil. Super into it.

The first song is killer diller, and I would credit it for single handedly reviving David Byrne's career (after he put it as the lead-off track on a Brazilian music compilation he put together that got a lot more attention than his solo records had up until then). The rest of it is very good, too, but that first track - apparently about a soccer player? - is kick ass. Note also the melody of Taj Mahal - Rod Stewart must be a fan! 😅

I haven't heard anything by him before, and I'm completely hamstrung by not understanding Portuguese, but I can see how this became an instant classic. A fun combination of sounds, and catchy tunes. I was so intrigued by the opening track ("Umbabarauma") and the description that it was a soccer/football anthem music that I found a translation, and also listened to a great metal cover of the song by Soulfly from many years later. (The VH-1 video version isn't all that interesting, unfortunately.) Like many of the non-English albums in this collections, I find it challenging to rate this album fairly.

Enjoyed this but don't think I'd listen to it again. Didn't stand out though I was reminded of that awful Rod Stewart song on "Taj Mahal" (If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy...)

Unfortunately as I don’t speak Portuguese I can’t really comment on the lyrical content. However pretty cool guitar and world sounds without sounding cheesy - quite liked it

Camisa 10 da Gavea, Africa Brasil (Zumba) are too slow

Very nice!

4/5

Another airplane listen which held its own against the noise and discomfort of modern air travel. Varied and interesting.

This was pretty good! I probably never would've listened to this without this project, so I'm glad I heard it, but I probably won't revisit it. It was nice music for listening to while I was doing work.

This lacked a lot of the fun surprises that I've found in some of our other world music (is there a less condescending term for that?) from the list, unfortunately. I was really looking forward to enjoying it and it just felt samey after about halfway through.

Very vocal forward.

I really liked this album. I was expecting something very different, and what I heard was something that sounded more modern, experimental, playful. Parts of it reminded me to the tongue-in-cheek Cornershop debut, for example. I will definitely listen to this album again.

This is a major vibe. A lot of fun. I don't like some of the instrumentation, but that's more a cultural difference than poor music choice. I'm having a hard time differentiating the songs from one another, so I don't really have a favorite, but they're all a good time.

This took me by surprise. The mix between cultural genres is pretty good. I had never heard of the artist before, so it is nice to be exposed to new music when it is this positive

This list only scratches the surface of the brilliance of Brazilian music, but it’s great to see Jorge Ben featured here. One of the greatest songwriters of all time!

Итс окэй. Лучшая песня - Ponta de lança africano.

I have no clue about this kind of music, so I don't know if this is really a standout album in its genre. But I enjoyed it.

África Brasil by Jorge Ben is a lively album that blends Brazilian rhythms with funk and soul, making it surprisingly accessible. Ben’s distinctive voice and energetic delivery give the record a vibrant feel. While the album successfully merges traditional Brazilian sounds with contemporary influences, it maintains a polished yet organic production. Its mix of styles offers a fresh listening experience without being overly complex. The result is an approachable and enjoyable record that highlights Ben’s musical versatility. África Brasil stands out for its ability to make eclectic sounds accessible to a broad audience. It’s a solid introduction to Jorge Ben’s work and an enjoyable listen for fans of Brazilian and global music. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 1 STAND OUT TRACK - Ponta De Lanca Africano

Excellent groove and vibe!

I’m so glad I discovered this album. Brazilian funk with African influences – what more can you ask for? This album is super groovy and catchy. One element I really like is how the funk adds playful and quirky vibes to some of the tracks.

Good all the way through; will definitely listen again

Good vibes. Was worried as we've had some awful Brazilian music, but this was enjoyable.

This is not for me. I liked some of the instruments, but the singing over the top ruined it

Just really enjoyable and something a bit different

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

Samba funk. No está mal, pero no me gusta este estilo de música.

That's it. It's got the beat.

Fun

Loved it!! All the layers of sounds. So so So good What a delight!

I don’t get it. This music from other parts of the world all sounds the same to me.

Smooth, great vocals, and made me want to move. A great discovery!

This album still sounds fresh and relevant; I was surprised to hear it came out in 1976. Psychedelic-tinged funky Afro-samba may be the best description. It feels like it almost has a hip-hop influence, but I supposed it’s just the blending of Brazilian/african/funk rhythms and sounds. Really enjoyable grooves and beats from the percussion and bass. Hard to not want to move to this album. Some catchy vocal lines over the top, even if I don’t understand them. There’s a spirit and light-heartedness that shines through the music. Solid album.

fine! enjoyable enough just not the type of stuff i listen to

I'd never even heard of Jorge Ben before I was assigned this album. After listening, it's clear that I have some more research to do.

A welcome change from the last few albums that I listened to on this list. Above average

Very funky and soulful. I like it.

Propably it's just not my taste.

Kind of a nice album to have on in the background while you work on a project. Makes me think of the music Kramer played in his apartment.

This album becomes a million times more enjoyable than it already is when you imagine Glep from Smiling Friends singing the whole thing.

I may not speak the language but the emotions come through anyway. This album was very fun. Good grooves and rhythms. Favorites were Ponta De Lanca Africano, O Plebeu, Taj Mahal, and África Brasil.

Phenomenal album, great fusion of funk and notes of jazz. Album flowed so well I hardly noticed when the songs changed. Will definitely be listening to again Taj Mahal was a standout track

African vibes I guess

This list needs more world music.

This is Brazil, with some lousy lyrics.

Excellent, will Re listen

not my cup of tea

Horrible

Another awesome brand new artist courtesy of the 1001 project! Really fun funky samba. The fact that it was sung in Portuguese didn’t matter at all!

