A collection of hip work from this famous Brazilian song festival – with other material by Quarteto Em Cy, Claudette Soares, Guetemberg Guarabyra & Grupo Manifesto, and Mario Teles! LP, Vinyl record album

Volume 3 in this legendary series of groundbreaking work from the Brazilian scene – recorded at the 3rd Festival in 1967 by Philips! The set includes 4 tracks by O Quarteto, including "Isso Nao Se Faz", "Capoirada", and "Menina Moca". Other cuts include "Alegria, Alegria" by Caetano Veloso, "Gabriela" by MPB4, "Balada Do Vietnam" by As Compositoras, and "Beto Bom De Bola" by Sergio Ricardo. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent compilation of bossa tunes, put together on the 30th anniversary of bossa nova, and compiled by the great Roberto Menescal, who had a hand in many famous bossa tunes. Titles include "Boranda" by Edu Lobo & Tamba Trio, "De Palavra Em Palavra" by MPB4, "Carta Ao Tom 74" by Toquinho & Vinicius, "Rio" by Os Cariocas, "Voce E Eu" by Nara Leao, "Garota De Ipanema" by Sergio Mendes & Bossa Rio, "Corcovado" by Sylvia Telles, and "Desafinado" by Gal Costa. 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

A stone classic from the great Ivan Lins – a set recorded at a time when he was fast becoming a big name on the global scene, not just in Brazil – thanks to his wonderful sense of songwriting and lyricism! The album's almost a celebration of all that Lins had done so far – put together with close collaborators Gilson Peranzzetta and Vitor Martins – and done with lots of great help from famous guests who include MPB4, Erasmo Carlos, Nana Caymmi, Tim Maia, Elis Regina, and Patti Austin. The arrangements are wonderful – sophisticated and offbeat, and every bit as compelling as Lins' work from the 70s – and titles include "Abre Alas", "Comecar De Novo", "Novo Tempo", "Formigueiro", "Dinorah Dinorah", and "Juntos". CD

If you've ever been wondering which album to get by Chico Buarque – this is it! The record's a stunning batch of sophisticated sides, done in collaboration with Roberto Menescal, and with help from Jobim and MPB4! The album builds on the style of Buarque's excellent late 60s songwriting, and adds in some of the more complicated approaches to arrangement that were being developed in Brazil at the end of the 60s – in a way that pushes Chico's work to the next level, and which makes this record sit right up there with work at the time by Jobim or Edu Lobo. Titles include "Samba De Orly", "Valsinha", "Acalanto", "Deus Ilhe Pague", and "Construcao". Really beautiful – with a lot of soul, and a great sound! CD

Amazing work from a young Chico Buarque – a record that seems to draw on all the best elements of 60s Brazilian pop, and forge them into a sound that's all its own! At one level, there's a post-bossa style of larger arrangements here that recalls the work of Edu Lobo – handled by Maestro Gaya in a mode that recalls some of the best bits of the time on the Elenco or Forma labels. But at another level, there's also a personal and slightly folksy style that reminds us of the initial power of Geraldo Vandre – a sound that's clearly present in Buarque's work, and which stands in a direct line to the best strengths of the emerging Tropicalia generation. The set's filled with classics that include "Carolina", "Roda Viva", "O Velho", "Ate Pensei", "Sem Fantasia", and "Desencontro" – and a few tracks feature Chico in duets with either Toquinho, Cristina, or MPB4! 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". CD

A beautiful collection that looks at the way that the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim was such an inspiration for famous duet performances in Brazilian music – a mode that was already strongly in place on that nation's scene, but which seemed to flower even more strongly in the hands of Jobim and some of his bossa contemporaries! The performances here run from classic early readings of Jobim's tunes from the 60s, to later reworkings that show the way that his music could provide just the right space for personal interplay between two singers – but at a level that's always very different than the Anglo modes we know up north. Titles include "Fotografia" by Antonio Carlos Jobim & Elis Regina, "Este Seu Olhar/So Em Teus Bracos" by Lucio Alves & Sylvia Telles, "Corcovado" by Ithamara Koorax & Os Cariocas, "Anos Dourados" by Antonio Carlos Jobim & Chico Buarque, "Samba De Maria Luisa" by Daniel Jobim & Maria Luisa, "Agua De Beber" by Antonio Carlos Jobim & Astrud Gilberto, "Passarim" by Antonio Carlos jobim & Nova Banda, "Retrato Em Branco E Preto" by Cristovao Bastos & Rosa Passos, and "Dindi/Se Todos Fossem Iguas A Voce/Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar" by Quarteto Em Cy & MPB4. CD