Brazil is a country with two distinct musical sides. First, there’s the elegantly sensual Brazil of samba and Getz/Gilberto. As easy to love as this is, the lazy-day saxophone and breathy vocals of “The Girl From Ipanema” are practically a cliche of an early 1960s space-age bachelor pad; as great as the performance is, you still I can’t help thinking about wood paneling and cocktails from the living room wet bar. My friend Marc Time profiled Astrud Gilberto earlier this year and I will defer to his expertise in this matter.
Neverthless, the artists that have taken up this cause are still among Brazil’s most popular mainstream musicians. One that I’ve glommed on to recently is Marisa Monte. She’s has very few releases in the US, but is undoubtedly one of the country’s top sellers. With a subtle and deceptively straightforward delivery, Monte’s sudden flurries of expressiveness and her tasteful self-production make for some very tasty listening.
After being one of the country’s biggest acts since the early ’90s, Monte went into semi-retirement for the last five years and has now blasted out with two (count ‘em: two!) excellent new albums. The first track below is from the more accessible and fun album, Universo Ao Meu Redor, which counts David Byrne among its guest stars. Infinito Particular is a more quiet and emotive affair, seemingly dedicated to songs about motherhood, the underlying reason behind her recent creative dormancy. I guess this makes her the John Lennon of Brazil.
Marisa Monte – O Bonde Do Dom.mp3
Marisa Monte – Vilarejo.mp3
Several Marisa Monte videos here
…and then there is the funky, dirty, party Brazil. Or a bunch of guys yelling about sex (or sounding like they are) over stripped-down beats and simple sample. Diplo has been the biggest proponent of Favela Booty Beats, pushing out three mixes since 2004. (Yes, two years ago is eons in music blogosphere time. Remember Arular?) When most casual football watchers hear that the Brazilian team “dances” as they play, they’re probably thinking of music like Marisa Monte or Joao Gilberto. The nasty dirty secret of the squad, though, is that this is more like what they have on their mind.
MC Jack E Chocolate – Pavaroty.mp3 — yes, the great Pavarotti!
If you like this, Cokemachineglow hosts Diplo’s original Brazil Booty Beats mix, Favela On Blast. My friend Peter, an accomplished composer who uses notes and time signatures and fancy stuff like that, found himself totally paralyzed by his brush with Favela On Blast. “It’s like a car crash and I can’t turn away.” Yes, but can you dance to a car crash?
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