Gal Costa gets some great help here from Celso Fonseca – who produced the album, and gives Costa a fresh sound that makes the album one of her best from the 90s! The music's a bit in Fonseca's own mode on his recordings – currents of bossa that bring a classic feel at times, but also modernized a bit in the arrangements, and creative use of contemporary instrumentation – at levels that keep the whole thing from just being a back-to-bossa session! Gal's voice is wonderful – able to turn a line with such subtle power, she grabs us even when we can't understand the lyrics – and the instrumentation is right in there to underscore all the best elements, with the right touches on piano or guitar. Titles include "A Voz Do Tambor", "Imunizacao Racional", "Qui Nem Gilo", "Sertao", "Calling You", "Habib", and "Aguarte Agora". CD

Titles include "Baby", "So Louco", "Nao Identificado", "Teco-Teco", "Deixa Sangrar", "Estamos Ai", and "Juventude Transviada" – 14 tracks in all. CD

Completely charming work from Gal Costa – lush backgrounds, jazzy keyboards, and lots of other elements you might not have expected in her music a dozen years before – but all handled by Gal with the kind of care and class that have made her one of the greatest Brazilian singers of the past 50 years! The album's a nicely mature effort that shows the world that Costa's got plenty of fresh pages in her book after the 70s – and although many of the tracks are mellow, they're still filled with feeling, and never too sleepy or syrupy at all – even though the arrangements sound slightly dated in spots. Titles include a duet with Tim Maia on "Um Dia De Domingo" and one with Caetano Veloso on "Sorte", plus "De Volta Ao Futuro", "Bem Bom", "Muito Por Demais", "Ultimo Blues", and "Acende O Crepusculo". CD

Gal Costa is no stranger to the duet format in pop music – and in fact, it might be safe to say that it's been a huge part of her career – as evidenced by the fact that her first album was a set of duets with Caetano Veloso! This collection explores that tradition nicely – by bringing together 20 years of duets that Gal recorded during her years at BMG. The variety of artists is astounding, and Gal really manages to work with each of them on their own terms. Titles include "Ilusao A Toa" with Johnny Alf, "O Cu Do Mundo" with Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, "Saudade De Bahia" with Quarteto Em Cy, "Ponta De Areia" with Boca Livre, "Alguem Que Olhe Por Mim" with Cauby Peixoto, "Misterios" with Joyce, and "Biscate" with Chico Buarque. CD

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The loveliest album we've heard from Gal Costa in years – a sweetly jazzy session that features some great arrangements and keyboards from the legendary Cesar Camargo Mariano! Mariano gives the album a nicely laidback feel – one that's almost rootsy at times, especially on a few of the album's more percussive numbers – and Costa herself seems to really open up in the setting, singing with some of the best warmth of her later years, but never sounding too slick or too overproduced. And although there's a bit of electricity on the instrumentation, the album's also got a strongly acoustic feel overall – one that further heightens the intimacy of its sound, and which brings Costa back to some territory that we really love. Titles include "Voyeur", "Mar E Sol", "Luto", "Jurei", "Hoje", "Santana", "Te Adorar", and "Embedado". CD

An overlooked bit of mid 80s bossa – a live set that features Antonio Carlos Jobim on piano and vocals, plus some great additional help from Gal Costa! The work here is a nice maturation of older bossa modes – slightly darker than before, and with a rich feeling that represents the better sounds of Jobim's later career – inflected with some slightly sunnier moments. There's a group of female chorus singers on the set – working in a style that's somewhere between Quarteto Em Cy and Brasil 66 – and other group members include Danilo Caymmi on flute and Jacques Morelenbaum on cello, working with Jobim in a small combo style with plenty of jazz. Titles include "Agua De Beber", "Dindi", "Two Kites", "Corcovado", "One Note Samba", "Samba Do Sonho", and "Sabia". CD

A great record! One of the nicest recent records by either Caetano or Gal Costa, and a compelling recent soundtrack to the film Tieta Do Agreste, by director Carlos Diegues. As with the other Caetano Veloso soundtrack on Blue Jackel, this one features arrangements and orchestrations by Jaques Morelenbaum, but unlike the other one, this album has a lot more vocal tracks – including many lovely spare numbers sung by Gal Costa. Veloso wrote the music, and adds some very nice vocals to a number of tracks, including one that's a duet with Gal. Titles include "Vento", "Perpetua", "Ze Esteves", "Venha Ca", "Imaculada", and "A Luz De Tieta". CD

