Customer Reviews

África Brasil

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In a word -- WOW. Probably the best funk album ever recorded in Brazil, and certainly one of the best Brazilian pop albums as well. Features the often-anthologized "Umbabarauma" and the super-funky "Xica da Silva," along with a whole slew of other great tracks, such as the James Brown/Sly Stone inspired "Hermes Trismegisto Escriveu" and other groove-heavy wonders. A couple of songs are too shrill -- less disco flirtations than just plain old pop-funk gone jittery. One such track is an unfortunate remake of "Taj Mahal," the song from which Rod Stewart swiped the melody to "If You Think I'm Sexy"... Nevertheless, this is a masterpiece, one of the best Brazilian albums of the '70s. Absolutely essential, required listening.

...So I throw this thing in my CD player for the first time and instantly I say to myself "I have NO idea what this guy is saying--but Damn! is this funky."

From the ridiculous, syncopated funk of "Ponta de la Africano (Ummbabarumba)" right into the bubbling bassline intro to track #2 "Hermes..." this things from Brazil straight cooks, man.

I'm not exactly a stranger to Brazilian soul music. But if you are, this is a sweet starting point. Best way to sum it up is a cross-pollination of latin smoke, jb funk, island rhythms and African stylings.

The funk flew outta of Brazil in the 70's so if you ain't hip and you're not sure, start with this Jorge Ben album and keep diggin...

This deserves a spot on any soul/funk fan's shelf. I had Umbagarrauma on a complilation CD and wanted to hear more. I am familiar with other Brazilian styles and the unrelated Rock en Espanol styles but this one is the king. You can party to it, work out, or just groove to this man's genius in your car. I went through the Starbuck's drive through and the kid said,"who is that." Who says the best funk n soul comes out of America? Buy it you won't regret it.

This may well be the funkiest album ever recorded in Brazil (many of you will be unaware, but many great funky records were recorded there in the 70s). Jorge Ben basically started the Rio funk/soul movement, and this relentlessly banging album holds its own with virtually any US funk album of 1976 (and that's obviously saying plenty...). The most familiar track will be "Umbabarauma" as featured on the first David Byrne compilation, but trust me, the funk on this album NEVER LETS UP. Jorge Ben (initials JB!), the funkiest man ever in Brazil! My brother!

I'm not a fan of reviewing products that have been out for a while; it is unfair to previous reviews and allows me to question the real impact of a review in terms of the sales of the artist. Another five star review; can that sway a mind into buying an album out for over thirty two years by an artist who, if American, could collect his social security this year?

If anything, Jorge Ben's music has become more relevant in the current musical climate. The funk revival, pioneered on the west coast by Stones Throw, as seen in Yesterdays Universe and the subsidary Now Again Records, and revitalized in the east by Daptone Records, has mingled with Afrobeat and Soul music to create this wonderous blend of music coming out now. A subtle shift in the generation, from 100 Days, 100 Nights to Security to La Revancha del Tango to the unsightly Back to Black, has led me to believe once again in the bumper stickers that "Drum Machines Have No Soul."

Yet none of this would be possible without Jorge Ben; if anything, his music is the synthesis of this sound that is finally re-emerging into the marketplace. Most Americans who cringe when rock and country mix would be downright frightened by the drum breaks mixing with Portugese call and response phrases, unified by a powerful young voice and distorted guitars. Yet that is the genesis of the record; a bouncing football groove of Ponta de Lanca Africano that sets the stage for the next 11 tracks. The oscillation continues throughout the record, with the infamous reworking of Taj Mahal (eventually ripped off by Rod Stewart for "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy") to the international hit of Xica da Silva, bringing the record almost to a festival frenzy that demands not an audience but a crowd, a party, a festival, a celebration.

It is hard to say so little with so much on this record. Don't sell yourself short on this one. The only imperfection in this record is the lack of a rerelease and the lack of exposure now a days. I love old recordings as much as the next audiophile but a reworking would be great for this man and bring great exposure to a classic artist not just in Brazilian history but in popular culture. This record isn't a footnote to popular Brazilian music, this is a starting point for where radical genre blends invade the popular consciousness.

Highly recommended.

Guys, please stop referring to this as a funk album. It has funk signatures, it gives a nod to funk, but to refer to this as a funk album, even a Brazilian funk album is a misnomer. James Brown? No. This is not a knock on Jorge Ben; I love him; and the reviewer Six-Pack I respect your work on Brazilian music. The beauty and the genius of Jorge Ben is he takes for example Black American vibes and incorporates it seamlessly in his music and makes it completely his own. As opposed to say the Brazilian Ed Motta who is very often a straight copy of Black American sounds like the British do. Incidentally, this album has a lot of Fela Kuti, Africa, (even Bob Marley in it, Xica da Silva).

If the house was on fire and I could only rescue five CDs, this would be one of them. In my opinion, one of three major landmarks in Ben's career (the first being writing ''Mas que nada'' and the second defining a whole new tropical sound on his 1969 self-titled album). 'África Brasil' remains a landmark in Brazilian music well over thirty years after it was first released. The album includes the incredible ''Ponta de lança africano (Umbabarauma)''; a song that spearheaded a hundred sounding rip-offs from artists all over Brazil. It also includes one of his greatest ever single releases ''Xica da Silva'', about the legendary 18th century African slave, a track that would be released and re-released numerous times throughout the mid to late 70s across both Latin America and Europe. The album would also start a trend of including reworked versions of his songs from earlier albums; this time the inclusion of his hit single from a few years earlier, ''Taj Mahal'', originally included on his 1971 'Ben' album. Temporarily deleted and selling for extortionate prices on here; rumours are that a remastered edition is due out very soon. In one word: incredible.

AWESOME. This 1976 masterpiece is probably the best funk album ever recorded in Brazil, and one of the best Brazilian pop albums, ever. Period. Features the often-anthologized "Umbabarauma" and the super-funky "Xica da Silva," but also a whole slew of other great tracks, such as the James Brown/Sly Stone inspired "Hermes Trismegisto Escriveu" and other groove-heavy wonders. A couple of songs are too shrill -- less disco flirtations than just plain old pop-funk gone jittery. One such track is an unfortunate remake of "Taj Mahal," the 1974 song is where Rod Stewart swiped the melody to "If You Think I'm Sexy"... Nevertheless, this is a great record... Absolutely essential.

If the house was on fire and I could only rescue five CDs, this would be one of them. In my opinion, one of three major landmarks in Ben's career (the first being writing ''Mas que nada'' and the second defining a whole new tropical sound on his 1969 self-titled album). 'África Brasil' remains a landmark in Brazilian music well over thirty years after it was first released. The album includes the incredible ''Ponta de lança africano (Umbabarauma)''; a song that spearheaded a hundred sounding rip-offs from artists all over Brazil. It also includes one of his greatest ever single releases ''Xica da Silva'', about the legendary 18th century African slave, a track that would be released and re-released numerous times throughout the mid to late 70s across both Latin America and Europe. The album would also start a trend of including reworked versions of his songs from earlier albums; this time the inclusion of his hit single from a few years earlier, ''Taj Mahal'', originally included on his 1971 'Ben' album. Temporarily deleted and selling for extortionate prices on here; rumours are that a remastered edition is due out very soon. In one word: incredible.

Musically gorgeous and unique, great rhythm, Jorge's voice is amazing, the album has a lot of musical depth, is uplifting, tropical. It's an amazing work of his!