A beautifully groovy album from Celia Reis – maybe the hippest set ever from this Brazilian singer who was equally at home in samba and bossa modes! Production and arrangements are by Arthur Verocai – which will give you an idea of the creativity that went into the record – as Verocai creates all these ambitious grooves that are very much in the best territory of some of the funky Marcos Valle work at the start of the 70s – basslines dipping under strings, all topped with Celia's wonderful vocals – which have a power here that we've never heard on other records – almost a Gal Costa sort of touch! Tracks include tunes by Valle, Verocai, and others – and titles include "Em Familia", "Mia", "Vida De Artista", "Dominus Tecum", "Ay Adelita", "Toda Quarta Feira Depois Do Amor", "A Hora E Essa", "E Preciso Dizer ADeus", and "Badalacao". CD

A beautifully groovy album from Celia Reis – maybe the hippest set ever from this Brazilian singer who was equally at home in samba and bossa modes! Production and arrangements are by Arthur Verocai – which will give you an idea of the creativity that went into the record – as Verocai creates all these ambitious grooves that are very much in the best territory of some of the funky Marcos Valle work at the start of the 70s – basslines dipping under strings, all topped with Celia's wonderful vocals – which have a power here that we've never heard on other records – almost a Gal Costa sort of touch! Tracks include tunes by Valle, Verocai, and others – and titles include "Em Familia", "Mia", "Vida De Artista", "Dominus Tecum", "Ay Adelita", "Toda Quarta Feira Depois Do Amor", "A Hora E Essa", "E Preciso Dizer ADeus", and "Badalacao". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful record – and probably the best attempt by the Far Out label to mix older Brazilian styles with current abstract rhythms! The record features the lovely vocals of Celia Vaz, superbly blended with the mellow funky backing of the new group Ape – who mix samples, guitars, saxes, and keyboards into a sweet soulful vibe that's got a little bit of jungle and a little bit of abstract electronica, but which still also has an older jazzy feel to it. The results are great, and of all the projects like this we've heard in recent years – this album is an instant favorite! Titles include "Obrigado Donato", "No Deserto", "Nas Aguas Do Rio", "Fadas E Gnomos", and "Na Fabrica". CD

For the past few years, the UK-based Far Out label has been redefining the sound of Brazilian music. The label's run by DJ Joe Davis – the man who brought the world the Blue Brazil and Brazilica series, and the person who turned the London scene onto Brazilian grooves in a major way. Far Out is a labor of love for Joe, and this compilation offers 15 tracks in proof of that theory! The comp pulls from previous releases on the label, including many that are now long out of print. Titles include Nobukazu Takemura's remix of "Bebe" by Friends from Rio, DaLata's remix of "Para Lenon e McCartney" by Clareace, Marcos Valle and Friends From Rio doing "Os Grilos", Pressure Drop remixing "Francisco Cat" by Celia Vaz, and Roc's Re-dub of "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" by Azymuth. Lots lots more, and a great package to boot! CD