Gal Costa looks surpisingly youthful on the cover – and she's also sounding more youthful in her music than we've heard in many years – thanks to a key collaboration with Kassin and Moreno Veloso! Both of the younger musicians really find a fresh space for Gal to work with – a nice shift away from some of the more staid, mature modes of her other recent records – and a style that brings out all the creativity that made us fall in love with Costa so many years ago! This shift isn't a return to Tropicalia, but instead a move towards that playful, genre-stepping territory that you'll find in both Veloso and Kassin's music, especially the latter. One of Costa's best in years – and with titles that include "Amor Se Aclame", "Anuviar", "Espelho D'Agua", "Ecstasy", "Jabitaca", and "Sem Medo Nem Esperanca". 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 richest, most expressive albums ever from the great Gal Costa – a set from her immediate post-Tropicalia years, and one that shows that she's got a lot more to offer than just a wild sense of experimentation! Gilberto Gil is the musical director here – with help from Rogerio Duprat and Arthur Verocai – and the album's got the lofty feel you'd expect from all three talents – a rich blend of all the modern developments in Brazilian music that had taken place in the 60s, but infused with a newly rootsy sense as well – one that takes the whole thing back to a personal, expressive territory that's really wonderful. Instrumentationincludes work on keyboards by Wagner Tiso and Tenorio Jr, plus a bit of guitar from Roberto Menescal – and Gal does a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Relance" – alongside other tracks that include "Passarinho", "Da Maior Imortancia", "India", "Volta", and the funky "Pontos De Luz". The whole thing's incredibly beautiful – and it's got Gal in a wild bikini cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

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Gently sophisticated work from Gal Costa – tracks recorded either with small group backing, or some larger arrangements that make some nice use of strings. The whole album's got the ambitious feel of some of the recent titles on the Biscoito Fino label – and arrangements are by Eduardo Souto Netto and Julinho Teixeira. Titles include "Sabado Em Copacabana", "Brigas", "Fim De Caso", "Nervos De Aco", "Kalu", "Chora Tua Tristeza", "Pra Machuchar Meu Coracao", "Linda Flor", and "Alguem Como Tu". CD

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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". CD

A beautiful tribute to 25 years in Brazilian music by Maria Bethania – and a record that's easily one of her greatest efforts from later years! The album's something of an all-star effort – with guest vocals from Nina Simone, Joao Gilberto, Gal Costa, and others – and tremendous instrumentation from Wagner Tiso, Hermeto Pascoal, Jaime Alem, Sivuca, and Jose Roberto Bertrami – all of whom help to give the record a sense of majesty that matches Bethania's tremendous vocals. There's none of the overwrought "tour de force" quality going on here – and instead, the guests all make relatively restrained contributions – always letting Maria keep center stage, in a way that shows their support simply, and subtly. Titles include "Quase", "Maria/Linda Flor", "Tomara", "Flor De Lr Embora", "Awo/Inhansa", "Palavra/Apesar De Voce", "Tocando Em Frendte", and "Logrador". CD

