A delightful collision of music old and new – as acoustic Brazilian choro comes into play with more booty-styled beats – in a blend that's surprisingly great on the best numbers in the set! The style is one that might sound a bit hokey on paper, but it comes off well – never too overdone, and with an energy that makes the whole record crackle with the feel of new discovery. A big part of the credit goes to DJ Marcelinho, who produced the whole thing – and manages to balance things out nicely without letting the R&B side of the record overwhelm the classic one. Titles include "Mandinga Beat", "Quero Paz", "Beat 6", "Coisa Linda", "Favela Beat", "Samba Bem", "Som Estereofonico", "Meu Beatchoro", and "Kissanga No Kalunga". CD

A fantastic early album from Jorge Ben – and one that's also a bit obscure, given that it was one of the few that he didn't cut for Philips Records during the first decade of his career! The album's one of Jorge's most upbeat, most lively – with the kind of ebullient mix of samba and soul influences that he brought to his first big hits – but recorded here in a way that's maybe even more frenetic, especially when piano lines spin out quickly next to his incredible vocals – with a style that's almost soul jazz at times! The whole thing's wonderful – a record that matches, if not tops any of his other 60s albums – and titles include the killer "A Jovem Samba" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Nascimento De Um Principe Africando", "Menina Gata Augusta", "Si Wanda", "Rosa Mas Que Nada", "Amor De Carnaval", and "Todo Colorida". CD

A fantastic early album from Jorge Ben – and one that's also a bit obscure, given that it was one of the few that he didn't cut for Philips Records during the first decade of his career! The album's one of Jorge's most upbeat, most lively – with the kind of ebullient mix of samba and soul influences that he brought to his first big hits – but recorded here in a way that's maybe even more frenetic, especially when piano lines spin out quickly next to his incredible vocals – with a style that's almost soul jazz at times! The whole thing's wonderful – a record that matches, if not tops any of his other 60s albums – and titles include the killer "A Jovem Samba" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Nascimento De Um Principe Africando", "Menina Gata Augusta", "Si Wanda", "Rosa Mas Que Nada", "Amor De Carnaval", and "Todo Colorida". LP, Vinyl record album

Contempoary Brazilian grooves compiled by the folks at Funk Globo – blistering batch of beats and basslines – all served up with a very intense sound! The music here isn't the trendy, intellectual style coming from Brazil in recent years – but instead the sort that plays big at house parties, underground clubs, and even street festivals where the booming beats are a perfect match for a well-crafted soundsystem! In fact, the sound here is so heavy, you might want to turn down the bass a bit on your stereo before playback – lest you blast the dishes off your shelves in the kitchen. Titles include "Vai Danada" by Guto De Almeida, "Bumporzao" by Bumps, "Saca Me Desse Banze" by Gato Preto, "Shtusha Kutusha" by Via The Robots, "Canca Gostosa" by Miam Vandale, "Cicadas' Dance" by Chuck Upbeat, and "Xao Trap" by DJ Comrade. CD