It is impossible to deny the influence that Brazil has on today’s global culture. From music and film to fashion and dance, Brazil has become one of the world’s most important resources of popular art and entertainment. In appreciation of this extraordinary culture, Putumayo World Music will release Brazilian Lounge, a collection featuring the sultry voices and urban grooves of many of Brazil’s finest contemporary musicians.
Opening the album is a track by Paula Morelenbaum, who is known as one of the rising stars of Brazil’s “new Bossa” movement. With this and other tracks from her self-titled CD, Morelenbaum has reinvented herself using subtle electronica. Her pristine voice and graceful approach to song earned her a spot in Antonio Carlos Jobim’s band. She later embarked on a successful solo career and received a Sharp Award (Brazilian Grammy) as the “Best New Female Rock/Pop Artist.”
The fusions of samba, soul and funk by alternative Brazilian musician and producer BiD, combined with the vocals of international music and film star, Seu Jorge, make “E Depois”one of the stand-out tracks on the collection. Seu Jorge is best known for his gripping role as Knockout Ned in the film City of God. He also appeared in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, starring Bill Murray. It was from Murray that Jorge first heard a Putumayo release and he has since become a fan of the label.
It’s easy to see why Bebel Gilberto, with her exquisite voice and retro style, is one of the world’s most popular Brazilian artists. With over a million albums sold since her debut album was released in 2000, Gilberto is on the “most wanted” lists of the world’s leading electronic producers. On the remixed “August Day Song,” Gilberto compares a rainstorm to being in love.
The soulful sounds of Marcos Valle may have first experienced popularity in the 1960’s, but his voice and the bossa nova melodies he has written transcend any period. Having achieved fame in the 60s and 70s, Valle was rediscovered by British dance labels who remixed and re-released his earlier work to enthusiastic audiences. In the midst of this renaissance, Valle returned to the studio to record a number of contemporary albums. “Agua de Coco” comes from his album, Contrasts, recorded in 2003.
Stop everything!!! That’s what we did when we first heard the track “Há Dias” from newcomer Luca Mundaca. Putumayo was putting the final touches on this collection when we received an unsolicited, self-produced CD from Mundaca. We knew that there was something very special in the simple beauty of her voice and stopped the presses to make room for this sensual track.
Brazilian Lounge will take the listener to the contemporary bars and lounges of Rio and Sao Paulo, where a new generation of musicians is reinvigorating the classic sounds of samba and bossa nova. Tri-lingual liner notes include a recipe for a caipirinha cocktail, provided by Sagatiba, enabling you to quench your thirst Brazilian style.