The best of Brazil, old and new – as Joao Gilberto meets up with a younger generation of Brazilian vocalists – Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Maria Bethania – all for a wonderful session of stripped-down bossa! The work is very much in Joao's best style of the early 70s – a back to basics return, handled with even more intimacy than before – with production by Gilberto, and some beautifully understated arrangements from Johnny Mandel! Tracks are all nice and long, and allow for lots of vocal interplay between the four singers on the set. Titles include "Cordeiro De Nana", "Aquarela Do Brasil", "Milagre", and "Bahia Com H". CD

The best of Brazil, old and new – as Joao Gilberto meets up with a younger generation of Brazilian vocalists – Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Maria Bethania – all for a wonderful session of stripped-down bossa! The work is very much in Joao's best style of the early 70s – a back to basics return, handled with even more intimacy than before – with production by Gilberto, and some beautifully understated arrangements from Johnny Mandel! Tracks are all nice and long, and allow for lots of vocal interplay between the four singers on the set. Titles include "Cordeiro De Nana", "Aquarela Do Brasil", "Milagre", and "Bahia Com H". CD

An album of pure genius – easily one of the greatest Brazilian albums ever, and a landmark set from the Tropicalia years! There's a brilliance here that's hard to describe accurately – quite possibly because the young Caetano Veloso is experimenting with so many new ideas, the album explodes with fresh energy on each new track! Offbeat bossa runs into weird production effects, subtle psychedelia, and heartfelt singer/songwriter material – all arranged by the mighty Rogerio Duprat, and featuring guest work from Gilberto Gil on guitar. The range of work here is tremendous – from the political "Empty Boat" to the fantastical "Lost in the Paradise", through other classics that include "Irene", "Os Argonautas", "Carolina", "Alfomega", "Chuvas De Verao", "Objeto Nao Identifcado", "Atras Do Trio Eletrico", and "Marinheiro So". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully spare album from Caetano Veloso – one of his greatest albums of the 80s, and quite unlike anything else he did in the decade! The sound here is almost a bit like Joao Gilberto's classic 1973 album for Polydor – mostly just acoustic guitar and vocals, recorded with a slight echo and a really warm feel overall – a quality that offers up a whole new side of Veloso's genius, with only a bit of added percussion on a few tracks. Caetano's vocals are wonderful – personal, intimate, and very rich, despite the quite setting – and titles include "Get Out Of Town", "Terra", "Nega Lauca/Billie Jean/Eleanor Rigby", "Luz Do Sol', "Trilhos Urbanhos", "Odara", and "Saudosismo". CD

Another great chapter in the always-surprising later career of Caetano Veloso – and a record that's unlike anything else he's recorded before! The style here is a real change both from some of his more ambitious and more experimental works of late – and the album mostly features small combo backing, set up alongside Veloso's vocals in styles that are slightly punky, slightly arty – in a way that reminds us a fair bit of work from the hippest side of the New York scene in the early 80s. The structure of the songs is often simple, but extremely fresh – very inventive twists and turns of a few basic elements, all to match the poetry of Veloso's own lyrics. Moreno Veloso co-produced the set – and titles include "Outro", "Rocks", "Deusa Urbana", "Waly Salomao", "Musa Hibrida", "Odeio", "O Heroi", and "Um Sonho". CD

A big breakthrough moment for Caetano Veloso – a set that got a bit more global exposure than some of his other 80s releases – thanks to work from some of the hipper artists on the New York scene! Production is by Arto Lindsay and Peter Sherer – and Lindsay himself plays on the record, as does Marc Ribot and Bill Frisell – both players who help Caetano reach out with some nice modern elements, and also help get the record a bit of international critical attention too! Titles include "Etc", "Jasper", "Este Amor", "Rai Das Cores", "Outro Retrato", "Geniapap Aboluto", and "Estrangeiro". CD

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A great little live set – recorded in Rio in 1995, with backings directed by Jaques Morelenbaum, one of Veloso's best collaborators during the 90s. The concert has a very organic approach – mixing instrumentation by a small group of jazz players with some larger arrangements on strings, all used as a platform for Caetano, whose vocals and work on acoustic guitar fit perfectly, no matter what the mood. Titles include "O Plusar", "Cucurrucucu Paloma", "O Samba E O Tango", "Lamento Borincano", "Contigo En La Distancia", "Itapua", and "Vete De Mi". CD

