Customer Reviews

The Now Sound of Brazil

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

 

 

If you scan the Billboard Top 200 album charts nowadays, you'll find enough quality releases to fit on one hand (in a good week). In this dismal state of popular music, Six Degrees Records has arrived to show us the way. Thanks to Amazon[.com] reviewers, I was led to Bebel Gilberto, Suba, and others in the Six Degrees family. Sadly, this amazing hybrid of Latin music and electronic sounds is nowhere to be found on said charts (maybe the world music section). That said, this collection is a great place to start for those looking to make the plunge to great sounds. For those already familiar with these artists, you get new remixes (the Suba one is especially excellent) plus songs from Cibelle and Celso Fonseca that hadn't been previously released. At this great price, click right here if you're sick of the state of popular music and want a way out of the madness!!

I used to wonder why Sixdegrees never made a sequel to Brasil 2Mil. That compilation featured many of the artists to look out for that were to be released in their joint efforts with Ziriguiboom/Crammed, like Suba, Zuco 103 and Bebel Gilberto.

But now there is one - sort of. There is a big difference in the two - mainly that Brasil 2Mil was released in 1999, right when the scene was still a bit young (new Bossa nova sounds). This one is in the maturity of the genre, and features many tracks released on the featured artists already released CD's - inclugin BossaCucaNova - the group was omitted from Brasil 2Mil.

Having said that, this cd is a very solid sampler. Odd as this sounds, it focuses on the Brazilian singers in the new movement and in their label and promotes some of the new acts coming out. Namely Cibelle, who is known mostly for her work with Suba on Sao Paulo Confessions. Her album should be out later this year. Also featured is my favorite track on this release - Bom Sinal by Celso Fonseca, who is slated to release his album in March.

One interesting track is Tantos Desejos, as done by Nicola Conte and Rosalia De Souza. I'm a big Conte/Souza/Petrella fan, but actually am not a big fan of the remix of the track. The trombone just doesn't fit with the cut and the remix takes away from the darkness I really liked about Suba's music, especially this song.

Some of the tracks on the cd are "ho-hum" for that matter, and I don't think this by any means lives up to Brasil 2Mil. However the Cibelle track, Zuco 103 remake of Outro Lado, Celso Fonseca cut and if you're just hearing BossaCucaNova - this is worth the (discounted) purchase.

This CD it's the new "vouge" of Brazilian Music, but in a very conservative way.
The "melodia" it's always a remember of the "brazilian tradition".
The arists are of the top level like :Suba, Bossacucanova, Carlos Lyra, Bebel Gilberto, Zuco 103, Roberto Menescal, Cibelle, Celso Fonseca, Erlon Chaves, Trio Mocotò.
The final result it's a louge brazilian music with happines and "tristessa".
The beautiful voices are the strong point but also where there is an instrumental song like : Cosa Nostra (Raw Deal Remix), the result it's very nice.
Note that there is a "Tanto Tempo" in version Remix of Peter Kruder.
Less that one hour (57 minuts) of good "now" brazilian music.
A must if you like this "great" country.

Well if you have missed some of the efforts linked to the modern Brazil music scene than this puts a nice sampler together for you. If you are already familiar and have come by way of the late Suba's "Sao Paolo Confessions" or Bebel Gilberto's lovely "Tanto Tiempo," both so good that they deserved tributes or remixes, than you will be plesantly surprised by some of the other offerings. The problem with samplers is that they are just that, samples. Just when you are getting into a particular artist the track is over and you are suddenly listening to another one. The good news is that this can lead you out to purchase a full CD of the artists music. Such was the case for me with Zuco 103. I found there sound sound inviting and when I purchased one disc I had even had to have another! The version they perform of "Outro Lado" is sweet, slightly funky, dreamy, trippy and like many of the tracks on this sampler, seductive. Zuco 103 also performs "Treasure" which is a bit more uptempo, bilingual(with interspersed English chorus) slightly edgy with a sprinkling of bossadelia that is not as good as the version featured on their CD but still very nice. Trio Mocoto's "Os Orixas" has a more carnival or futbol flavor where you can imagine the samba line grooving along . Bossacucanova fills in the dance lines on this sampler with jazz melodies for some soflty swinging atmospheric approches to create lounge Brazinujazz. All the songs contribute something tasty to the CD and is recommended for a point of departure or to just sit and watch your own Rio sunsets .

Well, this CD is much better than most of the other contemporary Brazilian compelations out there. It hits the highlights, and does it well. Sure, it's a no-brainer to stick Suba or Bebel on a Brazil disc; but that's all right. It openes the ears for those not in the know, and that's the whole point of a compliation CD, right? Enjoy it for what it is, and use it to move on to some really great CDs.

If you're looking for a possible introduction into some world music, you could do a LOT owrse than this almost great collection of Brazillian tracks. The stuff is modern and jazzy, with plenty of its roots intact. It's a trip through modern Latin grooves and you'll like more of it than you won't, even if you aren't into world music. Listening to Nicola Conte remix Suba is almost worth the price of the CD, and the Kruder remix of Gilberto's "Tanto Tempo" makes it a must-have for lounge/world heads, not counting the other few legitimate gems within.

Mostly for existing fans of world-flavored music, but not a bad introduction (though there are more accessible records out there).

I bought this CD at a local music store and fell in love with it. It's one of my favorite CD's and I'm currently looking for more CD's that have a similar sound.

The purpose of a musical compilation is to expose it's artists in a convenient format. "The Now Sound of Brazil" does that enthusiastically. Though pushing a decade, good music never dies but ages like wine in a cask. These tracks were ahead of their time and bring us memories of a different place, a different clime. Listening to these pieces allows us to sample an artist's contribution to the music of the earth, and hopefully desire more of this beauty.

I have listened to this and the earlier Brazil 2 Mil comp, and many others of similar ambition. Also, I have listened to the artists within and many of their contemporaries from other, longer, albums. And while this album is alright, it's not great. For one, it's a bit uneven as it's a comp. That's alright, but what isn't is that they market it as this representative selection of "new" Brazilian music - it's not. It's downtempo lounge electronica ala Thievery Corporation or some euro thing, but with a Brazilian flair. If someone said Thievery Corporation was a sample of cutting edge electronic music I would have to laugh in their face - while it may be decent music and a pleasant listen in the right situation, it is nowhere near the "edge" of anything.

There is soooo much better Brazilian music out there, don't be limited by this comp, or turned off by it if you are looking for something more experimental. There are dozens of older groups that have branched out further than these new club-lite electronica flavors-of-the-month, such as Fernanda Porto or Marisa Monte, and some new experimental ones like Hapax or Chelpa Ferro. The list of really great, world-dominating Brazilian musical artists is huge, which is one reason this comp, while not awful in itself, just kinda pisses me off a little ;) If you want to check out Brazilian music, research it a bit and find the great ones, don't settle for euro-lounge sound-alike music.