Chico Buarque was an undeniable influence on the generation of Brazilian singers that included Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil – and this nice best of set brings together some of great tracks from the years when he was working his magic the strongest in Brazil. 12 tracks in all, including "A Banda", "Ole Ola", 'A Rita", "Noite Dos Mascarados", "Roda Diva", "Carolina", "Ate Segunda Feira", "Quem Te Viu, Quem Te Ve" and "Umas A Outras". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic recording of Chico Buarque's opera Malandro – done with the supervision of Chico himself, who also stars on vocals along with singers that include Gal Costa, Zizi Possi, MPB4, Nara Leao, Alcione, Moreira Da Silva, and Francis Hime. Hime handled the arrangements and directed the music – and titles include "O Malandro", "Viver De Amor", "Hino De Duran", "Terezinha", "O Meu Amor", "Pedaco De Mim", and "Opera". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool set that includes a 10" LP that features 8 classic tracks by Gil, plus a great color booklet filled with excellent photos! The cuts are performed by Gil and others – and include Luiz Gonzaga doing "Procissao", Gal Costa doing "Cultura E Civilizacao",and Gil performing "Aguele Abraco", "Domingo No Parque", and "Gelei Geral". Worth it for the booklet alone! LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant early moment for the young Gilberto Gil – a set recorded right before his jump into the Tropicalia movement, but with a sound that's already pretty darn unique! The style here has Gilberto singing upfront and playing acoustic guitar – in a mode that's certainly rooted in bossa nova, but which really moves past its basic approach – showing some of the deeper, darker, more sophisticated tunes you'd find in similar early music by Nara Leao or Gal Costa! The songwriting is superb – of the sort that already had many others picking up some of Gil's important early tunes for their own recordings – and there's a nice nod to deeper Brazilian roots in some of the arrangements, particularly the regions that were sometimes pushed into the corners of the culture. Arrangements are by Dori Caymmi and others – and titles include Gil's classic "Roda", which was covered by many artists, but done brilliantly here in the original – plus "Lovacao", "Maria", "Ensaio Geral", "Lunik 9", and "Procissao" – all early classics! CD

2 late 60s classics from Gilberto Gil – the bulk of his Tropicalia recordings on a single CD! First up is his self-titled album from 1968, a bold leap forward for Gil – his first album recorded during the Tropicalia years, and an amazing collaboration with arranger Rogerio Duprat! The album's got a sound that really bridges scenes in Brazil – elements of older folkloric musics, folded with samba rhythms, folded again with psychedelic touches from Os Mutantes – who also help out on the set – all wrapped together with a sound so revolutionary, it still crackles with energy all these many years later! The sound and style are impossible to describe accurately, which is part of the charm of the record – and it's key placement as one of the prime musical texts of the Tropicalia years. Titles include "Marginalia II", "Luzia Luluza", "Pega A Voga, Cabeludo", "Frevo Rasgado", "Domingou", and "Domingo No Parque". Next is the rare 3rd album by Gilberto Gil, and a key piece of the Tropicalia puzzle – one of the most wildly experimental albums from those years, and Gil's last before going into exile! The sound is much more electric than his other albums from the late 60's – and the production, songwriting, and instrumentation get very crazy at times – but never too crazy to cover up Gilberto's excellent singing, which is still as filled with feeling as ever. Arrangements are by the mighty Rogerio Duprat, who does as great a job here of balancing Gil's sensitivities as he does on Gal Costa's sublime efforts from 1969 – and the instrumentation is a weird and wonderful mix of Bahian rhythms, fuzzy guitar, and crazy electronics – all heartfelt one minute, freaked out the next. Tracks include "Cerebro Eletronico", "Volks Volkswagen Blue", "Futurivel", and "2001", which was written by Tom Ze and Rita Lee – plus the wild cut "Objecto Semi-Identificado", which is sort of a John Cage-esque track of found radio and electronics, with vocals by Gil! CD

A great session that shows the increasing talents of Francis Hime – both as an arranger and songwriter with a huge influence on the larger sound of MPB at the time! Hime's working here in a mode that's expanded from his work in the 70s – a style that's ambitious, yet also quite personal at times – and which is made even more compelling by guest work from Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Simone, and a range of great instrumentalists who assure that Hime's musical vision is carried out to best effect. Titles include "Promessas Promessas", "O Sinal", "Mariana", "Parceiros", "Um Dueto", "Flor De Laranjeira", and "Lacos De Serpentina". CD

A pretty nice little record from Jobim – one that builds on the larger orchestrations he was crafting during the 70s, working into a sound that's rich, warm, and a strong accompaniment for this film that starred Marcello Mastroianni. Oscar Castro Neves conducts the orchestra, and Jobim and Gal Costa sing on a few songs – dueting in an especially lovely way on the tracks "Tying The Knot", "Love Theme From Gabriela", and "Love Theme – Long Version". Other titles include "Arrival Of The Wanderers", "Thinking Of Life", "Playing Leapfrog", and "Walking Through The Forest". CD

