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Moody female vocals from Brazil – a great early 70s album with a dreamy feel and a nice electric touch! In a way, the album's a fair bit like the Ana Mazzotti album from the same period, with a mix of some funky scatting vocal numbers, and other tunes that are more laidback, but which fit very nicely next to the uptempo cuts. Arrangements on some of the best numbers are by Meirelles, with a sweetly groovy electric feel that's similar to some of his own albums from the early 70s. Titles include "Foi Assim", "Como Posso Saber", "Sinal De Solidao", "Teia De Aranha", "Po", "Serrado", "Sonhos", and "Ronda Tristeza".

An album that bristles with soul and life from the very first note – one of a great run of 70s samba sets recorded by Xango Da Mangueira – all of them pretty darn great! This one's got all the right elements firmly in place – immediately catchy rhythms served up by simple percussion lines, slight instrumental touches on flute and guitar, and vocals from Xango that really hold our interest – far past the boundaries of language! Xango sings lead on all numbers, but often gets some help on the choruses – which really seems to further the joyous spirit of the music. Titles include "O Menina", "Brincadeira Tem Hora", "Piso Na Barra Da Saia", "Caviar De Pobre", "Carolina Meu Bem", "No Tempo Dos Mil Reis", and "Pau De Ibrauna".

Easygoing samba sounds from Mano Decio Da Viola – an overlooked 70s gem, but a set that stands with the best of Mano's bigger contemporaries in the samba scene! Mano's vocals have this raspy, personal feel – almost as if he's speaking instead of singing at some points – although there's plenty of singing interplay between his lyrics, lead acoustic guitar lines, and the percussion that drives most of the tunes from the bottom. Titles include "Santos Em Outros Tempos", "Herois Da Liberdade", "Obsessao", "Encontro Marcado", "Passaro Do Cantua", "Dona Santa Rainha Do Maracatu", and "Comando Geral".

The only album we've ever seen from Gilson De Souza – and a great bit of 70s samba with a really deep sort of feel! Gilson's got a laidback way of singing that's mighty nice – still enough punch to get things going, but couched in these really lovely backings that often have some floating flute above acoustic guitar and percussion – in ways that bring in a touch of 60s Elenco, but with a definite samba direction! Arrangements are by Wilson Mauro – who's clearly a key force in the sound of the set – and titles include "So Deus Sabe", "Eh Tata Eh", "Dor De Poeta", "Se O Amor For Coisa Certa", "Gaviao Calcudo", and "Noite Vadia". CD also features 4 bonus tracks from singles – "Preto E Branco", "Meu Violao", "Oi", and "Consequencias".

A festival of samba from mid 70s Brazil – a set that's packaged with an unassuming title and cover, but which contains a host of excellent samba tunes throughout! The artists' names are slightly submerged in the presentation – but the record smokes like some of the best music from the bigger samba acts of the time – and feels more like a single-artist set on 70s RCA Brazil, than some of the second rate material that you'd usually find in such a package. Titles include "Vira Vira" by Coro, "Terra Boa" by Lumumba, "Mangueira Em Tempo De Folclore" by Eni, "Dim Dim Dim" by Coro, "Rosa Maria" by Lumumba, "A Festa Do Divino" by Eni, "Vira Vira" by Coro, "Boi Da Cara Preta" by Lumumba, and "Rei Da Franca Na Ilha Da Assombracao" by Eni.

Classic work from this cool 70s combo – one of their smoking samba sets for the Tapecar label – a great illustration of the rich energy going on in the Brazilian indie scene at the time! Samba really burst strongly back to the forefront in the 70s – and although some artists commercialized the genre strongly, these guys really kept things at their best basic level – working here in a very spontaneous sort of way – with plenty of percussion bouncing up a groove from the bottom, peppered with lots of tight guitar lines, all in service of these joyous vocals from the whole ensemble! The set features a bit of guest work from Roque Do Pla and Noel Rosa De Oliveira – and titles include "Cara De Pau", "Farinha Na Cuia", "Fundanga", "Catimbere", "Que E Isso", "Quem E Da Bahia Nao Pode Cair", and "Trocando Rosas".

Os Pratideiros Do Pla get some great help here – guest appearances by a number of different artists, who all join in the lively festivities to make things even livelier! As with other records from this time, the group has a great way with upbeat percussion – criss-crossing rhythms topped by their warm ensemble vocals – all to set things up for work by Roque Do Pla, Sidney Da Conceicao, Delcio Carvalho, and Noel Rosa De Oliveira. Titles include "Tem Capoeira", "Lendas Do Abaete", "O Pagode", "Passargada O Amigo Do Rei", "Acende O Candeiro", and "Tiberio E O Livro De Ouro".

Heavy percussion, tight guitar, and some really joyous vocal passages – a very festive outing from this hip indie samba group of the 70s – served up with a rootsy brilliance you'd never find on a bigger label! There's a feeling here that's almost live, given that the recording really captures these guys as they'd be in a street setting –drawing in a large audience with their festive sort of groove! Titles include "Praca De Alegria", "Sera", "Antigo Sape", "Vou Pra Bahia", "Mande Amolar A Enchada", "No Na Cana", and "Minha Verdade".

