Interesting new album just out on the German label Out/here (from which we licensed Madera Limpia´s “Loco” single (Cat No. Man 030))called Comfusões . This project was put together by Maurício Pacheco (Stereo Maracanã) and the concept is putting together the best of Angolan pop from the 60s and 70s and having it remixed by a classy selection of Brazilian producers such as Mario Caldato, Berna & Kassin, DJ Dolores and Rica Amabis.

Pacheco has been travelling around Angola since 2000 and had access to the archives of Rádio Nacional Angola and selected tracks by Artur Nunes, Teto Lando, Bonga among other local artists. It’s a fine selection of Brazilian remixers as well, definitely those working at the quality end of Brazilian pop/MPB whatever.

You can go to the myspace link above to hear the album, and here’s a taster below:

kapakiao-(kassin-berna-ceppas rmx)-bonga

Slightly unsure of the exact legality of this mix, it was commercially available as a CD at turntable.com when it came out in 2004/2005, but the pure logistics of legally clearing the tracks seems pretty impossible to me.

This was referred to as “the third world brainfreeze” when it was released. DJ Nuts is a renowned and well-respected Brazilian turntablist with some hip hop production credits with the usual suspects, but here he has really outdone himself with a lightning, deftly mixed 54 tracks in 77 minutes, no mean feat with funk and soul. And this is no ordinary funk and soul mix, all the tracks are pretty rare seventies Brazilian rare groove that only the most knowledgeable or well-connected plunderer with an insiders knowledge of São Paulo’s second hand record stores (sebos) could unearth.

As you can imagine the mix is full of deep funky samba grooves, nevertheless, throughout the mix familiar melodies spring out -Wilson Das Neves “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” brings on puffy skirted 80’s flashbacks, Antonio Carlos & Jocafi’s “Kabaluere” has been sampled by both DJ Nu-mark and Marcelo D2 and I’m sure I even heard a funky R&B version of the batman theme.

A fascinating document if only to hear the Brazilian perspective on an area that is constantly being cited for its influence but has rarely been explored or exploited with such expertise and zest. So ignore that crappy cover, read the tracklist and weep (…and then download).

Sônia Santos – “Intro (0:15)”
Orquestra Som Livre – “Tema De Tucão (2:02)”
Weather Report Feat. Dom Um Romão – “Non Stop Home (0:59)”
Airto – “Peasant Dance (1:22)”
Raulzinho – “Tesouro De São Miquel (1:15)”
O Incrivel Manito – “Tucks Theme (1:51)”
Ed Maciel – “Não Há Dinheiro Que Pague (2:26)”
Hot Stuff Band – “Ju Ju Man (1:27)”
Paulo Moura – “Bicho Papao (0:37)”
Marlos Noble E Orquestra – “Ritual (0:28)”
Azymuth – “Melô Da Cuica (0:47)”
Tim Maia – “Imunizacao Racional Que Beleza (1:12)”
Bertrami E Conjunto Azimute – “Pela Cidade (1:55)”
Osmar Milito – “Morre O Burro, Fica O Homem (1:19)”
Trio Esperança – “Não Aguento Voce (0:54)”
Ronie E Central Do Brasil – “Remelexo (1:41)”
Quarteto Em Cy – “Salve O Verde (1:27)”
Ivan Lins – “Hei, Voce (2:05)”
Wilson Das Neves – “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye (1:20)”
Jair Rodrigues – “Deixa Isso Pra Lá (0:29)”
Tom E Dilo – “Amanhangá (0:49)”
Miguel De Deus – “Black Soul Brothers (1:15)”
Abolicao 1860-1980 (0:58)”
Tony & Frankye – “Vou Procurar O Meu Lugar (1:08)”
Tony Bizarro – “Não Vai Mudar (1:08)”
Azymuth – “Esperando Minha Vez (0:56)”
Eumir Deodato – “Also Sprach Zarathustra”
Flora Purim – “Open Your Eyes You Can Fly”
César Mariano & Cia – “Metrópole”
Carlos Dafé – “O Metrô”
Banda Black Rio – “Na Baixa Do Sapateiro”
União Black – “A Familia Black”
Som Nosso De Cada Dia – “Black Rio”
Gerson King Combo – “Mandamentos Black”
Sos Band It – “Big Splash”
Gerson King Combo – “Mandamentos Black”
Boogaloo Combo – “Hot Pants Road”
Toni Tornado – “Podes Crê, Amizade”
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi – “Kabaluerê”
Sonia Santos – “Marraio”
Ed Maciel – “Kool & The Gang”
The Fevers – “Batman”
MPB-4 – “Faca Cega, Faca Amolada”
Hermeto Pascoal – “Coalhada”
Jorge Ben – “África Brasil Zumbi”
Mão Branca – “Melô Do Mão Branca”
Miéle – “Melô Do Tagarela”
Marcos Valle – “Estrelar”
Banda Black Rio – “Subindo O Morro”
Osmar Milito E Quarteto Forma – “O Bofe”
Assim Assado – “Sol Amarelocinza”
Kris E Cristina – “Uma Rosa Com Amor”
Trio Mocotó – “Swinga Sambaby”
Wilson Das Neves – “Pick Up The Pieces”

download here

Happy new year Man people. As a new year’s gift to you all I present the KL Jay Mixtape “Rotação 33″. KL Jay is the DJ for brazil’s biggest hip hop group Racionais MCs, who come from the favelas in the suburbs of São Paulo and whose songs potray quite harrowing scenes from the periferia and are chock full of ctiticism of the social situation in Brazil (all in Portuguese of course). They are into quite epic structures with songs typically stretching for 7-8 minutes and musically they are influenced by gangster rap but also RZA’s productions for WU-Tang Clan with heavily string laden backgrounds. One of the downsides of their popularity is that virtually every rap group that came out of São Paulo after them wanted to sound like them. And this is where the mixtape comes in as it mixes the old school of Braziilian Rap, De Leve, Costa a Costa, with the new school, Maloka S/A, Livia Cruz E as Camaradas, to show where Brazilian hip hop, rap, whatever is today.

My personal experiance of KL Jay was when I put on party with some friends a few years ago and KL Jay djed for us (racionais MCs had played in town the previous night). His Djing was pure old school funk, with him playing old funk, disco and soul tracks ( to a mainly bohemian white crowd) which must have been what they played in the 70s and 80s bailes in the periferias. he even slowed things down for couples to slow dance and was constantly chatting on the microphone between tracks – unbelievably he included “Grease is the word” by Frankie Valli in the set, and it sounded great!

Download Mix.

Pic and link courtesy of the ever-fantastic Trabalho Sujo.

kl-jay-19-humilde-mas-ligeiro-maloka-sa

Pardal, the manager of Rio´s fiercest female MC crew Gaiola Das Popozudas has sent us this new press photo of the Popozudas. Yes boys and girls, this is the funk carioca female body in full effect. Who needs Giséle Bündchen when there´s Gaiola Das Popozudas?

Download Gaiola Das Popozudas recent floor burner here:

GAIOLA DAS POPOZUDAS “DE SAINHA”

DJ Beware just visited Rio for the first time. See him talk about his first impressions.

Big up for the interview to Tee Cardaci, who runs the highly recommendable “Sanfrancarioca” blog. Sanfrancarioca reports from a Gringo´s perspective on music, politics and culture in Rio De Janeiro. Check Sanfrancarioca here: http:/sanfrancarioca.blogspot.com/