RhoDeo 1709 Roots

Hello, it's carnaval time and in Brazil that means ....Sambas


The music of Brazil encompasses various regional music styles influenced by African, European and Amerindian forms. After 500 years of history, Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as samba, bossa nova, MPB, sertanejo, pagode, tropicalia, choro, maracatu, embolada (coco de repente), mangue bit, funk carioca (in Brazil simply known as Funk), frevo, forró, axé, brega, lambada, and Brazilian versions of foreign musical genres, such as Brazilian rock and rap.


Today's music is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival. Considered one of the most popular Brazilian cultural expressions, samba has become an icon of Brazilian national identity. The Bahian Samba de Roda (dance circle), which became a UNESCO Heritage of Humanity in 2005, is the main root of the samba carioca, the samba that is played and danced in Rio de Janeiro. The modern samba that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century is predominantly in a 2/4 tempo varied with the conscious use of a sung chorus to a batucada rhythm, with various stanzas of declaratory verses. Traditionally, the samba is played by strings (cavaquinho and various types of guitar) and various percussion instruments such as tamborim. Influenced by American orchestras in vogue since the Second World War and the cultural impact of US music post-war, samba began to use trombones, trumpets, choros, flutes, and clarinets ...  N'Joy

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Black Rio is a weirdly compelling compilation that unearths a scene and phenomenon so far underground that only Brazilian music historians knew it existed until now. The excellent liner notes are fascinating in explaining the historical formation of the movement, the vital role of sound system dances playing artists like James Brown, and how it all fit in the social/political/cultural context of Brazil's military dictatorship during the 1970s. What's more open to debate is the quality of the music. Black Rio certainly confounds chronology by opening with "Melô Da Tagarela" (aka "Rappers Delight") done as an instrumental -- which means horn solos over the bassline created by Chic's Bernard Edwards that's the most archetypal one since the '60s Motown and Stax classics. Several tracks sound like early '70s soul-funk with nothing that stamps them as Brazilian -- the horn riffs and lead bass riff on União Black's title track sound a bit like early Kool & the Gang, and Gershon King's "Uma Chance" has a certain Jimmy Castor appeal. Jorge Ben's "Comanche" has the first real Brazilian feel, but then it's also the first piece with a song feel rather than just riff and groove, soul-style. Banda Black Rio's "Gafieira Universal" is a Brazilian-flavored instrumental with choppy polyrhythms and horns leading the way, while Orlandivo goes the mellow MPB route on "Onde Anda O Meu Amor" with vocals, flutes, and mellow electric piano chords. Trio Mocotó's "Nagô" rocks out pretty well once the organ solo takes over from an Afro-chant and strum/scratch rhythm guitar, while Antonio Carlos e Jocafi's "Kabaluere" kicks it behind a rowdy lead guitar and nice rising chant hook. And the only thing wrong with instrumentals like Eklipse Soul's "Psicose" or Dom Salvador e Abolição's "Som, Sangue e Raça" is that the riffs and grooves are strong enough to keep going longer. Black Rio is certainly an interesting volume -- it's good that it exists, even if the track info is buried in fine print at the end of the booklet and individual musician credits are missing in action. But it's certainly more for Brazilian music fanatics or searchers for offbeat soul-funk sounds -- the singer on Manito's "Na Baixa da Sapateiro" struggling with "I miss my love" in English is pretty funny in a good sort of way. For casual fans, there isn't any must-have landmark of Brazilian music or even songs that stick -- it's mostly an hour's worth of Brazilians playing in their funky soul garages decades ago.

VA - Black Rio (Brazil Soul Power 71-80) (flac 352mb)

01 Gang Do Tagarela - Melô Da Tagarela (Rapper's Delight) 4:10
02 Copa 7 - Copa 7 No Samba 2:53
03 Grupo Arembepe - Iaiá 3:04
04 Uniao Black - Black Rio 2:46
05 Miguel de Deus - Cinco Anos 4:56
06 Jorge Ben - Comanche 2:58
07 Trio Mocotó - Nagô 3:40
08 Banda Black Rio - Gafiera Universal 3:06
09 Toni Tornado - Podes Crer, Amizade 2:30
10 Eklipse Soul - Psicose 2:11
11 Manito - Na Baixa Da Sapateiro 3:28
12 Orlandivo - Onde Anda O Meu Amor 3:46
13 Dom Salvador e Aboliçao - Som, Sangue E Raça 2:46
14 Antonio Carlos E Jocafi - Kabaluere 2:22
15 Orquestra E Coro - Kriola 2:27
16 Gerson King Combo - Uma Chance 5:25

