Show #160: Odd and Wonderful Brazilian Music

<!-- missing image http://blogs.kcrw.com/rhythmplanet/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/blog-spacer.jpg -->I’m teaching Brazilian music again in my music salon and have been bemoaning the music I

haven’t been

able to feature in class due to time constraints. I thought I’d share a few of those tracks here instead. We start with music about two favorite Brazilian subjects:

cachaça and futebol (foo-chee-ball), which we Americans mislabel soccer (probably because of the other football we have here).

Luís Felipe de Lima performs the cachaça song from a great CD compilation. We then hear three famous soccer tracks: the huge 1970 world cup victory with Pele scoring the final goal against Italy; multi-instrumentalist

Hermeto

Pascoal’s vamp on a soccer announcer; and a classic from

Pixinguinha called “Um a Zero” (one to zero), probably from the 1930’s.

Dom Um Romão is next. Along with Airto Moreira, Romão was a great percussionist who worked with Weather Report. This record is from the 1980’s. We follow with two Brazilian covers of American songs: Funk Como le Gusta covers the 1950’s Tennessee Ernie Ford classic “16 Tons,” and the inimitable Elza Soares, who at 78 just made another record, sings “Edmundo,” based on Glenn Miller’s WWII classic, “In the Mood.”

Next up, Ernesto do Santos (“Donga”) sings “Pelo Telefone” (On the Telephone), a choro-style song from 1917 and the first recorded song in Brazil. Brazilian superstar Gilberto Gil updates the song with “Pela Internet” (On the Internet) on his grammy-award-winning album Quanta.

We close with two songs by a Brazilian polymath named Ed Motta (pronounced “Edgy-Mahta”). He sings like George Benson. Motta is a great crooner and very, very popular both in Brazil and with people anywhere who are really into Brazilian music.

I hope you enjoy the show. As we know from the news, Brazil is going through turbulent times, but the music is always joyous, fun, and beautiful.

Rhythm Planet Playlist for 5/27/16:

1. Luís Felipe de Lima / “Ai, Cachaça!” / Cachaca Da Samba / Deckdisc

2. Pele Goal / “1970 World Cup Victory” / Musica De Futbol / Dirorient

3. Hermeto Pascoal / “Tiruliruli” / Lagoa Da Canoa Municipio De Arapiraca / Happy Hour Records

4. Pixinguinha / “1×0 Um A Zero” / Musica De Futbol / Disorient

5. Dom Um Romão / “Braun-Blek-Blu” / Dom Um Romão / Muse

6. Funk Como Le Gusta / “16 Toneladas” / Favela Chic / BMG

7. Elza Soares / “Edmundo (In The Mood)” / Baterista Wilson Das Neves / EMI Odeon

8. Ernesto Do Santos “Donga” / “Pelo Telefone” / Choro / Fremeaux & Associes

9. Gilberto Gil / “Pela Internet” / Quanta / Mesa

10. Ed Motta / “A Tijuca Em Cinemascope” / As Segundas Intençöes Do Manual / Universal

11. Ed Motta / “Dondi (Feat. David T. Walker) / AOR / Tummy Touch Records