Difficult to fully rate since I don’t speak Portuguese, but I enjoyed it anyway. 2.5

While I don't know what he talks about... I can FEEL it. Jorge Ben (or Jorge Ben Jor (since 1989)) has been a major figure in Samba and its poularity in the early to mid 1960's. And with the popularity of his debut album "Samba esquema novo" he had the name and ressources to let Samba evolve in the prime-time of his music: the 1970's. I think it is a bit short thought to make this the only inclusion he gets on this list as at least 2 more albums of the same decade have been as important to Samba and music in general as this album. But to be fair, this is the album in which he added Funk to his arsenal, which until now mainly consisted of Samba-Rock and MPB (popular brasilian music) as well as some influence from Psychedelic Soul. There are some things that are great all throughout the album especially the percussion with hand claps, bongo-type drums as well as a genrally diverse instrumentation with Jorge's guitar, trumpets, typical South American instruments and more that are all used to create a lush and warm sound. And of course Jorge Ben's vocals are another highlight. There are also some elements throughout that I at first thought were synthesizer but they happen to be the Cuíca, a typical brazilian instrument that creates a sound that the "northern" ear isn't used to. For me that sometimes works well in the background but can annoy a little bit. Of course I don't know what he actually talks about but I hope it is not something controversial because he sings it with so much soul and emotion that you don't need to understand the text, you simply "feel" it. But with music like this, the lyrics generally don't matter that much. It is all about the presentation and the groove it envokes. The albums opening track is arguably its greatest. 'Ponta de lança africano' is simply a bop. It is groovy musically, has a hook that can even be sung along by someone that isn't capable of understanding the portugese language (like me) and makes one simply happy. Following up that masterpiece we get some more groovy songs like 'Hermes Trismegisto escreveu' with it's energetic and funky bass line and 'O filósofo' which is I think is the weakest song on the album together with the later 'Camisa 10 da Gávea' on Side 2. This song uses the Cuíca (or Monkey Drum) and although it does add an interesting sound, it does annoy after a little while. After that short little slump we do get another perfect song in the form of 'Meus filhos, meu tesouro'. All good things said about the first track applies here as well. The guitar solo at the beginning and the drums make this a definitive highlight. 'O plebeu' and 'Taj Mahal' again work perfectly in the albums context but don't stick out as much as other songs. Former has a nice "La,La,La-La" chorus and the latter has a melody that has been stolen by Rod Stewart as well, which is why some might have "heard" that song before. Side 2 opens with two incredible songs back to back: 'Xica da Silva' and 'A história de Jorge'. Both incredibly catchy and funky and just incredible. The vocal performance on both is outstanding and another peak in Jorge Ben's songwriting. As already mentioned, the next song is a little dip down because he seems to focus this song on the lyrics what ultimatly removes from the musical enjoyment of the listener although I still prefer 'Camisa 10 da Gávea' over 'O filósofo'. It does get back on track with 'Cavaleiro do cavalo imaculado' with its super energetic and funky bass solo as well as the wild percussion. The album closes with the title track 'África Brasil (Zumbi)'. That song closes the album perfectly as it is a bit more on the "melancholic" side of songs in comparison to the rest although that has to be taken very, very, very lightly because you can still dance yourself to exhaustion with it. It's fun, very fun! favourites: Ponta de lança africano (Umbabarauma); Meus filhos, meu tesouro; Xica da Silva; A história de Jorge least favourites: O filósofo, Camisa 10 da Gávea Rating: decent to strong 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Catchy but unfamiliar.

legit lit

Okay, but :BoneZone:

AlienDance

Actually way different than o expected. Nice to broaden horizons but I’ll never listen again.

No idea what language he's speaking (maybe Portuguese?) but it's a fun vibe.

I feel like this this is setting the bar pretty high for world music - quite good

Didn't understand a word but the dude is Funky!

This is like crack cocaine being injected straight into my ear. Insanely good. An incredible gem like this, which I would never seek out on my own, is what makes trudging through the hundreds of "old British guy crooning"-entries on this list all worth it. First time I've noticed the cuica being used outside of MIDI music. Love that goofy instrument. Five outta five.

I didn’t understand 99% of what was said. But it didn’t matter. The grooves, man, the grooves. This was such a fun album. I’ve had a decent amount of music out of Brazil during this project and it’s all been so creative and interesting. It hasn’t all been amazing, but it’s been different and interesting, and I can’t help but appreciate that. This album is alive with funky bass lines, locked in drums, and enthusiastic vocals that all come together to make this a fun, punchy, and funky 40 minutes. I’d gladly listen again. It’s always fun to hear genres that we think of as American or western taken on by a culture that itself is so closely associated with its own genres. The result is often a fresh take on a genre we think we own and know inside and out. We’re often proven wrong. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Ponta De Lanca Africano, Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu, Xica Da Silva, Cavaleiro Do Cavalo Imaculado, Africa Brasil (Zumbi)

This is a great example of how to make complex music without being pretentious. Sometimes he layers multiple melodies, not to be experimental or different, but because they work for the song. Sometimes you'll see reviews where people will say, I had to listen to it 10 or 12 times before I got it, essentially brainwashing themselves into liking something. I prefer when something grabs me right away like this stuff. The background singers are great and I love how uses them sometimes like they're playing the rhythm behind his vocals.

Honestly, Africa Brasil was really good for what it does. The songs are very catchy and upbeat in all the right ways. It also kept introducing new elements as the songs went on in a way that felt natural and not sudden at all. Jorge's singing was also really good too with his voice always managing to fit every song very well even if i can't understand the lyrics due to them being in a language i do not speak. I did feel like there were maybe a few times where i began losing track of what was going on but part of me feels that wasn't really the albums fault and it kinda just being my fault. All in all, its a pretty great album. Best Song: Africa Brasil (Zumbi) Worst Song: O Filosofo

Love Jorge Ben

jiving in the library to be utterly honest

Started well, but blended into a tasteless murmur.

Absolutely pleasant and exotic. I loved that funky style and that kind of jungle sounds. This album is a beauty.

