Wandering through the freakier terrains of psych folk, math fusion and afrobeat/chimurenga, if earlier Cambriana sounded anglophilic in its attempt at ‘universality’, now – as international indie seems itself closer and closer to MPB – Cambriana sounds more Brazilian than ever.
Category: Brazil
Spectrum :: Geração Bendita
Sung in both Portuguese and English, Spectrum dropped Geração Bendita in 1971 as a companion soundtrack to the banned 1971 Brazilian film of the same name (Blessed Generation). Recorded at Todamérica studios in Rio de Janeiro, the ad hoc group consisted of actors/musicians from the film along with former members of the band 2000 Volts. The serving? Post-hippie comedown energy with loads of fuzz guitar, psych-folk jammers, harmonized vox, and indiscriminate Tyrannosaurus Rex leaning oohs and ahs.
Alberto Continentino :: Tudo
Born into a family of musicians, Alberto Continentino made a name for himself playing in backup bands for legendary Brazilian artists like Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso and Marcos Valle. His solo work, however, isn’t far below. While 2018’s Ultraleve delves deep into the Brazilian jazz tradition of Azymuth, 2015′ Ao Som Dos Planetas delivers a modern synthesis of bossa nova and indie pop that sounds like a more grounded version of Stereolab, The High Llamas or Giorgio Tuma.
Atenção! Novos Sons do Brasil
Coming your way especially for Record Store Day, Aquarium Drunkard’s own premium house blend of heady Brazilian vibes. Curated and produced by AD founder Justin Gage, Atenção! is the stuff that’s scarcely left our turntable in the last few years, a compilation of artists who seem to be working both independently and collectively, presenting a kaleidoscopic mash-up of sounds and styles rooted firmly in the present, all laced with loving doses of classic Brasiliana.
Jards Macalé :: Farinha do Desprezo
After hanging out and recording with Caetano Veloso in his London exile, Jards Macalé returned to Brazil to lay down this slinky slab of progressive MPB. Released in 1972, just as the last embers of tropicália were still giving off heat, Jards Macalé is a stripped-down acoustic outing combining a loose, giddy irreverence with exacting rhythmic interplay.
Elis Regina :: Golden Slumbers (1971)
Covering the Beatles is often met with mixed results, but Brazilian songstress Elis Regina pulled it off in 1971 via her rendering of “Golden Slumbers”. Singing in English, released two years after Abbey Road, Regina works McCartney’s nostalgic lament into a soulful, orchestrated, vamp.
Manduka :: S/T (1972)
An organic affair employing minimal production, the record is buoyed by Manduka’s sympathetic vocal, acoustic guitar, and occasional accompaniment by vocalist Soledad Bravo. Abetted by light flutes, harmonica and congas, as a piece, Manduka excels in its low-key blend of provincial folk, tastefully draped in the ubiquitous psychedelia of the zeitgeist.
ÉVÉ :: Canto Aberto
Born Everaldo Marcial in Sao Paulo, Brazil, ÉVÉ fled the countries military dictatorship in 1974 to settle in France. Recorded in Paris, and released in 1979, Canto Aberto is his sole recording. Long out of print, the album’s just been reissued via the Parisian jazz label, Komos Records.
On João Gilberto
ECM recording artist Fred Thomas stops by Aquarium Drunkard for a detailed examination of the artistry, process, and editing of Brazilian guitarist and singer João Gilberto, not a source of delightful kitsch but actually, a countercultural aesthetic monk.
Sonhos Secretos: Brazilian Private Press & Independent MPB On 7″ (1980-1985)
Sonhos Secretos, or Secret Dreams in English, alludes to the quiet aspirations of those that made these independent and privately released recordings as well as to the fact that many of these tracks have long remained essentially a secret. It’s also, to some extent, a reference to a certain dream-like quality that permeates this collection.
The Lagniappe Sessions :: Chico Bernardes
The past 18 months have found our ears trained on Brazil’s burgeoning contemporary music scene. To name a handful, Ana Frango Elétrico, Tim Bernardes, Sessa, Kiko Dinucci, Catavento, and O Terno’s records have all soundtracked our Los Angeles HQ.
São Paulo singer-songwriter Chico Bernardes is the latest to join this loose cadre, whose debut lp remains ripe and in steady rotation. For his Lagniappe Session the 20-year-old multi-instrumentalist reflects on early inspiration (Grizzly Bear), and local sonic compatriots (Sophia Chablau and Téo Serson).
Kiko Dinucci :: Rastilho
With Rastilho, Kiko Dinucci set out to make an album in the vein of Brazilian compatriot João Gilberto … as scanned through the lens of São Paulo’s avant-garde scene, African polyphonic rhythms and percussive post-punk. Sacrosanct this is not.
Chico Bernardes :: Espelho
São Paulo’s Chico Bernardes has been busy. Over the past 12 months the Brazilian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has recorded and released two singles, and a self-titled full length.
The Lagniappe Sessions :: Sessa
Atenção! An outsize portion of our 2019 listening was dominated by Grandeza, the debut album from São Paulo–born artist Sessa. As such, the follow lagniappe session is something akin to the sound of the inevitably. This, the first installment of a two-part session, begins with Sessa’s delicate rendering of Helene Smith’s soulful “I’m Controlled By Your Love”, a cover deftly employed to audiences while in LA earlier this year. Next, the artist pays tribute to fellow countryman, and Tropicália pioneer, Jorge Mautner — taking on 1976’s “Samba Jambo”, before closing out with Haitian composer and guitarist Frantz Casseus’s “Yanvalloux”.
A Home Away From Home, Vol. 1 :: Brazilian Covers of International Pop & Rock Hits
There’s something really comforting about a cover song…familiar while still feeling fresh, soothing and confounding at the same time. …