One of the best of the Lumiar Songbook series – and a 2 CD set that features a host of Brazil's great artists, all interpreting the work of one of the country's greatest songwriters! Unlike the other volumes, the artist in question – Edu Lobo – does not perform on the discs, but the 33 tracks on the set more than make up for his absence with an extremely sensitive approach to his music. There's way too much here to mention, but you'll hear loads of classics like "Zanzibar", "Reza", "Upa Neguinho", and others – all performed by the likes of Gal Costa, Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Joao Bosco, Tim Maia, Milton Nascimento, Egberto Gismonti, Leny Andrade, Hermeto Pascoal, and others. Very nice, and all recordings are exclusive to the set! CD

A beautiful batch of mellow bossa tunes – all from the pen of Carlos Lyra, and performed by a host of Brazil's best musicians that includes Lyra himself. The recording quality is excellent, and the tracks are spare stripped-down takes of some of Lyra's best material – most of which you'll recognize instantly. As with the other Lumiar sets, the material here is not on other LPs, which makes the set an even bigger treat! There's 20 tracks in all, featuring great performances by Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Joao Bosco, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Nana Caymmi, Helio Delmiro, Joyce, Simone, Leny Andrade, Roberto Menescal, Emilio Santiago, Nico Assumpcao, and others! CD

When this album was first issued in the mid 90s by EMI, it quietly glided onto the market, with very little effect. Over the past few years, though, the record has slowly been championed by a large number of American critics and musicians, and has come to be one of the most critically acclaimed releases by a Brazilian musician in recent years. The album's a mix of jazz-tinged vocal tracks by Marisa, with a style that certainly owes something to earlier Brazilian singers like Gal Costa or Joyce, but which also has lots of its own nice touches. Arto Linday produced the set, and Marisa runs through a batch of songs that includes versions of Lou Reed's "Pale Blue Eyes", Arnaldo Antunes "Deepest Night", Jorge Ben's "Balanca Pema", and her own "Enquanto Isso", sung with Laurie Anderson. There's also loads of guests on the album – like Gilberto Gil, Carlinhos Brown, and others! CD

A live album from Milton Nascimento, but a set that's got all the majesty of his studio work of the 70s – thanks to a core group that's really wonderful, and some larger orchestrations that must have taken up a fair bit of space on the stage! Nascimento's got that wonderfully expressive style throughout – that new sort of soulfulness that he brought to Brazilian music at the end of the 60s – and core instrumental support is from Wagner Tiso on keyboards, Helio Delmiro on guitar, and Robertinho Silva on drums. Gal Costa joins the group on the song "Um Gosto De Sol", and the set features a great reworking of the beautiful classic "Para Lennon E McCartney" – plus the cuts "Brasil", "Menestrel Das Alagoas", "Coracao De EStudante", "Maria Maria", "Caxanga", "Solar", and "Paisagem Na Janela". LP, Vinyl record album

Music by Andre Luiz Oliveira – with guest vocals by Elba Ramalho, Caetano Veloso, Moraes Moreira, Gilberto Gil, Elizeth Cardoso, Gal Costa, and others! CD

An essential introduction to the work of this legendary group – an important American issue of some of their best material – all of which never came out in our market back in the day! If you don't know Os Mutantes, prepare to be blown away – as they were a key part of the Tropicalia movement, alongside bigger names Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, and Gilberto Gil – creating music that was years ahead of its time, but which has gone on to become legendary over the years! There's so many different elements going on here, it's impossible to pin down – avant and psychedelic modes, Brazilian styles and postmodern ones, all put together with sublime production that's also way ahead of the pack! This Luaka Bop presentation was put together by David Byrne – and it features a total of 14 cuts in all – including an English and Portuguese reading of the famous "Baby", plus the tunes "Ave Lucifer", "Desculpe, Babe", "Adeus Maria Fulo", "Panis Et Circensis", "Bat Macumba", "Dia 36", and "Fuga No II". CD

A beautiful tribute to the career of Brazilian pianist Gilson Peranzzetta – a musician who's been adding his talents to records of some of the greats of that scene from the 70s onwards – including recordings by Ivan Lins, Simone, and Gal Costa! Peranzzatta's both a great musical accompanist for singers, and a hell of a musician on his own – and both sides of those talents are showcased here – in a live set that has Gilson playing a grand piano with a wonderfully rich sound – and leading a larger group as the set moves on, with space enough for guest appearances by Leny Andrade, Mauro Senise, Valerie Lobao, and the Quarteto Radames Gnattali. Most tunes are original compositions by Gilson – showcasing his strengths as a composer, too – and titles include "Como Vinho", "Pro Rada", "Cantos Da Vida", "Sorriso De Luz", "Vivencia", "Paisagem Brasileira", "Dois Na Rede", and "Braz De Pina Meu Amor". CD

