Collection: Essential Brazilian Albums

In the 1950's Brazilian music entered the global stage when Bossa Nova (literally "new wave") exploded on to the scene. Artists like Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Elis Regina, Astrud Gilberto, and Milton Nascimento gained popularity mixing the Afro-Brazilian style of Samba with American Jazz and popular vocal music. Many American Jazz musicians like Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd championed this new wave which brought the sound of Bossa Nova to millions more people. In the late 1960's and early 70's an artistic movement called Tropicalia thrived. Caetano Veloso, Tom Ze, Gilberto Gil, and Os Mutantes combined elements of rock and the avant-garde with Jazz and Popular Brazilian music to create unique sounds which are now most closely identified with the Tropicalia movement. Further on Brazil produced some excellent Metal as well, most notably Sepultura and Sarcófago. In the 1990's and early 2000's, Bossa Nova and lounge inspired downtempo electronic music gained popularity, reviving the style for a whole new generation. From traditional Samba to contemporary electronic music, Brazil has added a distinct South American flavor to countless albums over the decades. This is just a small selection of essentials to get you started.

Favourite

Share