Groovy, funky, and soulful. A good exercise in perspective to compare popular South American 70s music to what I have been listening to from the same era for my whole life.

This was awesome. More of this please.

It has almost a classic rock/funk flavour at times, sometimes more Motown but always with a Latin and especially Brazilian sound layered throughout. I enjoyed it very much.

Samba rock, MBP, Funk. Energetic and uplifting, infectious vibes. Love the fusion going in. Impossible to have a bad time. Light 4.5/5

Holy moly. Better yet...santo deus. I have hit a few random points on Jorge Ben timeline but for some reason never made it here. I'm a little slack jawed. It's just so creative. It's like a wilder Esquivel with the kitsch turned down. Weird, expressively weird with undercurrents of pop, traditional samba and latin jazz. Excellent musicianship. And get up and dance funky. I have a mild curiosity for the lyrics but why mess with perfection. What an absolute great ride.

This was really enjoyable Brazilian pop/samba. Upbeat and despite the lyrics being in Portuguese, quite catchy. Standout is "Taj Mahal".

While I could not understand any of the Portuguese, I liked the sound and his voice. I just made up the meaning in my head.

I enjoyed it. It was good. I thought in one of the songs he sounded like Sting but Brazilian Sting. The sound was upbeat and they all sounded happy.

I enjoyed this even though I have not learned any more Portuguese between this album and the last Brazilian group we listened to. It was very upbeat and joyful sounding and pretty funky too. Even though I couldn’t understand a lick of what he was saying I enjoyed it.

Quite enjoyed listening to this while I worked out-kept me interested & enjoyed all the different sounds & instruments

Like this.

Fun, funny, groovy and inventive! This album didn’t miss with me. I loved the varied timing, the passion and the creative vocalization’s. I plan on cooking to this many times in the future!

Wild and fun! I added a couple songs to my playlists.

Not a fan. It's samba-y and whatnot, but I'm not a fan

Had never heard of Jorge Ben Jor, glad he showed up though. My musical journey certainly enjoyed this bit of funk, so much more than I thought I would!

Whilst I appreciate the music and the genre crossing sounds made on this album, I can't get to grips with it.

1. africano - 1 2. hermez - 1 3. filozofo - 1 4. tezouro - 1.5 5. plebeu - 1 6. mahal - 1 7. zica - 1 8. jorge - 1 9. gavea - 1 10. imaculado - 0 11. africa - 0

Pretty enjoyable and a pleasant surprise

I didnt get what the songs were about but the rhythms were infectious. Funky 70’s jams!

Reminds me of Quincy Jones.

Super funky and soulful!!! Really enjoyed grooving out to this!!

Really enjoyed this one! Loved the vibes. Didn't even care that I couldn't understand a word 4 ⭐️

Wilde Indy Musik aus den 70ern 3/5

Sonically intoxicating.

Ponta de Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma) 3.2 Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu 3.4 O Filosofo 2.8 Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro 3 O Plebeu 3.1 Taj Mahal 3.5 Xica da Silva 3.5 A Historia de Jorge 3.4 Camisa 10 da Gavea 3.2 Cavaleiro do Cavalo Imaculado 3.3 Aftrica Brasil (Zumbi) 3 Score: 3.218181818

It bops.

I haven't heard about this artist before but I thought a Brazilian samba-funk album can't go wrong, and I was right. It was very groovy and enjoyable, I loved it a lot!

I love the multiple musical layers of this music and how it all blends together. You can tell there's a lot going on, but it doesn't sound muddy at all. I don't know how I'd describe this type of music, but it is definitely what I envision when I think of Brazilian music. I really enjoyed this little discovery. Ponte De Lança Africano had a nice hook to it with the minor chords. Meaus Filhos, Meu Tesouro was a fun, catchy romp.

Very snazzy

that was properly good, im kind of torn between a 4 and a 5

This was super enjoyable and I really wasn’t expecting to like this at all. Either a four or a five I’m not sure I’ll decided tomorrow

That was pretty good!

high marks as i didnt understand a word but was groovy as he77.

Enjoyed 3.5 stars

No clue what this guy is singing about, but man is this shit funky.

oh my god? talk about an album that i never would have been exposed to otherwise that i was absolutely blown away by. every second of this is a fabulously funky fusion of funk and brazilian music. there is not a bad moment on here, it is just dripping in sweat in the best kind of way the entire length of the album. i will definitely return to this one! really awesome stuff.

Neat

Another album I really liked but will unlikely ever hear again just because of my typical genres unfortunately. Nice groove throughout

Took a couple of listens to grow on me. Thoroughly enjoyable Vibes but nothing mindblowing or incredibly hypnotizing. Opening track (Ponta de Lanca Africano) + Taj Mahal are the standouts; Xica Da Silva + Camisa 10 Da Gavea (and, to a lesser degree, Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu) are nice too.

This was not what I was expecting from the title. I was expecting this to be a bit more like a samba mix. Singers a different language I usually think of as just another instrument, but the music... I was expecting it to sound more latino. But it's not Latino, it's Brazilian / and African. They're two different styles. Having said that, let's talk about what the music WAS, not what it WASN'T. Songs like "Xica Del Silva" reminded me a little of "Jingo Va" from Santana, but in a more frenetic way. There were a lot more layers in some of these songs, which I dug. I did feel many of the songs started to sound the same, I was hoping for some of them to have at least a little bit of a different tempo and I just didn't get that feel. Maybe I need to listen to another time, I dunno. Top tracks: Title track, "Xica Del Silva"

Not what I was expecting. It felt more like a funk album, which I didn't mind at all. Whatever is African or Brazilian feels secondary or like it was sprinkled on top of a base layer of 70's funk. But I thought it was great. Right from the opening licks of Ponta de Lance Africano. It dipped at times, like when I got to Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro, A História de Jorge (felt both derivative of other tracks and like it was trying too hard), or the title track (too spastic). But plenty of other great tracks in between, including Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu, O Filósofo, Xica da Silva (best song on the album next to the opening track), and Cavaleiro do Cavalo Imaculado (what pace!).

