Tropicalia

Tropicalia is a really interesting musical movement from late 60's Brazil that mixes Brazilian Bossa Nova and Samba with the international rock 'n roll of the time. For a while I had only heard of the Tropicalia movement but never actually heard any songs that had come out of it. People such as Beck, Kurt Cobain, David Byrne, and the Optimo guys have all been outspoken fans of it. After checking out Optimo's Tropicalia Mix I started understand what they were on about and decided to pick up Soul Jazz Records' Tropicalia compilation when I saw it the local stores earlier this year. This stuff has been putting a well needed smile on my face over the last week or so and I feel it's about time to post some of it.

Gilberto Gil - Bat Macumba
A Minha Menina - Os Mutantes
Caetano Veloso - Alfomega
Tom Ze - Jimmy, Renda-se

You can find all of those on "Tropicalia - A Brazilian Revolution In Sound" out on Soul Jazz Records (by it direct from Soul Jazz) so pick it up if you like what you hear. Like all Soul Jazz releases it features extensive liner notes which are worth the price of the album alone. 'A Minha Menina' may sound a familiar because it was covered by The Bees and used in one of those Mars Bar adverts featuring aliens on Mars eating Earth Bars. I don't actually have that track but as a bonus here's Beck's tribute to the movement.

Beck - Tropicalia

You can find that on his "Mutations" album. You should be able to pick that up from the online store at Beck.com.