A landmark album for Caetano Veloso – a full set of tracks sung in English, as beautifully done as we ever could have hoped! The arrangements are really fresh – in a style that makes the album far more than just a set of standards – and instead gives it the edgey approach of some of Caetano's best recent work. The set was co-produced by Jacques Morelenbaum, and has a range of instrumental approaches that shifts to fit the mood of each new track – and given that the work on the set runs from tunes by Cole Porter to Nat King Cole, Nirvana, David Byrne, Arto Lindsay, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Dylan – you can imagine the changing moods at work! Titles include "So In Love", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Diana", "Manhattan", "Nothing But Flowers", "Cry Me A River", "Nature Boy", "Jamaica Farewell", "If It's Magic", "Detached", "Blue Skies", and "Something Good". Loads of tracks, too – 22 in all – and packaged beautifully! CD

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A great 90s album by Caetano Veloso – a beautiful re-awakening of his genius in the later years of his career! The sound here is as fresh, creative, and personal as on some of Veloso's best post-Tropicalia albums of the 70s – served up in a blend of spare percussion, edgey guitars, and inventive production techniques that are as simple and powerful as Veloso's wonderful vocals on the set. The songs are wonderful too – penned at a level that we haven't heard this strong since Cinema Transcendental, and with a heavenly quality that transcends language and conventional pop expectations. Titles include "Livros", "How Beautiful Could A Being Be", "Pra Ninguem", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", and "Manhata". CD

A far-reaching album by Caetano – with a wide scope of sounds and influences, from tribal/ethnic percussion, to subtle jazzy backdrops, to guitar-driven numbers that hint at a brief return to rock music. The rich tapestry of themes and images are perfectly linked by Veloso's always-wonderful voice – impeccably rich-toned, with a sound that only seems to get better with age. To us, the record's his first really striking album since 1997's Livro – although it's got a lot more subtlety, in the manner of some of his mid 70s work, like Bicho or Joia. Titles include "Michelangelo Antonioni", "Zera A Reza", "13 De Maio", "Zumbi", "Meu Rio", and "Sou Seu Sabia". CD

A far-reaching album by Caetano – with a wide scope of sounds and influences, from tribal/ethnic percussion, to subtle jazzy backdrops, to guitar-driven numbers that hint at a brief return to rock music. The rich tapestry of themes and images are perfectly linked by Veloso's always-wonderful voice – impeccably rich-toned, with a sound that only seems to get better with age. To us, the record's his first really striking album since 1997's Livro – although it's got a lot more subtlety, in the manner of some of his mid 70s work, like Bicho or Joia. Titles include "Michelangelo Antonioni", "Zera A Reza", "13 De Maio", "Zumbi", "Meu Rio", and "Sou Seu Sabia". CD

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Pure, simple genius from Caetano Veloso – a record that doesn't have all the striking elements of the early years, but which is equally powerful in its own right! Caetano's got a directness with his songwriting and vocals that's really wonderful – an ability to bring a bit of soul into his expression, while still retaining all of his edge – even on numbers that feature some surprisingly catchy instrumentation! The backings often feature a lot of acoustic guitar, which grounds the record nicely – and offsets some of the more electric elements on keyboards and guitar – even though these are used in relatively subtle ways. Titles include "Outras Palavras", "Sim/Nao", "Gema", "Verdura", "Blues", "Jeito De Corpo", and "Quero Um Baby Seu". CD

Nice recent live set by this master of Brazilian song! The feel is pretty mellow in the best parts, with Caetano singing soulfully, with only guitar and small backing accompaniment. Some titles have more of a rockish feel, but there's plenty of nice ones with an older mellow sound. Titles include "Meditacao", "Terra", "Jorge De Capadocia", "Bem Devager", "Atras De Verde E Rosa", and "Carolina". CD

A really overlooked album from Caetano Veloso – one that's quite different than the more experimental modes of records like his Tropicalia sets, or his Araca Azul record – but with a unique charm that makes it every bit as special as those! The set's quite stripped-down and personal – and really has Veloso getting back to basics – in ways that are a bit like his UK album from 1971, but more upbeat and positive too. The tunes are really thoughtfully presented, with spare backing that puts Veloso's amazing vocals right out front – heard to especially wonderful effect on the album's English-language readings of three late Beatles tracks – "Eleanor Rigby", "For No One", and "Lady Madonna". All titles are great, though – and tunes include "Nicinha", "La Flor De La Canela", "Drume Negrinha", and "Samba E Amor". CD

Nice overstuffed "best of" compilation that features work by Veloso that spans from his early Tropicalia years to the stuff he did as a pseudo-new wave artist in the early 80s. 7 cuts alone are from the pivotal year of 1968 – including "Shy Moon", "Lua De Sao Jorge", "Superbacana", and "Soy Loco Por Ti America" – and others are from the mid and late 70s, like "Beleza Pura", "Trilhos Urbanos", "Odara", "O Leaozinho", and "Qualquer Coisa". Not all of this material is available on the other CDs we carry, and the set itself is a great way to begin to get into the work of Veloso, who we feel is one of the greatest musical artists of the late 20th century! CD