Brazilian pop that’s not very good. Lackluster songs and delivery.

Fantastic album with tons of great hits. The musicality is unique and uses a wide variety of instruments and sounds. There are better Jorge Ben Jor albums but this one is still great!

Ennen kun kuolee on koettava kiinalainen vesikidutus. Hyvin epämiellyttåvä kokemus.. Ei somaattista hermostoa helli tuo ääniefekti... Meikäläisellä sentään lääkkeet.. Ilman lääkkeitä olisin Koira joka juoksisi lelun perään... Rakkinakin... Narisevalta lelulta pää poikki...

usual music preference towards metal, classical, electronic, and rap. 2. Jorge Ben Jor - Africa Brasil: I don't speak the language and didn't lookup lyrics. Has an eclectic 70s kinda feel moving between more blues and jazzy songs with a bouncy baseline like a pre ska dancehall. I'd expect to find something from it in the samples used in an Amon Tobin or Chemical Brothers mix. 6/10 the title track is the highlight and it's interesting they arranged it last on the album.

I enjoy the non-english language albums on this list because I most likely never would've listened to them on my own. This one is vibey in parts, but overall a bit too wacky and over-the-top for me.

These Brazilians know wtf they're doing

I'd just found out about this dude a couple months ago and thought he was the coolest ever and it's great to see he has more albums that go as hard as the one I found (none of these songs hold a candle to Oba, La Vem Ela though)

Deep down, I’m just a girl who loves to dance, so I tend to fall fast and easy for anything with a groove: funk, house, disco, pop, and apparently samba. On África Brasil, Jorge Ben Jor 1000% delivers a dance-party record. This has it all – casual bum-shakers to vibe along to next to the beach bonfire, chaotic cuts that force everyone on the floor, slow jams that beg you to hold a lover close, and everything in between. But this record is so much more than just dance grooves. It’s a party record with depth. Musical depth, for sure; this is some of the tightest, most technical shit I could imagine creating that still has pop appeal. But also, it has socio-political depth, using its points of reference, esoteric lyrics, and globalism to say something about the state of the world, about connected influence across continents and oceans, about black people everywhere. And by doing all that through winks and nudges, what could be seen through a translator as “simplistic” lyrics actually reveals subversive depth. And all over funky ass grooves that make you want to shake your ass! Literally obsessed. Really hitting me at a perfect time in my life, especially during the summer. The perfect record to put on at 2am to keep the party going. I won’t be surprised if this ends up toward the top of my overall ranking by the end of this challenge.

Not bad

Interesting fusion of samba and rock styles. Funky grooves!

I am loving the diversity of this journey!

Couldn't understand a word of it but it's funky as hell

This was very enjoyable. Good rhythms, decent hooks, a sunny disposition and lots of fun. It could be accused of maybe lacking depth, but that may be because I dont speak the language.

that silly funky type beat music 3/5

Loved this. Had no idea what he was singing about, doesn't matter. Great vibes

Tough to hate this, strong funk influences with a Brasilian flavour. great sound 4*

That was a tough one to get through

Muy funky, instrumentalmente muy rico y variado y me gusto mucho la voz!

Agradable mezcla de samba y funk, necesito aprender portugués

Cool Rhythms

Not a bad album. I quite liked the funk vibe at first. But its all blends into one. I do tend to find most s. american music very samey though. Their music seems to follow a repetitive pattern for me. Its almost like they sample some music and just put it on repeat for 4 mins. Some good guitar funk and licks going on at times. No particular stand out tracks to me though on a first listen. Some of it reminds me of that brazilian football tune " o bar, obar obar". Still not enough to save the rating for the album tho. Wow, so many 5/5 ratings for this album. Honestly, they must have been smoking crack. Maybe thats the secret to enjoying it. Rating 2/5.

How do you say "smooth" in Portuguese?

Great album, lovely instrumentation. No idea what he's singing but it sounds nice.

Interesting album - Brazilian rock funk. Very listenable Ponte De Lanca - first track, is probably the best. Cavaleiro... - good too. I'd get a bit tired of it after a while, so a 3 rather than a 4

Sounds like listening to City of God (before the… unpleasantness…) playing in the other room. Never quite hooks enough to make you sit down and watch the film, maybe because you saw it in Uni and think you remember the ending, but then BAM, they’re at the door with the pizza and you’re thinking I didn’t order pizza, what’s going on here. Then you realise it must have been an online order delivered to you in error, meaning they can’t take it back, so you basically have a free pizza. So you think maybe you’ll sit down and watch City of God after all. And do you know what? You quite enjoy it. That’s what this album is like.

I weas surprised by this album. It seems like a great album to clean the house to, nice mix of energy and groove.

I tend to enjoy foreign music, and this is no exception. Very upbeat.

It was all right

A fusion with funk is sort of exactly what samba needed. Funk complements samba so well and opens up a lot of possibilities for experimenting, of which there is a healthy amount on this album. Without alienating his album from either genre, Jorge successfully blends two genres while expanding both of their possibilities. There’s an incredible amount of range, beautiful production, great writing, and I have no idea about the lyrics. Almost as good as his earlier couple records. 4/5

Not for me

Has a cooler record ever been made? This is just about note perfect, with very well textured funk and powerful, controlled grooves, with occasional touches of saudade adding dimensionality. It's fun and rollicking and happy-making throughout. The energy means it's scarcely aged a day and sounds way more recent than '70s.

Fun

Good music performed by good musicians. I'm guessing he was influenced by Fela Kuti with the call and response by a chorus of female singers. Unfortunately, I'm not into it. I think the album needs more talking drum!

