There's been plenty happening in Pernambuco in recent years – a rich blending of styles that's made the region of Brazil a more important musical hot spot than Rio or San Paulo! The sounds of Pernambuco have been simmering under for years – and you may well have caught an earful or two from recent releases on the Trama label. But until this set, most of the region's brilliance has never been fully presented properly to a non-Brazilian audience – and as the label did two decades back with their initial Brazilian compilations, Luaka Bop does a wonderful job of opening up the Pernambuco groove to a much wider audience! Most of the work here mixes older roots with newer touches – often a bit of electronics next to acoustic percussion, or raspily soulful vocals next to tighter instrumentation – that unique sort of balance that's always been present in Brazilian music from the 60s onward, but which is currently done better in Pernambuco more than anywhere else. Titles include "Poesia Da Barro" by Alex Sant Anna, "Amigos Bons" by Junio Barreto, "Cobrinha" by Tine, "Vale Do Juca" by Siba, "Pode Me Chamar" by Eddie, "Maroca" by Mundo Livre, "Carimbaeo" by Nacao Zumbi, "Instante Feliz" by Vates E Violas, "Erectuos Cactus" by Cabruera, "O Pobre Dos Dentes De Ouro" by Cidadao Instigad, and "Cabidela" by Mombojo. CD

Lovely work from Brazilian singer Luciana Souza – a set that features both English and Portuguese language tunes, recorded in a laidback, almost torchy kind of jazz vocal style. Pianists on the set include Bruce Barth and Fred Hersch – and the overall setting is small group backing, with Luiciana's vocals right up front in the mix! Titles include "Never Let Me Go", "Corcovado", "I Shall Wait", "No Wonder", and "All Of Me". CD

Rare Brazilian funk from the early 80s – served up here on a range of tracks that originally appeared on Brazil's unique 7" compacto format at the time! The smaller records were the nation's equivalent to 12" singles up north – and most spun at 33rpm, which allowed more space for the sorts of boogie rhythms and funky flow taking place here! There's plenty of elements that echo the sound of 80s soul in the US – with the beats, keyboards, and electro elements you might expect – but as with Brazilian soul from the decade before, there's also plenty of cool homegrown touches too. Titles include "Estou Livre" by Tony Bizarro, "Velho Guerreiro" by Rubao Sabino, "Break Mandrake" by Electric Boogies, "Ve Se Me Esquese" by Tony Blue, "Ta Dando Mole Ze" by Cassiano, "Dance Com A Gente" by Let's Dance, "Ve Se Decide" by Tim Maia, "Macaco Pesado" by Newton Drinckwater, and "Super Amor" by Gaby Do Whiskadao. (Funky Compilations, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

David Byrne waited a full decade before giving the world a follow up to his original Beleza Tropical collection of funky Brazilian music – yet during that time, it's also clear that he learned a lot more about the scene – and was able to pick up on some very hip artists who were much more contemporary than the first time around! The record has a fair bit of late 90s gems from a time when Brazilian music was really catching fire again – inspired both by its own experiments of the past, and new attention to its more groundbreaking styles by artists up north – which then seemed to let loose a new era of fresh sounds and styles! The set's got a total of 15 tracks in all – and titles include "O Seu Olhar" by Arnaldo Antunes, "Coriosidade" by Tom Ze, "Tanacara" by Gonzaguinha, "Balanca Pema" by Marisa Monte, "Acho" by Carlos Carega, "Bog La Bog" by Carlinhos Brown, "Pregoes Do Rio" by Moleque De Rua, "Batuque" by Daniela Mercury, "Hoje Eu Quero Sair So" by Lenine, and "Rios, Pontes, & Overdrives" by Chico Science. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique little album from Sergio Mendes and Brasil 77 – one that's in a much more rootsy style than any of his other work! The "primal roots" here are taken seriously, and like some of his other contemporaries in Brazilian music, Sergio's looking back a bit, and towards a rural setting for inspiration – pulling together some especially strong styles from the northeast of Brazil, and fusing them with his soaring, jazzier mode of the 60s. The blend is a great one – and the record is easily one of Sergio's greatest – with titles that include Dorival Caymmi's "Promise of a Fisherman", Oscar Castro Neves' "After Sunrise", and a great 18 minute version of Edu Lobo's "Circle Game", with great baroque arrangements. LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Bola Sete made some of his most important American recordings of the 60s on the San Francisco scene – but this huge set of unreleased tracks captures the Brazilian player farther up north, as he works in a sweet set of trio recordings captured at a small club in Seattle! The music is a great counterpart to some of Bola's recordings for Fantasy Records during the same time, but also captures the guitarist with a bit more complexity too – some of the qualities that he wouldn't always show on record at this level until the 70s, but which were clearly part of his sound right from the start! The group's a trio – with Sebastiao Neto on bass and Paulinho Magalhaes on drums – and titles include "Soul Samba", "Deve Ser Amor", "Malaguena", "Garota De Ipanema", "Astrurias", "Consolacao", "Tristeza", "A Feliciade", "Prelude No 3", "Spanish Dance No 5", "Shadow Of Your Smile", "Satin Doll", "One Note Samba", and "Corcovado". CD

70s psychedelia from the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Brazil – incredible stuff that combines rawly percussive tropical sounds with a world of psychedelic creativity and possibilities – one of the best compilations ever put together by Mr Bongo! Lula Cortes was a pivotal figure in the scene and he's pretty well represented here, including his influential recordings with Ze Remalho. Even more exciting, though, is the stuff we've never been fortunate enough to hear before now – and there's a pretty good deal of it! The fusion of global psych and folk sounds into a distinctly Brazilian sound is nothing short of amazing – regional and traditional percussion underneath sitars, lutes, keyboards and more. It features songs by the great Lula Cortes & Ze Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo & Alceu Valenca, Marconi Notaro, Flaviola E O Bando Do Sol and The Gentleman. 19 tracks in all: "Sorriso Delvagem" by The Gentlemen, "O Tempo" and "Desespero" by Flaviola E O Bando Do Sol, "Antropologica", "Maracatu" and "Fidelidade" by Marconi Notaro, "Mister Misterio", "Virgem Virginia" and more by Geraldo Azevedo & Alceu Valenca, "Bailado Das Muscarias" and "Maracas De Fogo" by Lula Cortes & Ze Ramalho, "Noite Preta" by Lula Cortes and more. CD