Some of the most beautiful work ever recorded by Caetano Veloso – an album that carries on the style of English language lyrics used on his session in exile in 1971, but which also introduces him back to the world of Brazilian popular music! The album's a great transition for Veloso – a set that's served up with some of the newly personal qualities his music developed in London, but which still has a good ear for experimentation and keeping things interesting. Titles include the wonderful "Nine Out Of Ten" – a haunting tune about his time in exile – plus "Neolithic Man", "Nostalgia", "Triste Bahia", "It's A Long Way", and "You Don't Know Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most personal, most evocative album we've ever heard from Brazilian singer Moreno Veloso – a set that's summed up wonderfully by its title, as these are songs that Veloso sung to his children at night during the darkest months of 2020! The record features just vocals and guitar – but as with his father Caetano in such a setting, Moreno actually seems to make more with less – allowing us to hear him in a way that's maybe even more up-close than ever before –with the mix of emotional currents that you'd get on the best bossa recordings of this nature – even though Veloso is far beyond bossa with this music! Most tracks are penned by others, but given these fantastic new interpretations – and titles include "Fazenda", "Unga Dorme Nesse Frio", "Luna Caprese", "Tigresa", "Noche De Ronda", "Normelia", and "Tres Da Madrugada". CD

A really wonderful album from Quarteto Em Cy – the Brazilian vocal quartet who first rose to prominence during the bossa nova years, but soon moved into even more sophisticated material during the 70s! The approach of this set is telegraphed in the title – as the group take on songs penned by Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, and Gonzaguinha – the new MPB generation of the 70s, whose music turns out to be perfect for the growing talents of the girls – topped off with some beautiful arrangements from Octavio Burnier, whose work really rises to the level of the vocals! The whole thing's great – a magnificent journey in sound – and titles include "Idolatrada", "Barco Fantasma", "Antes De Seja Tarde", "O Ultimo Trem", "Um Dia", "Ponta De Areia", "Gira Girou", "Ciranda Menina", and "Abandonado". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Moreno Veloso – the son of the famous Caetano, but an artist who's already very much his own man on this classic collaboration with the team of Kassin and Domenico! Moreno plays it cool on most of the record – singing in a spare setting that mixes acoustic guitar and percussion with some occasional electronics, sounding best on the tracks that are the most stripped-down, because if he does share one thing with his father, it's a warmly intimate voice, one that will grab you right away! The electronics are all a bit ok, but it's the voice that sells this one – and it fortunately comes to the forefront on most of the record. Tracks include "Sertao", "Deusa Do Amor", "Esfinge", "Rio Longe", "Nenhuma", "I'm Wishing", "Das Partes", and "Para Xo". CD

Genius early work from Pierre Barouh – the artist best known for his contribution to the film A Man & A Woman, but also the owner of the legendary Saravah Records label – one of the grooviest imprints around! The set is a real move forward from Barouh's earlier material, which was a bit straighter – although still pretty hip – and this time around, he's bringing in a wide range of elements – Brazilian bits, folksy touches, and more – all served up with an approach that's as uniquely personal as work by other Saravah artists, like Brigitte Fontaine or Areski! Barouh's a brilliant writer and singer, and his work is a lost link in a tradition that spans Caetano Veloso, Leonard Cohen, Serge Gainsbourg, and others – crucially overlooked on this side of the Atlantic, and extremely important to us over the years. Titles include "De L'Amour A L'Amour", "Le Courage D'Aimer", "80 AB", "La Foret", "Le Petit Cheval De Bois", "Le Petit Cine", and "Paris Wellington". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set that features a dozen of Jorge's best tracks, sung by him and other artists, all packaged in a cool little book filled with great photos from the old days! The album include Jorge & Gilberto Gil dueting on "Taj Mahal", Maria Alcina singing "Fio Maravilha", Elis Regina doing "Bicho Do Mato", Os Originais Do Samba performing "Cade Teresa", Gal Costa & Caetano Veloso dueting on "Que Pena", and Jorge singing "Chove Chuva", "Africa-Brasil", "Xica Da Silva", "Errare Humanum Est", and "Mas Que Nada". LP, Vinyl record album