Funk + Rock + Portuguese lyrics = A surprisingly great album! 4/5. Did not expect something like this to be on the list, but I'm glad it is.

Fun, Brazilian samba sounding music with a twist of funk. Inoffensive enough, but the entire album felt and sounded like one whole song though. The top review for this album dissecting some of the Portuguese lyrics was an interesting read as well.

I like it. The Afro funk is injected with an earthy feel by the Latin percussion. The horns are used minimally but add just the right amount of kick when they come in. There is some kind of prominent, rhythmic wind instrument in many songs that often sounded like a bird. At first I thought it was cool, but after a while it was all could hear. Perhaps mimicking the sounds of the Amazon? Idk, but my brain hyper focused on it. 3.5 (PS- Portuguese is a wild language)

The blurry eyes on the cover is nightmare fuel, but aside from that - and a shitload of cuica -- it's pretty good. It wasn't quite as funky or african rooted as I expected, still it's upbeat and fun. Love Brazilian music and would definitely add this to the rotation, though probably not my fav. 3.8

Now this is why I'm into this 1001 game. I was familiar with a couple tracks off this but never gave the full album a full spin and now that I have I'm hooked! The first track is on some comp I have and always stood out. Taj Mahal I knew because Rod Stewart stole the vocal melody for "Do You Think I'm Sexy". 5/5 on first spin, can't wait to listen again.

It was okay

Portuguese, the devil's tongue! Cursed is that language, and damned are all creations of it. Every note was a lick of hellfire on my soul. Every screech of the monkey instrument made me scream. It's too late for me, dear reader, but you can still save yourself. Avoid Portuguese at all costs.

Very fun listen, my first foray into MPB-type music. There's a lot to appreciate here, you can definitely hear the compositional fluency of the artist, and the execution is so gratifying to listen to. That being said, it's not personally my jam quite yet, but I think future MPB will strongly benefit from this first exposure.

No clue what they were singing about. But that rhythm section can churn butter.

Actually really chill I wanna get more into soul fusion

I don’t have much to say about this album except that it was a really fun international album. It was funky and jazzy and had some great backing vocals and production. Ponta de lanca Africano and xica de Silva were my favs.

Not bad for some older Brazilian tunes but I don't see myself listening to it unless I am south of the border

This was awesome, end of story.

Contrary to popular belief, I cannot speak Portuguese. However, the vibes this album brought were sensational, I didn't need to understand it to love it.

God I love Brazilian music! I think it’s perfect in its own right. But it’s not something I am likely to listen to everyday.

Fun album. Lots of energy and Brazilian pride I like it a lot. Good for drives in the day Standouts: Camisa 10 De Gavea África Brasil Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro

Taj Mahal made me get up off my couch and start dancing, the rest of album is good but wish there were morr full of lively feel good bangers like this one

Oh, bastante bien.

A great vibe, don’t know what the guy is saying but it doesn’t matter does it?😂😂

Really dug this. Might’ve liked it more if I understood French. Every world music selection to date has been nice. 4

4.2 impeccable, great fusion of western and Brazilian styles of music and the riffs are so catchy faves: ponta de lanca africano, taj mahal

Very enjoyable, an accomplished album from a talented artist. Begs to be listened to in the sunshine.

A very well produced album, wish I understood Portuguese. Giving this 2. While I did enjoy the project and liked a few songs, I don’t see myself coming back to this often, if at all.

It was an entertaining album to listen to, it really transports you to Brazil, and of course it does it because Jorge is one of the most important artists in the country mentioned (one in the top 5, at least) The music is great, if you liked “Mas que nada" (song by the same artist, a very recognized hit) and if you want to get closer to Brazil’s music and culture you are going to love this artist's music in general. Totally recommended.

cool

If the translated lyrics are even half as good as the instrumentation, this album is what the youths would call a banGer

It sounds quite good but knowing Portuguese makes it worse.

Besides the fact I couldn't understand the lyrics, I didn't think this was too bad. Made me think of being on a beach drinking a Pina Colada. Some decent music and good sounds, but really just not my thing. About 3-4 songs in, they started using an instrument that sounded like a whistle/flute way too much. It started to annoy me. Not bad, not great and probably won't ever revisit, but I appreciated the listen. 2.5

2.5 I guess Jorge’s fusion of Brazilian samba with American funk music is alright, but it really never got me in that groovy, danceable mood that either genre is known for. I feel like it gets close at times, but never quite to a point to ever fully suck me in or leave much of a lasting impression for that matter. Honestly, I think the only song here that I would really walk away saying I kind of liked was the titular and closing track, África Brasil, mostly because it felt kind of angsty, like he was angrily screaming some of the lyrics. Outside of that, the only other song that stood out to me was Taj Mahal, a really annoying track that is retroactively worsened by the fact that it later inspired/was stolen by Rod Stewart for Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? I don’t really hear it that much, but honestly, I wasn't overly invested in giving either song a long and thorough enough listen to really make that determination. Not bad, but it’s not for me. Though, did anyone else hear him asking about Joe Gatto throughout the album? I don’t know what he’s doing since he left the Impractical Jokers either, man.

loved it, was a great change of pace and a dip back into "Brasillia"

Electric guitars go a long way. Made it an ok listen for this record. Was not aware of the Rod Stewart connection / controversy…bit of a stretch methinks…Wish I hadn’t read the Wiki summary while listening to see if I would have picked up on my own. Still, Play that funky music Brazilian Garoto!

Love this. Would listen to it again and again

Not really my thing

The last song is really good. I did also like finding out about the Rod Stewart plagarism. It's not my genre, did still like the listen though. Will I listen to again: 5%

This album was super groovy, I thought it was fantastic.

nije bilo pola pjesama dostupno na spotifyju, ali ovo kaj je bilo je bilo okej

I really enjoyed this and definitely have to revisit it sometime. I didn’t really have favorite songs but I think they would stand out more if I re-listened to it.

