the pattern emerges.

jumping across the pacific for this brazilian loveliness from 1970.

Rufous-bellied lovethrushes

I got a hold on this one for a while but hadn't ripped because I intended to strip off the interviews -- the album belongs to the same collection as this one --, in respect to all non-Portuguese speakers. I even started to crop the tracks until realise it would destroy the purpose and charm of it. What I forgot to tell in the aforementioned Dominguinhos' post is that this collection is from an excellent TV music program on which the artists were recorded and interviewed inside an empty studio. It's kinda odd since you can't actually hear nor see the interviewer. It feels like a late chat on a porch, with a warm spirit to be sipped along (thinking of cachaça, of course).

Cascatinha & Inhana belong to a true Brazilian tradition that is Sertanejo music, which borrows from many Brazilian styles, like baião, forró, as well as Latin American ones, such as bolero and, particularly in this case, the Paraguayan Guarania. The duo practically introduced the Guarania into the genre, making it one of its most distinctive characteristics. It worth mentioning the couple (married 'til the end) sung in impossibly perfect harmony, often regarded as the most beautiful voices in Brazilian popular music. Not that many folks actually remember them nowadays, tho.


pw: spooked

Let my people stay

Hey fellas. Before start ripping my vinyl -- been trying to figure out how isolate my set from radio interference, it's driving me nuts --, I'll share some CD rips I've found scattered around my HDD and the webverse.

Ripped by my yoga instructor's request (lol), this album is a collection of songs passed on and sung by members of the Guarani people, probably the largest indigenous group in Brazil (also extending to other countries). While I'm not exactly up to date with USA's politics on native people, I can guarantee Brazil's probably way worse. Recent examples are the construction of a giant hydro plant complex inside an Indian reserve and the perpetual slaughter of indigenous leaders by big farmers and such. Depressing shit, really.

Well, about the album, is entirely sung by the Guarani (it's also the language's name) children of many different tribes; kinda akin to the Wulu Bunun record I've posted some time ago, though as not as sophisticated in production. Very nice tunes with minimum instrumentation, and another important glimpse of an endangered culture.


pw: spooked


ps.: this is the 1st CD. If anyone wants part 2, just message me. Or better yet, get it at iTunes

we would be building.

in the spirit of cleaning out, here is one of my favorites. not sure where i got this from, maybe bruno? anywho, great summery breezy hanging out on the beach drinking an ultimate hurricane & flying through the clouds vibes abound on this gem. perfect nostrum to this miserable gray weather we're having today in seattle.

plain as yr eyes can see.

decided to post this as a response to my comrade's posting of that prefuse 73 jam. i know this is a classique amongst the wastelands, but as flash recently said, blogs are dying left & right & things which could be found easily are becoming harder to find. so why not post this right? rita lee did this as a side project from os mutantes ... imagine of mutantes were a glam band. pretty good.

Stream of unconsciouness

 

I'm not a big Prefuse fan, but from time to time I'd play this when working, driving or too lazy to playlist, such awesome the mixtape is. One of these days, I was at work when, trying to find it in Grooveshark with no success, I noticed how overlooked it was (it was a limited, promo release as well). As the man himself put it, it's "a small sample of what I go home and listen to. More than a traditional mixtape, I preferred to let the introspective side in and share the sounds that I play when I’m cooking dinner, just thinking, or not sitting behind an MPC and various instruments for 12 hours!". Objectively, it's a careful selection of Latin American, Brazilian apocryphal and evangelical gems intertwined with some of his own samples, as I've discovered a couple of awesome things and could easily recognize others. About the ones I couldn't recognize, Prefuse himself stated that he wouldn't release any info on the tracks. Maybe for the best, tho.

pw: spooked

ps. edit:typo;sry

viva brasil pt. 2

another slice of brasilian summer psych.

viva brasil!

a classique of summery psyche rock.

One for jefe, another for everyone else

 

 I'll c-c-combo break the homages jefe have been handling to everyone here to grant his well-deserved own.

