VB Gonna Be A DJ: 60s and 70s Brazilian, Vol. 1: So Nice And Calma

I still remember the first time I heard legit Bossa Nova music 20+ years ago. Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 are great and I was familiar with them at the time, but their songs were sung in English and generally were covers geared towards the American audience. I found a compilation of some of the most well known bossa/jazz hits (Girl From Ipanema-type stuff) that I wasn't exposed to. It also had a few of the original versions of songs that Sergio had covered. Jorge Ben's version of Mas Que Nada may have been on it. I stayed up late listening to that record with headphones on and I really connected with it, even though I had no idea what they were saying because everything was sung in Portugese. The way that language sounds when sung is beautiful and the general mood and ambience of so many of these songs is unlike much of what I had listened to until then. 

That inspired me to dig around and, already being a huge fan of 60s psychedelia, I gravitated to the records from the Tropicalia movement. So much experimentation on those records. You just need to hear it. Wait until you hear the orchestral arrangement on the first track by Gilberto Gil. As I explored more of this music, I came across this guy named Marcos Valle. There's a chance you'd already know some of his earlier songs because he rode the Bossa Nova fad in America during the mid-60s and had some hits and lots of folks covered his songs. He evolved from there and by the early 70s had some pretty far out there records that are works of art. You'll find many of his songs on this mix. And there's also a new find for me, Tim Maia, who has two songs on here. From what I've been reading, he seemed to be a very interesting, explosive type of guy, even joining a UFO cult and recording two records in the 70s to honor it. 

Allright, enjoy! If this is new musical territory for you, I hope it inspires you to dig in and explore this type of music. - Vic

60s and 70s Brazilian, Vol. 1: So Nice And Calma

1. Gal Costa - Cinema Olympia
2. Marcos Valle - Azimuth
3. Tom Zé - Hein
4. Marcos Valle - O Beato
5. Tim Maia - Réu Confesso
6. Zé Roberto - Lotus 72 D (Fast Version)
7. Roberto Menescal - Surfboard
8. Astrud Gilberto - So Nice (Summer Samba)
9. Rita Lee - Calma
10. Gal Costa - Lost In The Paradise
11. Marcos Valle - Mais Do Que Valsa
12. Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Empty Faces
13. Os Mutantes - Balada Do Louco
14. Bossa Rio - With Your Love Now
15. Tim Maia - New Love
16. Marcos Valle - Nossa Vida Começa Na Gente
17. Arnaldo Baptista - Vou Me Afundar Na Lingerie
18. Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66 - The Joker
19. Marcos Valle - O Evangelho Segundo San Quentin
20. Tom Ze - O Riso E A Faca
21. Marcos Valle - Voo Cego