Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical [Original recording reissued]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 22, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Luaka Bop
• ASIN: B0000DB51P
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,532 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > World Music > Latin Music > Brazilian > Afro Brazilian
  • #2 in Music > World Music > Latin Music > Brazilian > Tropicália
  • #13 in Music > World Music > Latin Music > Samba

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of my desert island CDs, October 12, 2004

By 

Alexanderplatz (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical (Audio CD)

I've owned this CD for over ten years and it remains one of my favorites. The Brazilian music featured here manages to be both instantly accessable and yet at the same time exotic and new, from the stripped-down funkiness of "Ponta de Lança Africano" to the majestic "Equatorial" to the melancholy harmonies on "Fio Maravilha." I suppose the reason for this is the fact that these artists grew up immersed in their rich musical traditions, but at the same time they were exposed to the music of the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Brown, etc. I don't like most of what falls under the "world music" umbrella, but this collection really hits the spot for me.

Also worth mentioning are the excellent liner notes and bilingual lyrics. Honestly, my only complaint is that this CD inspired me to go out and look for more Brazilian music but I've been unable to find anything else that I loved as much as this.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This disc introduced me to Brazil, March 15, 2006

By 

Jeffrey S. Lindstrom (Kuwait) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical (Audio CD)

What a great CD. I have all of Byrnes Brazilian discs and wish he would issue more. He really captured what makes Brazilian music great with his first three discs in this series. Still, this one is really special. The fourth and fifth disc in this series are dedicated to the artist Tom Ze who is brilliant in his own weird way. This first disc makes you just want to dance all over your living room. I wish Byrne would release more. Of course I now have a lot of the cds by the original artists, but this is the one that hooked me. Buy and enjoy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless, July 7, 2008

By 

J. Ling-Zwissler "sloejoe" (San Jose CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical (Audio CD)

This is one of my all time favorite albums, and I am a music snob! I'm not a connoisseur of Brazillian music by any means, but I simply love all of these songs and in the past 10 plus years have never tired of them. Perhaps I'm biased, but I don't think these songs sound dated and I think they have a timeless quality to them. I always think of what the liner notes say about young and old listening to the same music together- it makes Brazil sounds like an even more magical place.

I did get the Beleza Tropical Vol. 2 that David Byrne released later, and it wasn't anywhere near as good. Stick with this one and you won't be disappointed.