Interesting

Well…thank you for this one! Would never have played anything like this before, and I’m glad I did!

Brought the funky samba into my life that I never knew I needed

Very catchy

I’m afraid this was just too Brazilian for me. While I can appreciate the genre, I just couldn’t enjoy the music all that much.

Interesting album that I can see inspired many albums I enjoy today. I could listen to this in background and really enjoy it.

Some nice songs

This is a great album for driving along the Mass Turnpike in the rain. Mellow but not sleepy. Turned into a surprised conversation about musical plagiarism once Taj Mahal came on.

Brazilian music makes me so proud of my country. Jorge Ben is a master and it shows. This album is more of a 4.5 for me, but that it’s only because I know his true masterpiece is A Tábua da Esmeralda. Also, it’s pretty fun seeing many other reviewers finding out that Rod Stewart “borrowed” way too much from Taj Mahal.

Interesting album. Since my Portuguese isn’t that great, I obviously can’t say much about the lyrics. I did enjoy it though, and could see listening to it again or possibly more of his stuff.

This is exactly the kind of thing I signed up for. I didn't really like it that much, but in a sea of country and Brit pop, this is a welcome break.

Ok not really into this

Actually kind of enjoyed this album. The first random "world music" album on this list that I've liked. The music is pretty catchy. 6/10 (3/5)

I listened to it three times out of excitement for how good it is, but I might have worn myself down too quickly. Still good, though!

Echt tolle Musik. Das Album hat mir sehr gefallen und ist eine schöne Entdeckung.

Very fun and funky. Favourites: ponta de lanca africano, o filosofo. Thank you to Jorge for joining the noble fight against british rock (prayer hands emoji), I appreciate the rare non western addition to the list. 4/5

Very enjoyable album, perhaps the vibiest one yet. I liked almost every second of it, even though this isn't the type of music I would usually listen to. Especially a nice change from the last few British albums + Antichrist Superstar, just something very nice on the ears. Frankly I don't understand why the album is on the list, but that doesn't really change my rating (and I don't think it should lol). 4/5, but on the low end—the rating this time is based almost fully off enjoyment rather than any deeper analysis of just about anything. No favourites, the whole album kind of blends together but in a good way.

Bro COOKED with this. I feel so happy and content while listening, I just love getting into completely new genres of music that I would've never listened to before. Instrumentals were banging too. Favourites were basically the whole album, but especially Xica Da Silva. Easily at least a 4

Energetic. Amazing. Will listen to his entire discography.

Great background vibe. Very 70's party

Expected to not like this album, surprised me with its nice upbeat tempo.

Could not help but tap my toe and dance along to this whole album. A funky mix of disco meets Latin music. I loved it.

Vibes

Not interested but listened anyway. Much better than expected.

Any album that the flow for da ya think I’m sexy? Was stolen from is good enough for me.

I liked this! I liked the sound effects in the background (not sure how to describe them), although they did feel a little repetitive after a few songs. This was pleasantly fun and funky. I would listen to this again.

Couldn't understand a word of this but I really really enjoyed it. Very upbeat funky samba thing

6.5/10

This was really good.

I liked it…reminded me of the first time I heard King Sonny; no idea what they’re saying, but the music is infectious…

I love this album. It's a delight!

The 2nd best Brazilian album I’ve listened to this week. Nice happy vibe but I’m not loving his vocal. A low 2.

Now this is fucking great! The album title sums it up really well. It reminds me of 1993 when World Music was all the thing. Thus has pit a big smile on my face and nothing to do with watching the wife grooving along to it. I think I need to move to Brazil. However I'm scared of all the guns and drugs out there. A well deserved 4

It’s like spending a sunny sunday by the beach at Rio de Janeiro seeing people bathing, playing beach socced and listening to music. This album has musics which are played even today at brazilian parties. A perfect match among samba, rhythm and swing.

The cuíca isn't as grating as the electric jug but it's pretty damn close.

It's kind of fun to listen to something so different. It's fun and bouncy, but it does start to get a little repetitive, especially as I don't understand Portuguese.

Love the style. I could have done without the shouty parts, but it wasn't a lot, so it's alright

Un álbum entretenido de oír. Está lleno de vida, tiene un funky increíble y cargado de muy buena vibra. También las letras de las canciones son buenas, algunas divertidas y otras basadas en hechos reales. Con este álbum puedes viajar a Brasil desde el sofá de tu casa. Muy buen álbum. Al terminar de oírlos quedas contagiado de buena vibra.

Interesting blend of funk and island style music.

Funky but all the memorable.

Samba funk. No está mal, pero no me gusta este estilo de música.