One of the most diverse albums that Elis Regina cut during the 70s – a set that seems to leap from style to style with each new track, and really build from some of the more staid and jazz-based styles of her other records! Cesar Camargo Mariano is still in charge of arrangements here, but the overall sound is relatively different – mellow one minute, rockish the next, cast in stark piano after that, and always moving onward with the sort of variety we might expect from Gal Costa or Maria Bethania at this point. Some cuts are tinged with Latin and South American instrumentation, while others more guitar and electric keyboards – and highlights of the album include versions of two Joao Bosco songs "O Cavaleiro E Os Monihos" and "Jardins De Infancia", which has a beautiful soaring electric feel to it, and is a real groover along the lines of the tracks you might find on Blue Brazil. Other titles include "Tatuagem", "Como Nossos Pais", "Velha Roupa Colorida", "Los Hermanos", and "Um Por Todos". LP, Vinyl record album

The important early years of Simone – an 11 CD set of her classic 70s albums, easily some of the best music she ever recorded! Back at the time, Simone was a brilliant new talent – one of the first fresh faces to really take MPB by storm after the late 60s wave that included Gal Costa and Maria Bethania, but one who came across with a deeper sort of sophistication – some of the cerebral modes brought to the music by the Milton Nascimento/Minas Gerais crowd. Simone's early records are masterpieces – not just in the songwriting and performance, but in the overall presentation too – wonderful production styles that lift her already-great voice to a whole new level, and really open up the sound in the process. The set features full albums, all remastered – with records that include Simone, Face A Face, Cigarra, Pedacos, Ao Vivo, Gotas D'Agua, Quatro Paredes, Festa Brasil, and Bresil Export 73. Includes bonus cuts, and notes as well! CD

One of the building blocks of the late 60s Tropicalia scene in Brazil – and a standout solo debut from the young Caetano Veloso! The album's got an approach that's as dynamic and trippy as its cover image might imply – the same amazing blend of sounds and styles you'd hear on contemporaneous records by Gal Costa or Os Mutantes – served up with similar wit, wisdom, and charm! Caetano's vocals are amazing throughout – filled with raspy power that goes beyond the barriers of language – and the production has loads of surprising elements tripping through the mix – some rootsy, some slightly orchestrated – but with a softer approach that resonates strongly with more psychedelic use of organ and guitar. The album's as powerful today as it was decades ago – an essential recording that holds up beautifully year after year! The kickoff track is "Tropicalia" (surprisingly enough!), and the album is a non-stop ride through gems like "Alegria, Alegria", "Onde Andaras", "Paisagem Util", "Ave Maria", and the groovy "Soy Loco Por Ti America", written by Gilberto Gil. CD

With selections by Joao Gilberto, Baden Powell, Os Cariocas, Os Gatos, Tamba Trio, Edu Lobo and Maria Bethania, Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sylvia Telles and Lucio Alves, Roberto Menescal, Marcia, and Luiz Eca-Cordas. LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever record in the Luaka Bop legacy – a massive collection of Brazilian grooves that still serves as one of the best introductions to the music we can think of! Most of the artists here are the bigger names of the MPB generation of the 70s – but many are still very under-represented in the US market – which makes the collection of work here completely essential. The styles range from samba soul of Jorge Ben to the lyrical poetry of Caetano Veloso to the soulful drama of Milton Nascimento – and titles include "Ponta De Lanca Africano" and "Fio Varavilha" by Jorge Ben, "Cacada" by Chico Buarque, "Quilombo O El Dorado Negro" and "So Quero Um Xodo" by Gilberto Gil, "Quiexa" and "O Leaozinho" by Caetano Veloso, "Sonho Meu" by Maria Bethania & Gal Costa, "Caixa De Sol" by Nazare Pereira, and "Anima" by Milton Nascimento. LP, Vinyl record album