A bit trippy, a bit groovy – and a very compelling little set from the Brazilian duo of Rubinho & Mauro Assumpcao! At one level, the record's got an earthy feel that matches the cover image of the pair climbing out of a tree without their shirts on – but at another level, there's often echoes of some of the funkier modes coming into Brazilian music at the time – a slight Samba Soul influence that mixes well with the earthy, sometimes personal vocals of the duo. In a way, there's almost a similarity here to early work by Os Novos Baianos – who seem to inhabit a similar space – and like that group, these guys have a sound that's got plenty going on, even if you can't completely understand it! Titles include "Ta Tudo Ai", "Debandada Geral", "A Montanha", "Bloco Da Visao", "Os Olhos", "Sozinho Nao Estou", "Quero Companheira", and "Pe Na Estrada".

Standout samba from Elza Soares – a cracker of an album from the mid 70s, and exactly the best sort of record to get you started appreciating her talents! Elza's got a great blend here – some of the soulful elements of her samba contemporaries, mixed with a bit of the fullness of Brazilian divas from years back – never as overblown as romantic pop, but filled with a great sense of feeling that really works nicely with the grooves! Instrumentation is tight, and right on the money – warmed up a bit by the production, which also deepens the soul – and titles included "Louvei Maria", "Partido Do Le Le Le", "Desabafo", "Bom Dia Portela", "Pranto Livre", "Nao E Hora De Tristeza", and "Giringonca". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "O Mundo Fantastico Do Uirapuru", "Salve A Mocidade", and "Festa Do Cirio De Nazare".

Elza Soares grooves things nicely here – working in a samba mode that's relatively traditional, but which is also warmed up by arranger Ed Lincoln! Ed's backings here are different than those used on his famous organ albums of the 60s – but they've got the equal sort of soul and swing – just the right groove to bring out the best qualities of Elza's vocals, even when she's getting support from a larger chorus! The tunes are playful, and plenty compelling – and titles include "Nos Bracos Do Samba", "Lendas E Festas Das Yabas", "Primeiro Eu", "Nem Vem", "Confesso Que Chorei", "Cansanda De Esperar", and "Viagem De Jangada". CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Dia De Graca", "Diz Que Fui Por Ai", and "Canta Canta Minha Gente".

One of the best albums we've ever heard from Brazilian singer Elza Soares – a great blend of rootsy samba and jazzy 70s electric arrangements, handled in a style that's warm and bubbling, and which really brings a different sound to Elza! Keyboards and arrangements are handled by Gilson Peranzzetta – whose talents have made so many albums sound great over the years – and titles include "Compositor", "Lingua De Pilao", "De Pandeiro Na Mao", "Perdao Amor", "Perdao Vila Isabel", "Sombra Confidente", "Aldeia Di Okarimbe", "So Uma Lagrima", and "Prezado Amigo". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Vale Ouro", and "Mangueira Minha Alegria".

A tremendous set of 70s samba – a rare gem issued on the smaller Tapecar album, and a vivid portrait of some of the best indie talents of the genre at the time! There's a freshness here that really grabs us right away – the kind of sublime sounds that keep us digging for rare samba records over the years – a sparkling, spontaneous sort of energy that comes through in the music right away – as singers, instrumentalists, and percussionists groove together beautifully in an upbeat, soulful, joyous sort of way! Production is nice and crisp – which really preserves the energy of the music – and titles include "Alegria" by Ze Di, "Acalentava" by Candeia, "Poxa" by Gilson De Souza, "Volta Por Cima" by Noite Ilustrada, "Resto De Amor" by Vincente, "Carolina Meu Bem" by Xango Da Mangueira, and "Bloco Da Madrugada" by Noite Ilustrada.

There's almost a jazz-like complexity to the accordion work of Ze Calixto on this excellent 70s set – a quality that definitely shows that he's one of the most accomplished player on his instrument in Brazil at the time! The music is forro, but has an extra-special something going on – a way of flying high and dipping down that few other players could serve up so well – set to lively rhythms that keep the whole record grooving throughout! Titles include "Forro Em Cubati", "Testa Com Testa", "So Choro Assim", "O Baile Em Sua Casa", "Currais Novos", and "O Bilhete".

Smoking work on accordion from Ze Calixto – working here in a great blend of rootsy rhythms and complicated lines that perfectly sums up the sound of forro in Brazil! The sound of his instrument is as smooth as Ze's look on the cover – but the rhythms help give the set a nice bite throughout – one that really enforces the bouncy, jagged melodies of the tunes – especially when the accordion is out in the lead! Titles include "Penumbra Do Pifo", "La Em Gurupy", "Homenagem A Velha Guarda", "Simplificando", and "Lambanceiro".

A wonderful little album – sweet jazzy MPB from Roberto Nascimento, a lost record that we're very happy got reissued! We'll be honest and say that we didn't know anything about this one in the past – but we really enjoy the record for its warm grooves and gently soulful vocals. The overall sound is somewhere in the mode of Lo Borges, but there's some interesting, almost Joyce-like guitar overtones that give it a different feel than you might expect. Titles include "Lero Lero", "Se Eu Errei", "Tema De Vania", "Voltei", and "El Saltamontes".

A totally great compilation of work from Beth Carvalhos – a set that brings together early sides recorded for the Odeon and Tapecar labels, many of which haven't been on CD for years! The package spans a space of 10 years – 1965 through 1975 – and the first two CDs in the set are especially nice, as they bring together early singles and EPs recorded by Beth, material that's quite different than some of her later music of international fame! The other three CDs feature three seminal early albums – Canto Por Um Novo Dia, Pra Seu Governo, and Pandeiro E Viola – and the whole thing's very nicely packaged in a handsome slipcover with images of the older records.