Tags: MPB

Review: Time for some Brazilian psychedelic boogie straight from 78. Erstwhile lead singer in Os Mutantes, with a personality thrice as big as the soaking wet bassline on "Agora E Moda", Rita Lee is no stranger to her motherland - even now. Flip for a huge soul injection courtesy of Pete Dunaway. Sounding English in every direction (from his name to his lyrics to the stunning, string-coated arrangement) he's actually Sao Paulo born and is a renowned multi-instrumentalist. Check this and you can tell in an instant. Stunning.

Review: This is the sixth instalment of the Record Club series, which celebrates the eclectic and diverse music collection of Mr Bongo, the most eminent record label and store to specialize in world music, funk, soul, jazz and more. Record Club Vol. 6 contains 20 lesser-known originals from various countries and genres - exhaustively, these treasured numbers hail from Brazil, Sweden, the USA, South Africa, Portugal, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Canada - all while aiming to evoke the feeling of impressing your crush by way of home-dubbed cassettes in lieu of flowers. Neat!

Review: Waldir Calmon's 'Airport Love Theme' has that special appeal that makes it a true gem. Sampled by Madlib on the Madvillain album track 'Curls', this lounge classic from Calmon's 1970 Waldir Calmon E Seus Multisons LP on Copacabana exudes nostalgic charm. Despite its unassuming cover, 'Airport Love Theme' delivers a dreamy, feel-good vibe that could soundtrack a perfect world. Afro Son, from the same album, shifts towards a Brazilian-rooted, cinematic groove, reminiscent of Jean Jacques Perrey's E.V.A.. Calmon, a Brazilian music fixture from the 50s to the 80s, who collaborated with legends like Tom Jobim and Joao Gilberto and left a unique musical legacy that lives on in these timeless tracks.

Review: Last reissued in Brazil over 10 years ago, legendary Brazilian singer Gal Costa's sixth album is a tropicalian odyssey. Reflective, soulful, touching and dynamic, Gal guides us through a sunset story of ballads ("Volta"), bossas ("Milho Verde") blues ("De Maior Importance") and beyond with an all-star troupe of musicians including Gilberto Gil, Arthur Verocai and Dominguinhos. Remastered to a touch and complete with the original cover that was banned by the Brazilian dictatorship at the time, this is the first time India has been reissued with care in decades.

Review: As with its five predecessors, the sixth volume in the Mr Bongo Record Club series of compilations is another must-check affair. Keeping the same "lesser-known music we like and want to share" approach, the 21-track collection drifts between drowsy, jazz-powered ambient pop (Japao), righteous gospel disco (New York Community Choir's sublime 'I'll Keep a Light in My Window'), floor-friendly Latin jazz-funk fusion (The Drive), suspenseful big band mambo (Manny Corchado & His Orchestra), soaring 1970s dancefloor soul (Vee Gees), samba-funk (Copa 7), dubby and dreamy pop (Dina Ogon), acoustic guitar-smothered dream pop psychedelia (Matta), and much more besides.