Customer Reviews

Brazil Classics 2: O Samba

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

 

 

This was the first Brazilian album I ever bought. Since this purchase, made over four years ago, I've learned portuguese, traveled to Brasil four times, and danced in the streets during carnival. Unlike other Latin American music, which also features interesting, hip-moving sounds, Samba laughs and plays. For example, the song 'E preciso muito amor' is sung by a man whipped by his woman. "It takes a lot of love," the lyrics go, "to put up with this woman. Everything she sees in the window she wants...and I have to give with out complaining, because if I don't, she'll cry and threaten to leave." Funny stuff. The tribulations of the common man on the street. The instrumentation is what defines the traditional samba genre. Heavy on Afro-Brazilian percussion, the rich samba rhythms begin with the earth-trembling drum beat of the Surdo(bass drum) and build to screeching otherworldly sound of the Cuica (friction drum). Though I have discovered literally dozens of other indigenous Brazilian musical styles in the four years since I bought this album, I still regard Samba as THE national music of Brazil. Enjoy!

This disc was compiled by David Byrne, and he has done an excellent job in selecting the best offerings of some of the biggest names in Brazilian music (though there is a greater diversity here than on "Beleza Tropical"). I really enjoy Clara Nunes and Beth Carvalho, and even the two songs from Alcione (who normally sings insipid american style "slow jams") are great. Martinho da Vila and Paulinho da Viola are both represented, two artists I would encourage everyone interested in Brazilian music to familiarize themselves with.

I've been listening to this tape going on nine years now, and I've got to say, it's one of the very few compilations I own that always puts me in a great mood. This is a must buy!

Only two or three really make the grade, and those come in at 4 out of 5 at best. The real source for great sambas of the same sound/period is from a different anthology: "Brasil: a Century of Song: Volume 1 = Carnaval". The majority of these are at least 4 stars, and quite a few clock in at 5. The other three volumes in the series ['Folk & Traditional', 'Bossa Nova Era' and 'MPB - Musica Popular Brasileira'] are just as good!

Problem is [when you're searching for this type of music] is that Brasilians spell the name of their country "Brasil" not "Brazil", and Amazon's search engine doesn't bridge the gap. You type in "Brazil", you're going to miss a lot of good CD's.

All in all, 'Brazil Classics' volumes 1 & 2 are more or less tepid . . . though volume 3 ('Forro, Maracatu, etc.') really takes off running and never stops. That one's definitely 5 stars, pretty much all the way through.

And what an introduction! "Formosa" is one of the most wonderful tunes I've ever heard. Follow this one up with the Forro compilation that David Byrne did, if you can.

David Byrne needs to be put in his place, and his place is not Brazilian music (especially samba). There are some very famous and beautiful sambas from Brazil, but this CD includes maybe 1 or 2 of this caliber. Beginners may want to search for pagode samba titles before this one.