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The funk and soul scene in Brazil in the late 1960s, '70s, and early '80s fed off of a hybrid mix of Afro, Latin, and American influences, and while the result was a dance music that was relentless and infectious, it somehow added up to less than it should or might have been, maybe because the scene lacked a defining artist, a Bob Marley, a Fela Kuti, or a James Brown, to provide a template, a direction, and an iconic face to the whole thing. Put together by DJ Cliffy, the man behind "Batmacumba," the longest running Brazilian club night in London, this set is the second volume of "samba soul" from Strut Records (the first volume was released in 2002). It's a fun compilation, full of bright grooves and irresistible energy, but yet nothing really leaps out here, and listening to this anthology is a bit like dancing all night in a club and then not remembering a single song or melody the next morning. Not that there aren't cool tracks here -- sides like Super Sam Lord's horn-drenched "BR Samba" hit hard with a samba-on-steroids force, and Emilio Santiago's "Bananeira" has a groove and flow so natural and easy one could just float away on it. But no international hits came out of the Brazilian soul scene because there just wasn't that big, defining record that put all of it on the map.

VA - Black Rio 2 (Brazil Soul Power 1968-1981) (flac  314mb)

01 Zeca Do Trombone & Roberto Sax - Coluna Do Meio 2:58
02 Renata Lú - Faz Tanto Tempo 2:25
03 Guimaes E O Grupo Som Sagrado - Som Sagrado 3:25
04 Pete Dunaway - Supermarket 4:55
05 Watusi - Oio Gere 1:56
06 Os Diagonais - Não Vou Chorar 2:36
07 Som Nosso - Pra Swingar 2:32
08 Rubinho E Mauro Assumpçao - Ta Tudo Ai 2:32
09 Super Som Lord  BR Samba 2:53
10 Azambuja & CIA - Tema Do Azambuja 4:26
11 Avan Samba - Ibere 4:07
12 Cry Babies - It's My Thing 2:34
13 Balança Povo - Novo Dia 2:37
14 Edson Frederico E A Transa - Bobeiro 3:15
15 Emilio Santiago - Bananeira 3:03
16 Bebeto - Princesa Negra De Angola 3:43
17 Marilene - Sinal Vermelho 2:19
18 Sonia Santos - Poema Ritmico Do Malandro 2:55


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The samba schools provide the soundtrack for Rio's annual carnival. But samba, as this excellent compilation shows, comes in so many different shades. There's the sweet, swinging gentility of Luisa Maita; the rock-samba of Mané Sagaz (a combination that works better than it might seem); the electronica of Loop B, who takes the music to places never originally imagined, making noise part of the fabric; and the rampant, proud traditionalism of Samba Chula de São Braz, who hark back to the early days of samba. And in between there's everything else, with a fair selection on display here. As a primer it's pretty much essential, with superb sleeve notes, putting the music, and the musicians, in context.

VA - The Rough Guide To Samba   (flac  409mb)

01 Alcione - Duas FAces 5:13
02 Partideiros Do Cacique - Meu Bloco 3:06
03 Velha Guarda Da Portela Feat. Marisa Monte - Volta Meu Amor 4:22
04 Rogê - A Nega E O Malandro 4:47
05 Teresa Cristina - Coisas Banais 3:40
06 Samba Urbano - Deixa 2:05
07 Moyseis Marques - Samba, Ciência Da Graça 3:14
08 Samba Um - Malandro Dpdp 4:21
09 Luísa Maita - Lero-Lero 4:43
10 Odilara - Já É 3:41
11 Mart'nália - Cabide 2:17
12 Márcio Local - Soul Do Samba 3:16
13 Loop B - Drill Samba/Samba Da Furadeira 2:31
14 Mané Sagaz - Um Samba Que Não Sai 4:15
15 Samba Chula De São Braz - Samba, Cachaça E Viola 9:18

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This exclusive release introduces listeners to the work of a sensational sambista who is hot on the Brazilian scene right now.
Introducing Ruivão is a great samba album brought to you direct from Brazil, by an artist who has been immersed deep in the scene since the tender age of just 8 years old. Ruivão’s music is smooth like the best Brazilian lounge, but with a sharp percussive edge reflecting on samba’s constant pulse throughout Brazilian music and culture. Ruivão’s voice is mid-range and flows from silky slow tunes to fast tongue-twisting tempos with ease. Within his music you can also hear the discernable influence of curling Cuban rhythms that bounce along freely. Samba is the dancing spirit and rhythm of life in Brazil, and Ruivão is one of an important band of contemporary artists connecting their tradition with their experiences of modern life.

Ruivão - Introducing Ruivão (flac 284mb)

01 Criação É Ato Continuo 2:59
02 Todas As Cores Num Hino 3:56
03 O Jogo Termina Aos 90 3:35
04 Sou Sambista Dr Fé 3:30
05 Pout-Pourrit De Partido Alto: Dia De João / Apelo / Disfarce 4:20
06 Sambas Da Vida 3:41
07 Eu Vejo 2:59
08 Sol Bordado 3:07
09 Pingo Da Vela 3:48
10 Rapaz Sagaz 3:54
11 Não Me Encarregue De Enviar Fax 3:08


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