Maria Bethania's warmed her sound up a fair bit here from earlier releases – and is hitting the same blend of jazz overtones and larger arrangements used during the same period by Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa – both of whom were maturing at a similar pace! There's still a fair bit of depth to most of the tunes here, and instead of going soft with the added backings and mellower setting, Maria instead hits a more deeply personal approach – one that's somewhat intimate at times, and which has her opening up a whole new side of her voice. Titles include "Rosa Do Viver", "Alteza", "Suplica", "Amiga Dos Ventos", "Maravida", "Atiraste Uma Pedra", and "Purificar O Subae". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous debut from Maria Bethania – recorded in a style that's a fair bit different from her more famous work in the 70s for Philips, but still equally great! The sound here is often more airy and spacious – sometimes in a slightly folksy bossa mode that reminds us of Nara Leao's mid 60s work, but with more force in the vocals, as you'd expect from Maria! Other numbers are a bit more driving, and use larger orchestrations with a samba-inspired feel – but in a way that's more sophisticated than samba, and relatively modernist overall. Gal Costa joins her on a duet version of Caetano Veloso's "Sol Negro" – and the record also features the Veloso tunes "De Manha" and "No Carnaval", plus the titles "Missa Agraria", "Feiticeira", and "Mora Na Filosofia". CD

A gentler, more laidback album that some of Maria Bethania's more dramatic efforts from the early 70s – but still a pretty great little record, served up with a sense of poise and power that few of her contemporaries could match! Backings are arranged by Perinho Albuquerque, in a way that's often relatively spare, but still full at the bottom – letting the vocals take most of the top of the sound, in a way that makes for a nicely personal quality to the record. Tracks include numbers written by Joyce, Caetano Veloso, and Luiz Gonzaga Jr – with titles that include "Queda D'Agua", "Mel", "Gota De Sangue", "Da Cor Brazileira", and "Ela E Eu". CD

Heady heady work from the legendary Gal Costa – caught here right at her early best, smack dab in the middle of the Tropicalia years! The album's one of Gal's legendary collaborations with arranger Rogerio Duprat – and it's very much in the spirit of her other incredible session from 1969, but also features some even heavier and more tripped out guitar – in a way that really pushes the psychedelic aspect of the work! The sound here is really amazing – very fuzzy and freaky at times, in ways that make the album one of the most rocking sets of the entire Tropicalia scene, but in ways that still hang onto the quirky experimental qualities of work by Os Mutantes or Caetano Veloso. Gal's vocals really rip out amazingly at times – light years away from the sweet sound of the late 70s, and more in the frenetic, urgent style you'd expect from the politically-charged scene that spawned the set. Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil join Gal on a great version of "Pais Tropical", Jards Macale guest stars on the classic "Empty Boat" – and other tracks include "Tuareg", "Meu Nome E Gal", "Pulsars E Quasars", and "Cultura E Civilizaco". Essential! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most mindblowing albums ever recorded – anywhere, anytime! This 1969 set stands as one of the greatest records ever cut by Gal Costa – done at the height of the Tropicalia movement, and featuring a sublime mix of styles that really gets the spirit of the movement right. Arrangements are by the legendary Rogerio Duprat – who effortlessly shifts the backings between stark electronics, sweet bossa, gliding strings, jazzy piano, and baroque orchestrations that dance around with a surprising amount of grooves! Tunes include some classics by Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, and Gilberto Gil – served up in amazing new versions by Gal and Duprat! Titles include "Nao Identificado", "Lost in the Paradise", "Que Pena", "Sebastiana", "Namorinho De Portao", "Divino Maravilhoso", and "Deus E O Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent live set from 1974! Gilberto is playing in a fairly stripped down form, and the recording focuses mostly on his soulful singing and choppy acoustic guitar – although there is a larger group on a few tracks that plays electric guitar and keyboards, but never in a way that interferes with Gilberto's presence. The set has the same moody feeling as his rare 1971 LP on Paramount, with a stripped down sound, and lots of haunting extended tracks. The performance includes a long version of the track "Joao Sabino", plus Joao Donato's "Lugar Comum", Caetano Veloso's "Sim, Foi Voce", and the tracks "Abra O Olho" and "Heroi Das Estrelas". Great stuff, and although it's a live album, it's still one of Gilberto's best records from the 70s. CD

A wonderful album by one of the all-time greats! The record is Joao Gilberto's best in years, and it was produced by Caetano Veloso – in a spare, stripped-down style that's very similar to Joao's classic self-titled album from 1973, with an equally moody sound overall! Veloso used some wonderful recording techniques – and Joao's warm vocals and haunting guitar work are handled in a manner that unlocks all of their dark beauty and charm – without any of the sweetness that sometimes holds back some of his other later recordings. Titles include "Voce Vai Ver", "Segredo", "Chega De Saudade", "Eclipse", "Desde Que O Samba E Samba", "Eu Vim Da Bahia", and "Da Cor Do Pecado". CD

