Fast and funky samba tunes by Elza Soares – handled with a great 70s twist, one that brings the tunes up to speed with samba soul work of the time by Jorge Ben and Antonio Carlos E Jocafi! The feel is light and bouncy, but also very soulful – and the set grooves in a way you won't find on some of Elza's other albums – which can sometimes be a bit more playful. This one's really focused, with a very dynamic feel in the rhythms – thanks to great orchestrations from Dom Salvador. The whole thing's a real party throughout, with tracks that include "O Gato", "Barao Beleza", "ABC Da Vida", "Samba Da Pa", "Mais Do Que Eu", "Pulo Pulo", "Amor Perfeito", and "Cheguendengo". LP, Vinyl record album

Standout samba from Elza Soares – a cracker of an album from the mid 70s, and exactly the best sort of record to get you started appreciating her talents! Elza's got a great blend here – some of the soulful elements of her samba contemporaries, mixed with a bit of the fullness of Brazilian divas from years back – never as overblown as romantic pop, but filled with a great sense of feeling that really works nicely with the grooves! Instrumentation is tight, and right on the money – warmed up a bit by the production, which also deepens the soul – and titles included "Louvei Maria", "Partido Do Le Le Le", "Desabafo", "Bom Dia Portela", "Pranto Livre", "Nao E Hora De Tristeza", and "Giringonca". CD

Killer early work from Elza Soares – a superb little set of lively bossa tunes, all arranged by the great Astor Silva! The work's equal parts bossa and samba – with the rougher edges you might expect from Elza's other work of the 60s, and some of the phrasing that might be implied by the title – all making for a winning combination that cooks up the tunes in a style that's hardly matched by other female bossa sets from the time! Tracks include "O Samba Brasileiro", "Boato", "Beija Me", "O Bilhete", "As Polegadas Da Mulata", and "Eu Quero E Sorongar". LP, Vinyl record album

Featured guests include Elza Soares, Randy Brecker, Marlui Miranda, and Jane Duboc. CD

A brilliant new vision for the legendary Banda Black Rio – the pioneering samba, soul and funk combo that broke so much ground in the 70s and remain vital to this day – led here by William Magalhaes, in a mode that celebrates decades of the best Brazilian music, while fearlessly moving it forward! William's father Oberdan Magalhaes was a driving force behind the original Banda Black Rio, and we couldn't really imagine a more appropriate new vision for the group than his son's. William wrote or co-wrote each track and he sings, plays keys and synth, guitar, bass, drums and more. The expansive group brings a depth of percussion, horns, strings and vocals – delivering timeless and dexterous jazzy Brazilian funk and dancefloor soul. The guest list includes classic and contemporary greats like Seu Jorge, Elza Soares, Marcio Local, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and others! Includes "Louis Lane" with Seu Jorge & Mano Brown, "Super Nova Samba Funk (9 No Samba)", "America Do Sul", "Isabela" feat Elza Soares and Cesar Camargo Mariano, "Samba Nova", "Quem Vem La" feat Marcio Local, "Deixa Estar" feat Aleh, "Lindos Olhos" feat Seu Jorge and Don Pixote, "Paname" feat Pyroman, "Final Feliz", "Irere" feat Gilberto Gil, "Aos Pes Do Redentor" feat Caetano Veloso and more. 16 tracks on the CD version. CD

A brilliant new vision for the legendary Banda Black Rio – the pioneering samba, soul and funk combo that broke so much ground in the 70s and remain vital to this day – led here by William Magalhaes, in a mode that celebrates decades of the best Brazilian music, while fearlessly moving it forward! William's father Oberdan Magalhaes was a driving force behind the original Banda Black Rio, and we couldn't really imagine a more appropriate new vision for the group than his son's. William wrote or co-wrote each track and he sings, plays keys and synth, guitar, bass, drums and more. The expansive group brings a depth of percussion, horns, strings and vocals – delivering timeless and dexterous jazzy Brazilian funk and dancefloor soul. The guest list includes classic and contemporary greats like Seu Jorge, Elza Soares, Marcio Local and others. Includes "Louis Lane" with Seu Jorge & Mano Brown, "Super Nova Samba Funk (9 No Samba)", "America Do Sul", "Isabela" feat Elza Soares and Cesar Camargo Mariano, "Samba Nova", "Quem Vem La" feat Marcio Local, "Deixa Estar" feat Aleha and "Lindos Olhos" feat Seu Jorge and Don Pixote. 8 tracks on the vinyl version. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool little set – one that takes off from the later years of the 70s samba soul generation in Brazil, and shows some of the funky changes that took place as the years went on! Junior Santos gave us the Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds collection on Favorite Records – and this set follows nicely from the spirit of that set – opening up our ears to work past the more-reissued 70s generation – on titles that include "Chuva De Beijos" by Beto Luiz, "Mais Que Um Momento" by Emilio Santiago, "Som Amor Trabalho E Progresso" by Elza Soares, "Nago" by Carlinhos Santos E Grupo Ceu, "Pungar" by Gerude, "Fofa" by San Rodrigues, and "Por Isso Eu Canto" by Sonia Burnier. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning tribute to the music of Jorge Ben – a host of classic covers from the 60s and 70s, all of which share Jorge's love for an upbeat, soulful groove! The set's exploding with life and energy – that new sort of groove that Ben first unleashed on Brazilian music in the 60s, which was quickly taken up by most of his contemporaries – as you'll hear on the wonderful tunes in this set! There's a ridiculous amount of music on the collection – over two dozen tunes, a number of which we'd never heard before – and although Jorge doesn't sing on any of them, the vocalists are all clearly inspired by his sense of warmth and soul. Every cut's a groover – and titles include "Que Mandou" by Osmar Milito, "Zazueira" by Wilson Simonal, "Pulo Pulo" by Elza Soares, "Se Voce Quiser Mas Sem Bronquear" by Doris Monteiro, "Tenha Fe Pois Amanha Um Lindo Dia Vai Nascer" by Salinas, "La Vem Salgueiro" by Os Originais Do Samba, "Carolina Carol Bela" by Os Brazoes, "Speed" by Sonia Santos, "Rei Do Maracatu" by Cyro Aguiar, "Cosa Nostra" by Os Mutreteiros Grilados, "Fio Maravilha" by Marijo, "Pais Tropical" by Wilson Simonal, and "Mas Que Nada" by Elza Soares. CD