quite cool - almost reggae style

1001 albums day one i’m not one to listen to a lot of music outside of spanish and english so i was pretty interested in how i was gonna feel about this one. for this review i’ll be doing a track by track review, ending with my overall thoughts on the project. track one: ponta de lança africano any doubts that i had about the project were immediately erased with this opener. instantly did it have my attention, i was hooked. i am a big fan of just about everything this song has to offer, and i love the background vocals that accompany it. after hearing this track, i have very high expectations for the rest of the album. 8.5/10 track two: hermes trismegisto escreveu this one definitely didn’t hook me immediately as much as the opener, but i suppose that should be expected from the second track. i enjoyed the spoken word during the first moments of the track, but i definitely didn’t love it. however, as the track progresses it reveals itself as pure funk with almost a little reminiscence of pink floyd. i definitely didn’t love this one as much as the opener track, but as it grew i definitely l liked more and more. 8/10 track three: o filósofo this track had me a little worried for the rest of the album. there is a woodwind(?) or some kind of instrument playing repeated notes throughout the entire song and it gets annoying pretty fast. i also really do not like the singing on the song, like at all. it feels very sluggish, and not in a way that previous singers have been able to pull it off. just sluggish. hopefully this is just a small detour and the album continues on the road the first two tracks were traveling upon. 5.5/10 track four: meus filhos, meu tesouro this song immediately picked things up for me. the singing was already so much more favorable to me, and the intro had me waiting to see what was going to happen next. what happened next did not disappoint. once the drums kick in, this song just keeps going and going and never stops. they bring that woodwind noise back in from the 3rd track, but unlike last time it’s not as repetitive and feels like it contributes a lot to the mix. definitely my favorite track so far, i really love it. 9/10 track five: o plebeu while this song is a lot less impressive than the others i’ve praised, i don’t necessarily think that’s a bad think. this track coming after the fourth works really well as it adds a playful vibe to the album after the more “dire” tone that took place in the fourth. i really like the synths on this song, and while i’m not usually a fan of la la las i like how they work on this song. the song is playful, and that’s really it. it’s not trying to be anything bigger than that, and i think that’s fine for where it is on the album. 8/10 track six: taj mahal keeping a similar feel to the fourth track, taj mahal makes me feel even better about track five. i think that the playful tone provided from the previous track was crucial to this song working. even if this song feels very similar to the fourth, i can still appreciate it equally because of the small break the song before gave me. that being said, this track still holds up really well, i just wish that flute solo at the end was drawn out long than 5 seconds. 8.5 track seven: xica da silva i really like how this track starts out. they take no time getting the song started, and i love that. at first, i thought i would find the metronome annoying but after a while it just kinda blended with everything else in this mix. this song was the first since the opener track to remind me how great the backing vocals are on this album, especially with how much they stand out on this song. overall, the song carries a great vibe and really doesn’t have any negatives. it’s just a genuinely good song. 8.5/10 track eight: a história de jorge the title alone had me pretty interested in this track, i’m happy that i wasn’t disappointed. the song takes home to one of the best vocal performances on this album as well as some great synth worked accompanied by saxaphone. the outro is also really catchy. this song is just a straight banger. 8.5/10 track nine: camisa 10 da gávea while this is one of the slower tracks on the album, i still enjoyed it a lot. that being said i don’t really much to say about it. it doesn’t really offer anything new to the album and just feels like a bit of a drag. 7/10 track ten: cavaleiro do cavalo imaculado i was beginning to reach a point in this album where i couldn’t really appreciate much of what was happening anymore. however, track ten really turned that around for me and had me genuinely enjoying a song throughout it’s entire length. this song features some really cool high speed percussive elements that are hard to not find cool. 8/10 track eleven: africa brasil (zumbi) the title track. if i’m being honest, i’m not sure what i was expecting when i first went into this track. the album isn’t very ambitious throughout it’s entirety (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but i love big grand outros so i wasn’t sure if i was going to get that). yet this outro really blew me away. the intro of the song features a piano intro followed by an instantly intriguing instrumental to accompany the lead singers AMAZING performance. the vocals on this last song are really what make it, but the instrumental is just that cherry on top. i think this song was the perfect way to close out this album. 9.5/10 i’m happy to say this album did not disappoint. while it had it’s lows, it introduced me into a new genre of music that i’ve never really dove into and can now appreciate. the highs were also, very very high, when they did happen. favorite tracks: ponta de lança africano / meus filhos, meu tesouro / africa brasil (zumbi) least favorite track: o filósofo OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

Muito bom em. Hitmaker de primeira

muito divertido

Interesting but gets old fast.

Thoroughly enjoyable. Added.

Banger after banger this is going into the rotation

Not for me but we got it done 💪

I like the instrument that sounds like someone is washing the window

Ik vind dit erg leuk! Soort Braziliaanse masayoshi takanaka

Unexpectedly really enjoyed this, and I was surprised when I heard 'Da ya think i'm sexy'.

Good fun. Would have loved to have understood the lyrics.

Thought this was great

Amazing

Danced for the entire album! Still dancing after listening to it again... It brings me good vibes and mood that's a full 5/5

I mean yeh, whatever. Very good if you’re in to this sort of thing, certainly accomplished. I’ve yet to hear a 70s album where the songs aren’t too long. I saw someone say it’s a good dinner party album - bang on. Great background music.

Very different from what I usually listen to, loved the variety of instruments. The first song was a banger which I actually knew because its about a soccer player. The rest of the songs didn't interest me, not big into samba or how much he "talk-sings". Taj Mahal was really weird - wish I knew what he was singing about.

Woo a non-English language album! Really liked the blend of genres.

Short and fun

Fun but not really for me. All kind of blended together

Instrumentals were great! A fun listen of a genre I don’t often listen to

cool foreign sounds to mix things up from western music, but probably mostly a novelty for me

Vibey. Thanks it’s been like a million stinkers in a row…

I had fun with this, there's a couple really great tracks.

Dope.

rhythm is insane smooth

Couple good songs

Now, THIS is why I’m doing the challenge! So, so good from 5 seconds into the first cut. So diverse and lush with the arrangements and genre touches. I have no idea what the subject matter is covering throughout since I don’t speak Spanish but he could be singing about killing puppies and I’d still play it, the music is so good.

New to me. The instrumentation was good but the vocals were annoying at times. I'm not mad at it, but I wont go out of my way to listen.

This is a very fun album. Great energy and instrumentation

1.5/5⭐️ Best song: O Plebeu Worst song: Xica Da Silva Comments: Really not my cup of tea, there were a couple good parts here and there but the songs just weren’t something I would listen to again unfortunately

So sad this was not on Apple Music, this is my favorite new album yet! So fun, really songs you can shake you ass too 😂

Pretty chill

Never heard this before but really enjoyed it. Super keen on listening to more of it

Fun album but I didn’t understand a word of it

I have no idea what they are saying but I like the way they say it

It’s ok.