A wonderful album by one of the all-time greats! The record is Joao Gilberto's best in years, and it was produced by Caetano Veloso – in a spare, stripped-down style that's very similar to Joao's classic self-titled album from 1973, with an equally moody sound overall! Veloso used some wonderful recording techniques – and Joao's warm vocals and haunting guitar work are handled in a manner that unlocks all of their dark beauty and charm – without any of the sweetness that sometimes holds back some of his other later recordings. Titles include "Voce Vai Ver", "Segredo", "Chega De Saudade", "Eclipse", "Desde Que O Samba E Samba", "Eu Vim Da Bahia", and "Da Cor Do Pecado". CD

Features collaborations with Caetano Veloso, Tim Maia, Fagner, Luiz Gonzaga, and Martinho Da Vilha! CD

A record with a cheesy title and cover, but with a sound that's completely sublime – that transcendent vocal approach and incredible songwriting that makes just about any record by Ivan Lins a real treasure! The set's not as experimental as his earliest work, but it's got a rock-solid sound that puts Lins right up there in the company of the world's greatest singer/songwriters – a range that would include not just his countrymen like Caetano Veloso, but also some of the greats from the French scene of the 60s. Titles include "Marlena", "Velas", "Art Of Survival", "Comecar De Novo", "Evolution", "You Moved Me To This", and "Who's In Love Here". LP, Vinyl record album

We mostly know Angela Maria for her romantic albums of the late 50s and early 60s, but she sounds especially sweet here in a set from the start of the 70s! The record's got a compelling approach – one that couches Maria's aging vocals in some more modern romantic trappings – a bit of electric bass at the bottom, stepping slowly amidst woodwinds and strings arranged by Portinho – still as warm and full of emotion as Angela's older music, but with a slightly cooler feel overall. Titles include versions of Edu Lobo's "Pra Dizer Adeus", Marcos Valle's "Viola Enluarda", and Caetano Veloso's "Os Argonautas" – plus "Tardes Em Lindoya", "Noite De Temporale", "Ultimo Desejo", and "Gente Humilde". LP, Vinyl record album

Features work by Caetano Veloso, Elis Regina, MPB4, Quarteto Em Cy, Os Cariocas, and Vinicius De Moraes himself! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare session by Vinicius – featuring a 1970 recording in Buenos Aires – with Maria Creuza and Toquinho. Creuzza was at her best during the early 70s – and working here with the classic bossa team of poet Vinicius De Moraes and guitarist Toquinho, she really sparkles with a sound that's some of her best singing on record. The trio sing separately or together from track to track – and the set includes a lot of great work that's in the Black Orpheus or Afro Sambas mode. Titles include "Canto De Osshana", "A Felicidade", "Tomara", "Canto De Osshana", "Minha Namorada", "Valsa Da Tunisia", "Lamento No Morro", and a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Irene"! LP, Vinyl record album

Two rare sessions by Vinicius – back to back on one 2 CD set! CD one features a 1970 recording in Buenos Aires – with Maria Creuza and Toquinho. Creuza was at her best during the early 70s – and working here with the classic bossa team of poet Vinicius De Moraes and guitarist Toquinho, she really sparkles with a sound that's some of her best singing on record. The trio sing separately or together from track to track – and the set includes a lot of great work that's in the Black Orpheus or Afro Sambas mode. Titles include "Canto De Osshana", "A Felicidade", "Tomara", "Canto De Osshana", "Minha Namorada", "Valsa Da Tunisia", "Lamento No Morro", and a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Irene"! The other CD follows a similar format – with Maria Bethania instead of Creuza – and tracks include "A Tonga Da Mironga Do", "Kabulete", "E De Manha", "Samba Da Rosa", "Testamento", "Apelo", "Viramindo", and "Tarde Em Itapoa". 2CD set features lots of bonus tracks – 12 more titles that include "Nesta Ru Tao Deserta", "Formosa", "Ate Londres", "Gente Do Morro", "Das Rosas", "E Nada Mais", "Berimbau", and "Samba Em Preludio". CD

Roberto Menescal oversees the production on this 1991 record from MPB 4. The album has the group performing compositions by some well known figures such as Lisa Ono, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Tracks include several by Dorival Caymmi such as "O Samba Da Minha Terra", "Requebre Que Eu Dom Um Doce", "E Dengo Que A Nega Tem" and "Nega Do Balaio Grande". Others include Jobim's "Samba Do Aviao", Veloso's "Sampa", Ary Barroso's "Camisa Amarela", and Gil's "Aquele Abraco". LP, Vinyl record album