All Categories — All Formats  

Beautiful! Joao Donato has long been one of our favorite-ever Brazilian songwriters, and this tasty series from Lumiar finally pays him the rich tribute he deserves! The series, like the others on Lumiar, features some of Brazil's greatest artists ever, paying tribute to Donato with loving renditions of his best songs. This third volume features "Lugar Comum" by Leny Andrade, "Minha Saudade" by Gilberto Gil, "Everyday" by Ed Motta & Joao Donato, "Luo Dourada" by Os Cariocas & Joao Donato, "Fonta Da Saudade" by Elza Soares, "A Paz" by Rosa Passos, "Depois Do Natal" by Djavan & Joao Donato.

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever".

A wonderful overview of the sound of soul music in Brazil – not the heavy beats of the booty-shaking crowd, or the mainstream R&B of the chart-toppers – but that real soul undercurrent inspired by the best work of American artists of the 60s and 70s – presented here in a great batch of classic and contemporary tracks! The package is equally weighted between the important samba soul generation of the 70s – a time when Brazilian music was really embracing American soul and funk – and work from the first decade of this century, too – made by key Brazilian artists who were going back to 70s roots, and finding new ways to re-work this wonderful blend of styles! There's a few artists here we might have missed otherwise – and the set features 18 tracks that include "Voce Vai Estar Na Minha" by Negra Li, "Colecao" by Cassiano, "Olhos Coloridos" by Sandra Sa, "Eu Nao Vou" by Fat Family, "E Descobridor Dos Sete Mares" by Tim Maia, "Vizinha" by Seu Jorge, "Oba La Vem Ela" by Jorge Ben, "As Dores Do Mundo (rmx)" by Hyldon & Bossacucanova, "Tem Espaco Na Van" by Ed Motta, "Maria Fumaca" by Banda Black Rio, and "Cuidado Com O Bulldog" by Wilson Simonal.

Warm, wonderful, and completely beautiful work from Patricia Marx – a singer we've followed from the start, and who's reemerged here after a bit of silence – sounding even more spellbinding than ever! Patricia's one of the most soulful Brazilian singers of the past decade or two – and here, she really hits a new level of maturity – working with backings from Bruno E that are far more complex and sophisticated than his previous drum and basslines – as powerful and layered as the best sounds you'd hear with an American soul singer – but also with a crispness that's really personal, too – the kind of warmth and energy that have always made us love Swing Out Sister's recent recordings. Patricia gets help from two artists who are always tops in our book – Ed Motta and Seu Jorge – each of whom sing on a track – and titles include "Cedo Ou Tarde", "Espelhos D'Agua", "Menino", "Tudo O Que Eu Quero", "Quando Chove", "Ficar Com Voce", and "Sem Pensar".

Fantastic sounds from Monday Michiru – quite possibly her greatest album in years, and one that really draws together all the best elements of her style! The vocals are wonderful – soaring, fluid, and filled with soul – almost more confident than ever – and set to these small group jazz arrangements that still bounce around with lots of contemporary rhythms – yet all played live, almost in a clubjazz mode – which makes for a perfect backdrop for Monday's lyrics! As always, the vibe is righteous, and the spirit is totally uplifting – the kind of amazing music that's held us rapt, watching her career for the past two decades – never disappointed, and always blown away by the rich progression in her music. Monday plays a bit of flute on the record, Ed Motta sings guest vocals on a version of the Milton Nascimento classic "Bridges" – and other titles include "Adventures", "What Is In A Soul", "Map Of The Soul", "What Defines You", "Brasilianos", "Til Morning Comes Again", and "The Elusive Song".

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever".

Do these guys ever lose their touch? We think not – as this album, the group's umpteenth, is pretty darn great! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick pulled out all the stops on this set – working with a range of vocalists that includes Joy Rose, Kelli Sae, Tony Momrelle, Joy Malcolm, and Brazilian soul legend Ed Motta! The range of voices on the set really gives it a lot of depth – moving past the easy jazz funk moments of earlier sets, and going for an all-solid, all-soulful approach that really blows our mind! Great stuff all the way through – maybe their best album in years – and a record you'll be playing into the next decade. Titles include "Morning Sun", "Who Needs Love", "Stone Cold Heart", "Where Love Shines", "Blue", "Fly", "If You Want My Love", and "Cada Dia".

A wonderfully offbeat strain of European pop from the 60s – rare recordings from the Catalonian area, that weird space in Spain that's also linked to southern France and the Mediterranean islands as well! There's a really playful feel to most of these numbers – and although many cuts are remakes of big Anglo hits, they've been re-fitted with new language, and some plenty cool arrangements that often make the music sound even groovier than in the original versions! In terms of spirit, we'd definitely compare a lot of this work to the best mid 60s pop coming from Paris – the groovy goodies of the "yeh yeh" generation – although in the end, the music's also very much it's own thing as well. Titles include "Cap A Futbol" by Guillermina Motta, "Yeh Yeh" by Tony, "Es Una Dona" by Nuri, "Febre" by Guillem D'Efak, "El Meu Trastet" by Santi Sans, "Soc Molt Poca Cosa" by Jacinta, "Amor" by Jordi Teijon, "Desafinat" by Grau Carol, and "El Cinemascop" by Llorenc Torres.

A wonderfully offbeat strain of European pop from the 60s – rare recordings from the Catalonian area, that weird space in Spain that's also linked to southern France and the Mediterranean islands as well! There's a really playful feel to most of these numbers – and although many cuts are remakes of big Anglo hits, they've been re-fitted with new language, and some plenty cool arrangements that often make the music sound even groovier than in the original versions! In terms of spirit, we'd definitely compare a lot of this work to the best mid 60s pop coming from Paris – the groovy goodies of the "yeh yeh" generation – although in the end, the music's also very much it's own thing as well. Titles include "Cap A Futbol" by Guillermina Motta, "Yeh Yeh" by Tony, "Es Una Dona" by Nuri, "Febre" by Guillem D'Efak, "El Meu Trastet" by Santi Sans, "Soc Molt Poca Cosa" by Jacinta, "Amor" by Jordi Teijon, "Desafinat" by Grau Carol, and "El Cinemascop" by Llorenc Torres.