Hermeto "the Sorcerer" Pascoal is as awesome and old as dinossaurs. He recorded / participated in dozen of releases, between solos, collaborations and one-time projects, such as the ones above. Quarteto Novo was formed as a touring band for a popular singer, Geraldo Vandré. When the tour was finishied, they decided to record an album together -- which I previously shared in the lodge. As the drummer was an acquaintance of Hermeto, he invited him to join the sessions, and almost didn't make in because of his "awkward looks" -- Hermeto has albinism -- according to some manager. Fortunately, he eventually joined in only to record one of the most quintessential Brazilian instrumental albums.

A couple of years later, he would also be invited to join Brazilian Octopus, a supergroup assembled to perform the soundtrack for an ambitious institutional event. Yet another quintessential record, although with a whole different concept. It's hard indeed to believe these two records are only two years apart from each other. I bet my socks you're really gonna dig this one, buddy (email arriving soon).

pw: spooked

Also sprach JT Meireles

What up honorable dudes? I'm in a double embarrassment here. First, I wish I could provide you with a better quality rip, as I own the vinyl (ripping equipment is way too expensive here); second, I don't know why the hell I didn't post this sooner.

The mid-60's in Brazil, pretty much like USA, were deeply into funk. Sergio Mendes and Jorge Ben were the most proeminent acts to find the perfect balance between funk and samba, while bands like Brazilian Octopus were taking it to another level. For me and many others, I figure, it was the Golden Age of Brazilian instrumental music as a whole. Besides the aforementioned bands, we had fantastic trios, like Zimbo, Tamba, Sambalanço, Milton Banana, etc.

JT Meireles' most famous work was probably the arrangement for Jorge Ben's "Mas que nada" (which is a big deal), but he has an extensive and solid discography, on which even I couldn't get a decent overview. This record, one of the last of this era, however, should motivate you to pursue it as well.

pw: spooked

Like Rio de Janeiro in winter

 
This is a quick post, as I finish the preparations for my first trip to Rio de Janeiro. A tad late, I know -- I'm almost 30 --, but I shouldn't bore you with the reasons. I'm quite sure it's a beautiful city, though I'll probably won't enjoy the beaches as much as I imagine, since it's winter down here (hence the album and title choice for today).

Telebossa is a fairly new Brazilian-German duo which amalgamates samba, bossa-nova, classical and electronic music with keen sensibility and a good dose of melancholy. While this kind of experimentation itself isn't quite novel, this is one of the only albums I really recommend. In fact, I can't recommend it enough.

(please support, if you like it)

pw: spooked

The scoutmaster of awesome music

Since my last post was about Dominguinhos, I thought it would be nice posting something of mr. Baden Powell de Aquino too (in august 6th it'd be his birthday). If there's something in my life I deeply regret is missing the opportunity of seeing him playing in my town, as he would eventually become one of my top artists of all time.

Despite being usually associated with bossa nova -- quite demeaning, IMO -- , he was proficient in countless styles, with a rare combination of compositional and technical prowess. This record, his first album I've heard, gives a glimpse of that -- you'll know when you hear his rendition of Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and Consolação's utter madness.

The tracklist is close to perfection, which makes me consider this one of the best live albums ever recorded.

pw: spooked

Little sundays that will be missed

 A friend recently told me that Baião, with its characteristic upbeat, accordion-driven rhythm, is arguably the most Brazilian of all musical styles -- Bossa Nova had Classical music and Jazz infused in its Samba, which in its part was largely derived from African rhythms, and so on. I've had never thought of it, but didn't even bother to do a research. In fact, like in many folk traditions, one of the most definite (and unfortunate) indication of its "purity" must be the lack of a suitable liege to represent its legacy. And that's exactly what happened a couple of weeks ago: we lost the great Dominguinhos (Wikipedia translates literally to "Little Dominic", but I find"Little Sundays" to be more colorful), pupil and protegé of the one appropriately regarded as "The King of Baião", Luiz Gonzaga.

