Monday, February 26, 2018

Tropicalia Com Queimando Madeira: The Weekend Mix



Before David Byrne released "Beleza Tropical" in 1989 my knowledge of Brazilian music stopped at Sergio Mendes and the oft-covered "Girl From Ipanema." The Tropicalia movement itself, was nowhere on my radar. Since Byrne's release, I have gradually discovered other artists and their music, with Caetano Veloso and Milton Nascimento being two favorites. But it was only recently that I discovered the real deal.

From Wikipedia:
Tropicália also known as Tropicalismo is a Brazilian artistic movement that arose in the late 1960s. It encompassed art forms such as theatre, poetry, and music. The movement was characterized by a combination of the popular and the avant-garde, as well as a fusion of traditional Brazilian culture with foreign influences. Today, Tropicália is chiefly associated with the musical faction of the movement, which merged Brazilian and African rhythms with rock and roll. Musicians who were part of the movement include Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, Gal Costa, Tom Zé, and the poet/lyricist Torquato Neto, all of whom participated in the 1968 album Tropicália: ou Panis et Circencis, which served as a musical manifesto.

Quite frankly, I have been blown away on a daily basis, with some of the records that have come out of that period. The artists and their music have eluded me for so long, and I found that by digesting each of these classic records slowly, I discovered albums that rival some of my favorite records of all time. I don't speak Portuguese, but that doesn't mean I wasn't moved by the sounds found on records by Antonio Carlos & Jocafi, Gal Costa, Os Brazoes, Arthur Verocai and so many others. The heart of the music is from Brazil, but the ingredients are the same ones found in records by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Phil Spector, John Barry and so many others American and British icons we listen to with regularity.

I hope you give this mix a chance. If you are a already a fan of Tropicalia,  maybe you'll find something new here. If it is all new to you, even better. I purposely left Os Mutantes out of the picture, assuming they would be the one band everyone would know. The song that closes out the mix, "(Ile Aye)" by Caetano Veloso, was the one from "Beleza Tropical" that really started it all for me.

TRACKLIST:
Se Quiser Valer- Antonio Carlos & Jocafi
Pega a Voga Cabeludo- Os Brazoes
Nascimento- Perfume Azul Do Sol
Flying- Rogerio Duprat
Sangue Latino- Secos & Molhados
Telefone- Nara Leao
Tinindo Trincando- Novos Baianos
Sylvia- Arthur Verocai
Canastra Real- Os Brazoes
Voce Abusou- Antonio Carlos & Jocafi
Clube Da Esquno No. 2- Milton Nascimento
Namorinho De Portao- Gal Costa
Que Maravilha- O Bando
Coisa No. 5- Moacir Santos
Coragem pra Suportar- Ronnie Von
Deusa Sombria- Perfuem Azul Do Sol
Preta Pretinha- Novos Baianos
Sao Sao Paulo- Tom Ze
(Ile Aye)- Caetano Veloso

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And for fans of the Songs Of The Week, as promised, here are the last two weeks. (I made an error tagging. Apologies. These will be 1806 and 1808, for those keeping track. There is no 1807.)



Songs Of The Week-2/10-2/16
Manifesto- Roxy Music
Headlong Flight- Rush
It's Up To You- The Moody Blues
I Just Don't Know How To Say Goodbye- The Millennium
Hide Your Love- The Rolling Stones
Froggie Went A'Courtin'- Bruce Springsteen
Taking A Hold On Me- The Yardbirds

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Songs Of The Week-2/17-2/23
I Don't Wanna Be Here- Andy Partridge
Another Time- Sagittarius
Make Believe- Matthew Sweet
Connection- The Rolling Stones
Daisy Glaze- Big Star
Tell It To The World- Robin Zander
A Little Rain- Tom Waits

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7 comments:

buzzbabyjesus said...

I'm in. I bought that Luaka bop comp, too. Since I don't always pay attention to lyrics and hear voices as another instrument, I don't need to know the specifics.

Noam Sane said...

Whoa! This is some good stuff, and I'm just a couple of songs in - many thanks. I'm also flying blind here so a great start to investigating a corner of the music world I've just barely dabbled in.

dogbreath said...

Do Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 count as Tropicalia (No, not really- Ed) as way back when we used to jive & samba on the dance floor to the likes of "Day Tripper" and "Spanish Flea". Probably facetious of me. Thanks for the SOTW zips & it's down to #1806 that I've been bingeing on the Moody Blues & Roxy Music (solo stuff by Ferry and Eno anyway). There is no 1807? Thank goodness there was an 1807 as the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act passed into law in the UK Houses of Parliament. Plus the births of chaps like your Messrs Robert E Lee and old Longfellow. Cheers for another fine post!

Anonymous said...

One of Nascimento's biggest interpreters is Flora Purim - one whole album of covers plus a song or two on each of her other albums. Also essential is Wayne Shorter's "Native Dancer" lp which is basically a trio album between Shorter, Nascimento and Airto Moreira, Flora's husband, with help from a slew of Brazilian musicians.

Michael Giltz said...

Beleza Tropical was a gateway drug for me too. That compilation remains a classic and a major touchstone for me. Def sent me off in a thousand directions. And how nice today that with the devilishly easy streaming one can sample and hear albums that took months or years to track down way back then. Thanks for the mix!

cmealha said...

I'll bite on tropicalia. Sounds interesting. I've generally liked that kind if music but never dove in.

Robin said...

Thank you! I have been meaning over the years to do more of a deep dive into this wonderful music.