Search - Jorge Ben :: África Brasil

KA-BOOM

ptlcan | Memphis | 03/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This deserves a spot on any soul/funk fan's shelf. I had Umbagarrauma on a complilation CD and wanted to hear more. I am familiar with other Brazilian styles and the unrelated Rock en Espanol styles but this one is the king. You can party to it, work out, or just groove to this man's genius in your car. I went through the Starbuck's drive through and the kid said,"who is that." Who says the best funk n soul comes out of America? Buy it you won't regret it."

Unfair, simply unfair

Chris Wren | Chicago, Illinois | 02/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not a fan of reviewing products that have been out for a while; it is unfair to previous reviews and allows me to question the real impact of a review in terms of the sales of the artist. Another five star review; can that sway a mind into buying an album out for over thirty two years by an artist who, if American, could collect his social security this year?



If anything, Jorge Ben's music has become more relevant in the current musical climate. The funk revival, pioneered on the west coast by Stones Throw, as seen in Yesterdays Universe and the subsidary Now Again Records, and revitalized in the east by Daptone Records, has mingled with Afrobeat and Soul music to create this wonderous blend of music coming out now. A subtle shift in the generation, from 100 Days, 100 Nights to Security to La Revancha del Tango to the unsightly Back to Black, has led me to believe once again in the bumper stickers that "Drum Machines Have No Soul."



Yet none of this would be possible without Jorge Ben; if anything, his music is the synthesis of this sound that is finally re-emerging into the marketplace. Most Americans who cringe when rock and country mix would be downright frightened by the drum breaks mixing with Portugese call and response phrases, unified by a powerful young voice and distorted guitars. Yet that is the genesis of the record; a bouncing football groove of Ponta de Lanca Africano that sets the stage for the next 11 tracks. The oscillation continues throughout the record, with the infamous reworking of Taj Mahal (eventually ripped off by Rod Stewart for "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy") to the international hit of Xica da Silva, bringing the record almost to a festival frenzy that demands not an audience but a crowd, a party, a festival, a celebration.



It is hard to say so little with so much on this record. Don't sell yourself short on this one. The only imperfection in this record is the lack of a rerelease and the lack of exposure now a days. I love old recordings as much as the next audiophile but a reworking would be great for this man and bring great exposure to a classic artist not just in Brazilian history but in popular culture. This record isn't a footnote to popular Brazilian music, this is a starting point for where radical genre blends invade the popular consciousness.



Highly recommended."