Customer Reviews

Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical

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If you are curious about Brazilian music or already love it and want to get a friend hooked, this album is probably the best way to go. Essentially, it is the best-regarded and biggest artists who are represented here: Jorge Ben, Maria Bethania, Chico Buarque de Hollanda, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso. They form sort of the "canon" of good Brazilian pop/rock, though their roots vary a bit. The songs here are mostly from the 70s and early 80s, after Bossa Nova and Tropicalia (Brazilian psychedelia) and before the synthesizer-dominated musical void that was the mid-late 80s. You may recognize "Ponta da Lanca Africana" by Jorge Ben from a recent Intel commercial, which is notable since there aren't very many Brazilian songs that get any commercial exposure here in the US.

The songs chosen for this album are all great, though what I want to emphasize is that what is represented here is really just the tip of the iceberg - there is so much more from all of these artists. So, buy it, hear it, love it, and then buy more. Unfortunately, their best material is not often readily available in the US, but feel free to contact me by email (ze_povinho@hotmail.com) for recommendations on particular artists since alot of the best albums are hard to find and I have several useful resources for things that Amazon won't or can't carry.

This CD is the "best of the best" from key artists of the Brazilian movement called MPB (roughly, popular music of Brazil), which flourished in the late 60's/early 70's; many of the key artists have never really slowed down and are still creating great art today. David Byrne (the Talking Heads) collected the best of these songs and put them together in a CD that can be enjoyed on three levels (1) A beautiful CD to listen to, if you want to just have some great Brazilian music playing, or (2) a jewel-box of MPB gems, or (3) a jumping off place to explore these great musicians. I highly recommend approach 3 -- buy this CD, listen to the tracks you like the most, and then explore each artist and creator on his or her own -- Jorge Ben Jor, Gilberto Gil, Chico Barque, Milton Nascimento -- you could fill a shelf with great CD's by these giants of Brazilian music.

Highly recommended!

Every track on this album is a killer! This was the first Brazilian CD I bought and although my collection of Latin music has grown substantially, I still turn to it when all else fails. It's a great introduction to the genre and by far the most comprehensive compilation of Brazilian Pop/Rock/folk music I've ever heard.

Like many countries that have had to put up with hard-line political regimes, music has always been an outlet to vent social & political frustrations, document life and present hope even in the darkest hours. The lightness of much Brazilian pop is often confused for music without guts. It is hard to imagine the music presented here as being in any way dangerous, but the military regime that controlled Brazil during the late '60s and early '70s found it very subversive. So much so that the artists Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil were exiled and lived in London for several years. The sleeve notes document all of this extremely well and present the lyrics to each track in the original Portuguese as well as the English translation. There is also a list of the original albums this compilation was derived from, many of which are well worth seeking out (Milton Nascimento's "Clube Da Esquina" being a prime example).

Most of the music on this CD is from the 70's. It's funk, acoustic, guitar, harmonic, vocal, melodic brilliance. Many of 'thee' Brazilian musical exponents are represented here (Jorge Ben, Maria Bethany, Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso etc.). There's even a track about football: Jorge Ben's "Umbabarauma" (which has been sampled by Fila Brazillia on the track "Pots and Pans"). It's obvious that this is just the tip of the Brazilian iceberg and it would be hard for a single CD to cover all the aspects & diversity present in Brazilian music. So if you want get started I'd buy this CD, I guarantee that after hearing it you will crave for MORE! (The good news is that Luaka Bop's releases are already in double figures.)...

Let me start by saying that I know nothing about Brazilian music. I used to think it all sounded like "Girl from Ipanema." This CD gloriously proves otherwise. While no one collection can capture the breadth of a country's musical culture, this one does a good job of at least illustrating variety in Brazilian music. And the songs are great. There are songs in this collection that make you want to learn Portuguese just so you can appreciate them more. Heck, I've sung along with a few of the cuts without even knowing what I was singing (I do a mean Milton Nasciamento falsetto). It's simply a great, great CD. I don't know how representative of Brazil these selections are, and, to be honest, I don't really care. I just love the music. It's wonderful.

This album put the Luaka Bop label on the map for many people, and in many ways it is still an example of their best work. This compilation contains some of the best south american music I have heard, even though the tracks now date back several decades. If you are looking to get your feet wet with a Luaka Bop title this is the one for you.

I've had this album for several years and everyone I play it for immediately is interested in Brazilian music. It's addictive. I spent 2 years in Brazil and this album always gives me "saudades" (makes me homesick for Brazil).

Because Portuguese, not Spanish, is the language of Brazil, the Latin explosion has unfortunately not thus far brought to widespread attention the absolutely amazing music that has emerged from Brazil in the last century. "Beleza Tropical" thus takes as its quest the noble attempt to introduce to the English language public the lions of Brazilian popular music. All the greats of Brazil from the late 60s on (Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, Chico Buarque) are here. The album does concentrate in MPB (musica popular do Brasil or popular music of Brazil) and thus does not feature works of bossa nova, but no album can do everything! The album easily captures the fusion between European and African that is such an important facet of Brazilian culture, and the mix will be pleasing to anyone who is willing to accept that not every great work of popular music occurs in English and that great music really does transcend all boundaries.

I don't know if it's the soccer player in me, or the fact that I'm half-Portuguese and it's in my blood, but I took to this album instantly and I never have tired of listening to it, in 6 years. Great rhythms and enchanting voices, this is just one entertaining disc to have, and a great primer for anybody interested in Brazilian music. It also offers a lot of insight into the sociopolitical climates of the times from when these songs were released, and the translations and history included in the CD jacket are much appreciated, and enhance the listening experience all that much more. A truly great collection of music that I have every confidence in recommending to you if you want something different that has a great dance beat and I dare you to sit still in your chair while you listen. Enjoy!

Beleza Tropical presents 18 lush Brazilian songs. I stumbled across this CD when I was 10 years old and completely fell in love with it. The Portugeuse language is beautiful and the songs only get better as you listen to them more and more. I highly recommend this title.

The music brings a keyhole view of the Brazilian culture that made me want to open the door and experience it for myself!