Interesting and nice. Never heard before. they did a good job of putting foreign language albums on here.

Meh

Different than I’m used to. Not that it’s bad just not for me

Very interesting. Seemed to move into and out of different genres. I thought I heard “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” and Rod Stewart actually did plagiarize it (“Taj Mahal”).

Favourite song - Taj Mahal

So much energy, love the way this music sounds

Os gringos que não gostaram desse aqui não sabem o que estão perdendo! Ótimo álbum do Jorge Ben Jor, com elementos afro-brasileiros e afro-estadunidenses.

Love the groove of this album

Solid AfroBrasilBeatRock. Enjoyed it, would listen again. There’s not much more to say.

This was pretty good. Not someone I'm familiar with, though I did recognize the opening track from the Soulfly cover of it. But there's some pretty good tracks on here, I enjoyed the playthrough quite a bit.

Fun album. It's not a genre I really know at all, but I enjoyed it. I'm gonna say 3/5 though because I know I won't be coming back to it.

That’s the stuff. B+

Not my style, I can't relax when listening to this.

This is a bop.

This is why I listen everyday. Never heard of this album and I love it.

It didn’t feel like I was at the Taj Mahal, but it did feel like I was in Brasil.

During the first tracks of the album, I thought it could be quite interesting. Around the middle, I wasn't interested anymore.

usually not my style but this was pretty funky!

I was scared to listen to this album, because the guy on the cover is spooky as shit. Turns out the music is fine except for that one toot toot instrument that annoys the fuck out of me. It's completely personal.

Quite a cornucopia of styles. Good if you like African music.

Not my genre. Some songs are good, probably... but the arrangements are not for me. Taj Mahal could definitely become a decent song if it was rock band playing it as a slow ballad.

Really hard album to track down. I ended up accidentally listening to a song, "Magnolia" off of another album and loved it. The songs are carefree, and Jorge's voice is quite soothing.

This turned out to be a really good album. I'm glad to have discovered it!

Groovy

África Brasil Never heard of this or him. Wasn’t sure what I was expecting but I thought it might be some Afro-Brazilian jazz thing. I purposefully didn’t read anything about it before listening, so with some trepidation/fear/excitement/anticipation I put it on, and was very happily surprised to hear the first track is a kind of funky Afrobeat groove. I love the layers of percussion propelling the rhythm, augmented by the bass and guitar riff. No idea what he’s saying but I do like the sound of Brazilian Portuguese with all the shhs and jsss. Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu has an even more funk powered groove but with a more overtly samba/bossa nova vocal melody. This is good! Taj Mahal - Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?!?! I sort remember hearing about this, that Rod nicked that melody from here, and also the string line from another song, but claimed you were allowed to do that, or something. Can definitely hear elements of Barry Manilow and Copacabana in A História de Jorge too. Really liked Camisa 10 da Gávea, I guess that’s about the Brazil no 10 shirt? The one after, Cavaleiro Do Cavalo Imaculado is a superb groove. I was listening on my headphones while doing some housework and it made me dance around. I wouldn’t have looked out of place at the Carnival in Rio. I was already wearing the headdress and thong which helped though. Super. I don’t want to know what he’s actually singing, I just like the sound and trying to guess what it’s all about. What’s with the Cuckoo Clock sound on some of the tracks? I throughly enjoyed this! Without this 1001 album thing I doubt I would ever have heard of it let alone have listened to it, so I’m very glad I did. It was even better on the 2nd listen. The groves are excellent, and the Brazilian element takes it in a slightly different direction that is pretty novel to me. By the 3rd listen it lands comfortably in the 4 zone. It’s got great tunes, grooves and rhythm and it’s incredibly fun and joyful. A foot tappin’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a disclaimer, I have virtually no knowledge of Brazilian Portuguese. If I did, the lyrics of Ben Jor's songs might have more impact. That said, this LP is so funky that even without an understanding of the vocal contextuality I can certainly appreciate it. For 1976 this record is every bit as funky as James Brown or Bootsy Collins. Traditional Brazilian sounds combine with electric guitar and wah-wah to create grooves that are impossible to resist. Even Rod Stewart had to rip this record off. Top marks.

It's good for what it is. I don't listen to this type of music.

Tengo como materia pendiente escuchar más de Brasil. Es un semillero de artistas sumamente diversos. Y éste tipo va en esa línea. Lo desconocía por completo pero lo que es innegable es que ya desde la primera canción hay algo. Un groove tremendo. Es un disco bailable. Lo imagino para una reunión con amigos, bailando mientras se cocina, bailando después de comer. Lo obvio es caer en la imagen diurna de playa pero también lo siento nocturno. Un muy buen trabajo.

Xica Da Silva

Liked! Island music!

I really liked this one! had a great energy to it that I dug much more than I expected. great stuff.

Harder to rate because of the language barrier. A bit reminiscent of some late 60s/early 70s stuff, but more "conventionally" structured and more "ethnic" instrumentation. Favourite Songs: "Xica Da Silva", "Africa Brasil (Zumbi)" Notes: - "Ponta De Lanca Africano" groovy spy-esque Bass Riff - "O Filosofo" interresting "wonky" soundscape with "beach feel" (somehow vibes like "Sympathy for the Devil") - phaser/flanger usually on clean guitar - "Xica Da Silva" somehow stands out a bit - "Cavaleiro Do Cavalo Imaculado" also a bit standout energy - "Africa Brasil (Zumbi)" little harsher vocals/bass, "bass synth lead" and flute accents join instrumentation

Reminded me of Lee Scratch Perry. But not as good.

Good vibes

upbeat fun and bouncy

better than expected, fuck oasis

- Not my thing at all but it is insanely groovy and fun

- funky