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". CD

A great step forward for the legendary Tim Maia – working here in a style that's even tighter and more sophisticated than before – yet still equally filled with funk and soul! The arrangements are a bit bigger than before, and the production a bit more professional – but that change only brings Tim into even more heavenly soul territory – with a mix of grooves and strings that lays somewhere between the best early 70s work on labels like Curtom or Motown! Tim's got a new sense of majesty on the album – and also sings in English in a few spots – at a level that makes us wonder why he was never able to crack the American soul market at the time. An essential record from the man who brought American soul music to Brazil – with tracks that include "Over Again", "New Love", "O Balanco", "Reu Confesso", "Preciso Ser Amado", "Amores", and "Do Your Thing Behave Yourself". CD

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Later live work from the legendary Tim Maia – and like many Brazilian live dates of the time, a record that really helps Maia find the classic footing of his older albums! The backings are somewhat modern, but the liveness and spontaneity makes the record one of the most freely-flowing that Tim's cut for years – not exactly his 70s soul peak, but still mighty nice! Titles include "A Ra", "Folha De Papel", "Paixo Antiga", "Vale Tudo", "Telefone", "Primavera", and "A Festa Do Santo Reis". CD

Tim Maia takes on a host of older American tunes – stepping back to the 60s soul roots that inspired his roots in the 70s – all set to relatively modern arrangements! Maia's vocals are still nice and deep, even amidst the keyboard grooves – and titles include "Earth Angel", "On Broadway", "Tears On My Pillow", "Hey There Lonely Girl", "What A Wonderful World", "Save The Last Dance For Me", and "What's Your Name". Amazing package, too – comes in a hardcover book-style jacket, with a bonus 45 page book that also includes full color images, with lots of vintage photos, plus notes on the record in Portuguese! The whole thing's sort of an update of the old Abril Cultural style of the 70s – brought into the CD generation. CD

Funky samba and modern beats collide in this great set of tracks by Max De Castro – a newer gem on the Trama label, with a similar spirit to the label's debut by Otto, and recent work from Brazil in the modern samba soul vein! Max is clearly inspired by 70s soul artists like Tim Maia or Cassiano – but he's also got an ear for the modern studio, pushing his work out of the straight soul vein with some pretty adventurous production and arrangements! Titles include "Afrosamba", "Samba Raro", "Ella Disse Assim", "Onda Differente", "Flash", and "Voce E Eu". CD

Gilberto Gil's working here not as the main artist, but as the songwriter – the very special talent around which this excellent set of recordings is based! The package is one of our favorite in the Lumiar Songbooks series – and, like the rest, it showcases the tremendous compositional abilities of Gil – songs that have touched the Brazilian scene from the late 60s onward – presented here in a number of new recordings by some of his key contemporaries, and younger generations too! This first volume features 13 titles in all – with tracks that include "Aquela Abraco" by Tim Maia, "Amor Ate O Fim" by Emilio Santiago, "A Linha E O Linho" by Gal Costa, "Mar De Copacabana" by Leny Andrade, "Preciso Aprender A So Ser" by Fafa De Belem & Wagner Tiso, "Ensai Geral" by Chico Buarque, and "Pai E Mae" by Ney Matogrosso. CD

A great set of samba soul tracks – new, but with a classic feel, and dedicated to soul legend Tim Maia! The record's led by singer/percussionist Dom Mita – and features work by members of Banda Black Rio, Os Devaneios, and others. The production's a bit modern – but the record's got the same jazzy approach to soul that you'll find in later work by Band Black Rio or some of the other Brazilian funk groups of their generation, touched with some of the later modern soul of Tim Maia's work at the end of the 70s. Titles include "O Som Do Tim", "Menina Do Corao", "Que Sorte A Minha", "Libra", "Te Amo Demais", "Rio Sem Voce", and "No Pique Do Amor". CD

Music from Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben Jor, Tim Maia, Sandra De Sa, Djavan, Chico Buarque, Titas, Marina, and more . CD