After the phenomenal success of João Brasil ́s summer anthem “L.O.V.E. Banana” feat. Lovefoxxx, the Brasilian ghetto-pop-maestro returns with another smasher: “Funk Do Iphone” feat. Marina Gasolina.

The second release by João Brasil on Man Recordings is about the mobile phone everybody loves to use these days, and Marina Gasolina – the former front woman for the infamous Bonde Do Rôle and now proud solo artist – sings about the joys the funky phone is bringing.

Remixes come from a transnational team of hot remixers. Sheeqo Beat hails from Monterrey, Mexico and delivers a happy, club friendly, 3Ball remix. Coming from Brasils Amazon forest, star producer DJ Cremoso (who ́s identity is still unknown), has put “Funk Do Iphone” in true Tecno Brega format and made a “Brega Do Iphone”. Last but not least there ́s a remix by Moombathon renegade Sabo, who reworked the Iphone song into a deeper and more techno version of Moombathon, leaving the usual Moomba beat format for a more subtle groove.
The closing track of the EP is “Tropical Bomb”, João Brasil s take on the “Lambada” theme, in true old school Rio De Janeiro funk fashsion.

Who said that winter should be depressing? João Brasil ´s music always makes the sun shine!

Tracklist
1. Funk Do Iphone (Original Mix)
2. Funk Do Iphone (Sheeqo Beat 3Ball Remix)
3. Funk Do Iphone (DJ Cremoso Tecno Brega Remix)
4. Funk Do Iphone (Sabo ́s Moombathon Remix)
5. Tropical Bomb

DJ FEEDBACK

SOULCLAP: “Ha! All about the original for kicks!”
SCHLACHTHOFBRONX “Nice release. Cremoso Remix is our favourite”
DOUSTER: “Perfectly for those cold dayzz!”
MIXHELL: “Sabo Rmx is fire!”
ACID WASHED “Fun!”
WILDLIFE!: “Nice one!”
ISA GT: “Smasher Is right! João + Marina a pure Tropical Bomb!”
SABBO “Nice!”
CHERNOBYL “<3"
SCOTTIE B " Always forward"
JERRY BOUTHIER: "I love the title track"
BERT ON BEATS: "Sheeqo Beat remix wins"
SO SHIFTY: "10/10"
DJ BEWARE: "Such a fun record!"
PATHAAN "Old school but so fresh & so much fun!"
MARTELO: "I's sooooooo good to hear Marina on a funk beat!INSTANT FLASHBACKS OF 2007!" tSHIR KHAN "Love João, love Marina. Good vibes"
LARRY TEE "Funky Frwesh"
DJ YODA: "Yeh man!"
MOTORPITCH: "Can´t wait play it on the radio!"
FLORE: "Wicked!"

BUY IT FROM HERE:

Brazilian independent artists have seemingly given up the ghost with the record industry and are putting their latest albums for free on the internet, presumably with the intention of getting shows to create some sort of income. Cultural commentator Alexandre Matias feels that perhaps modern Brazilian artists understand the internet better than their international counterparts.

Whatever this means, in the last month there has been a spate of really interesting releases, all of which I intend to post here over the next few weeks. So, if you like free, legal brazilian contemporary pop music, stay tuned here.

The first release is by Passo Torto, who comprise of four major  indie players:Romulo Fróes, Rodrigo Campos, Kiko Dinucci and Marcelo Cabra who all have other projects but have collaborated together for this delightful project. It’s basically samba, but with touches of just about everything from Bossa to Chorinho. It’s beautifully arranged with no percussion, but still very rhythmic.

You can download it at the site. Put in your email, click “baixar” and bob’s your uncle. Highly recommended.

Passo Torto by passotorto

The notion that Brazil is in the vanguard of a group of emerging countries on their way to economic superpower-dom is so widely accepted as to have become trite. But how far along this road is Brazil? One way to get a quick answer is to compare Brazilian states with countries. The map below presents country equivalents for every state in terms of GDP, GDP per person and population. It throws up some curiosities: who knew that Alagoas, a state in the north-east that is currently more famous for its murder rate than for its magnificent beaches, has the same GDP per person as China? It also suggests that even the comparatively rich states in the south and south-east have some way to go before they can be compared with wealthy places in the northern hemisphere. The gauchos of Rio Grande do Sul will not necessarily be delighted to learn that GDP per person in their state is close to that of Gabon. Courtesy of The Economist.

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