Unfortunately indeed, unlike his master, Dominguinhos never clearly passed the crown to any of his pupils, probably because he just couldn't find one that deserved it. Or perhaps his and Gonzaga's mission, to make Baião known around the world, was already accomplished. Nonetheless, it's not like we won't miss him, eh?

About the album, I've gladly discovered it while writing this post. It's from a popular live TV show -- there are short interviews between songs --, with Dominguinhos on the accordion, one playing the triangle and another on the zabumba drum. Raw and heartwarming, just like you'll still hear in the remotest desert-like corners of the Brazilian northeast.

pw: spooked

ps. this song he co-wrote with Gilberto Gil is one of the most beautiful Brazilian songs I know. It's a shame there isn't a remotely proper way to translate it.

Home is the farthest place from home

Choosing the first post was though, but I thought it would be nice to honour my Braziland -- nothing to do with football, I swear. Y'all probably have read something about the protests bursting around here, after a long democratic slumber. Without getting too much in-depth, the greatest victory was, indeed, actually going out to the streets and claiming the right to do so. It wasn't always like this until recently, tough.

Fernando Falcão was an active voice against the military regime, which lasted from 1964 to 1985. And like many of other libertarian artists, like Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, he was forced to seek exile in another country. He chose France, where he eventually met his wife and made a life for himself. It was also the place where he recorded Memória das Águas (Water Recollections) along with dozens of excellent musicians (ryan and fellow Blacklodgers will probably recognize Raymond Guiot from Jazz Baroque Quintet). An absolute masterpiece on percussion and mood building.

The urge to write a long(er) essay about the album -- and how unfair history has treated it -- is almost unbearable. Just hear it for yourselves, guys.


oh, I've added a password in the mediafire link: spooked. Won't hurt being extra careful these days eh

i used to be a king.

two cats from brazil go to record an epic psych masterpiece in mali with toumani diabaté & his son just fucking melting faces with electric koras run through wah pedals. just get this, you won't be disappointed.

ps reupped the yma. & will be going on a three day trip with no technology starting tomorrow, so catch you on the flip amigos.

hi hi hi hi hi hi hi hi.

it's been a while.

keeping this short because i'm seeing r. stevie moore in a couple of hours, so gotta jet. have fun listening to this. we jammed to it a lot last summer when we went to the beach. if you've never heard this genius, then yr downloading.

church of all images.

The first release in a definitive series collecting psychedelic '70s music from Pernambuco, Brazil. Includes 19 tracks of humid Psyche Rock grooves from the Brazilian underground* "Fabricas de Discos Rozenblit was founded by José Rozenblit in 1954 in Pernambuco (northeast Brazil). Im addition to a record label the operation boasted the first ever vinyl-pressing plant in the state, a super-modern factory and a studio capable of recording a full symphonic orchestra. Location away from the expense of Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro gave them financial independence and the space to develop a truly unique voice in Brazilian music. Jose and his brothers invested substantial resources into local music styles sich as Ciranda, Maracutu, Carimbo and Frevo. Between the mid-fifties and mid-sixties the label released music by artists including Jorge ben, Claudette Soares, Os Megatons, The Gentlemen, Flaviola, Waltel Branco, Trio 3D, Dom Salvador, Lula Cortes, Zé Ramalho, Elis Regina, Tom Zé, Os Versateis and Os Baobas. - boomkat

another essential summer time psych rock record to fight those heatwavve blues.

samba sundays.

not too much information floating around the barrens about this gem. bought this a week or two ago while enjoying the little bit of sun we sometimes get, & the cover really intrigued me. this is perfect for sunshine & warmth. you can hear the dirt & grit in these cat's voices. samba is a genre that i'm familiar with, but not enough to gush about who is playing on this album or to even really know who to compare this to. i just dig the hell out of it, & i think y'all will too. also, on a completely unrelated note, has anyone noticed that more & more mediafire accounts are being suspended or purged? it's a real troubling time we live in friends. does anyone know of safer clouds to hang yr hat from? i notice a lot of euros use rapidgator... is that legit? a conversation about this should be had by everyone as i feel it's in the best interest of our community. don't let the inquisition torch yr library without a fight.