Track Listing

1. Telefone
2. Nana
3. Rio
4. Guanabara
5. Agua de Beber
6. Garota de Ipanema
7. Morte de Um Deus de Sal
8. Brasilidade
9. Surfboard
10. Nos E O Mar
11. Mais Perto Do Mar
12. Bye Bye, Brasil

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103932 in Music
• Released on: 2001-02-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .16 pounds

Album Description
Bossacucanova - the three young Rio de Janeiro producers/musicians whose first effort under the Bossacucanova moniker ("Revisited Classics") was released by Ziriguiboom/Crammed Discs/Six Degrees in late 1998 - have teamed up with original bossa nova guitar hero, Roberto Menescal to create a lovely album of jazzy, electronic bossa grooves. Tastefully combining their programming skills with Menescal's sensuous, laidback guitar playing and performances by a host of musicians (including horn, strings & percussion players), Bossacucanova rejuvenates the essence of bossa nova with "Brasilidade," making it fresh and exciting to yet another generation of listeners worldwide.

Amazon.com
Bossacucanova's debut, Revisited Classics, was proof that samba and bossa nova are timeless music. There's more of the same on their sophomore release, but the addition of bossa original Roberto Menescal brings added authority to a sound that can add subtle dance-floor beats and textures to the work of Jobim (including a very soulful take on "The Girl from Ipanema," or "Garota de Ipanema," as it's called here) and the Tamba Trio. It's all done so well that telling the difference between the vintage tunes and modern originals is impossible, while the programming seamlessly gives some gentle, funky oomph to the innately irresistible rhythms. Singer Cris Delano offers some sensual vocals to make the hips glide, sailing over languorous melodies. It's all as relaxing and warm as a day on the Rio beach. The song might not remain the same, but the feeling is eternal. --Chris Nickson

About the Artist
Almost forty years after it first swept through the Americas, bossa nova is back. But this is not your parents' bossa nova. The trio known as Bossacucanova turned heads in 1999 with their debut release Revisited Classics, a respectful but imaginative blend of classic Brazilian pop and modern electronica. Now, DJ Marcelinho DaLua, M‡rcio Menescal and Alexandre Moreira return with Brasilidade, an even more successful fusion of two great dance/pop styles separated by a hemisphere and four decades. At times, the modern influences of electronica and dance music are woven so subtly that they're felt more than heard; at others, the dance grooves add a modern in-your-face touch to this normally genteel and lyrical style. Brasilidade is a collaborative work between Bossacucanova's three producer/musicians and one of bossa nova's original heroes, Roberto Menescal. One of the most noted architects of bossa nova's sound, Menescal is best known for composing such Brazilian standards as "O Barquinho" and "Bye bye, Brasil" among many others. He was Elis Regina's musical director during the late 60's, and one of the most respected A&R/producers during his stint at Polygram Brazil in the 70's where he oversaw the careers of Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben and Gal Costa. And yes, he is related - he's M‡rcio's father. One of the reasons why Bossacucanova's recordings have been so successful at re-creating bossa nova as a contemporary pop/dance style is the source material. On Revisited Classics, they brought all the remix producers' skills to bear on some great recordings of bossa nova singers. Working with Roberto Menescal, Bossacucanova took recordings by legendary vocalists such as Carlos Lyra and Wanda S‰, and completely rearranged and updated them. That initial album was Marcelinho, M‡rcio, and Alexandre's response to a wave of bossa-inspired dance music coming from Europe and North America. They felt that it was time for the voice of young Rio to be heard, for local DJs and producers to present their own take on electro/Brazilian fusion. The result elicited enthusiastic reactions from both sides of the Atlantic. On the new record, Bossacucanova goes a step further. With the addition of Roberto the group has become a genuine band, performing original songs and some classic bossa nova hits by Antonio Carlos Jobim and, of course, Roberto Menescal. Brasilidade combines their programming skills with the elder Menescal's lovely, laid-back guitar playing and distinctive vocal scatting, as well as performances by a first-rate collection of horn, string and percussion players. Guest vocalists Cris Delano and Ed Motta (Brazil's soul sensation) add their considerable talents to the album too. In addition to several original tracks composed jointly with Roberto Menescal, Bossacucanova's new effort contains five classic Menescal songs including his hit tune "Bye Bye, Brasil," here presented as an electric, rhythmically charged dance. But perhaps the most telling songs on the album are the three bossa nova standards by the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim. "Garota de Ipanema," known throughout the English-speaking world as "The Girl from Ipanema," is given a jazz-inflected performance with some classic bossa-style percussion and guitar and some very jazzy vocals by Motta. Jobim's "Agua de Beber," on the other hand, introduces one of the catchiest bossa nova tunes ever written to some very modern scratching/sampling sounds. The light but steady rhythm of the bossa nova is reinforced by sequenced percussion, and a smear of horns adds a whiff of funk to the whole affair. And then there's "Surfboard." With its irresistible samba rhythms, "Surfboard" sounds like classic Jobim, circa 1965 except for a hint of cool electronic textures wafting amidst the band. It's done so subtly and so effectively that it could easily pass muster among true bossa nova purists (if there is such a thing). Listen closely and it's clear that this version, at least, could only have come from a new millennium band like Bossacucanova. This is perhaps the band's most impressive achievement. On this and other songs, most notably "N--s e o Mar," a tune usually associated with the groundbreaking Tamba Trio in 1960s Brazil, Bossacucanova takes familiar old songs and makes them new without having to reinvent them. Brasilidade is a promising continuation to one of dance music's rare cross- generational collaborations. The album title can be translated, in somewhat cumbersome fashion, as "Brazilitude." Fortunately, the music itself has no such trouble communicating in English. This unique encounter is sonic proof that bossa nova (and Brazilian music in general) has become the property of a much wider musical world, and is likely to be with us for some time. As Roberto Menescal summarizes in the liner notes, "This album rejuvenates bossa nova thus making it eternal." Six Degrees Records is proud to be the exclusive North American partner of Ziriguiboom (Crammed Discs' Brazilian imprint). Ziriguiboom is dedicated to presenting original and as-yet unexposed aspects of Brazilian music to an international audience. This is Ziriguiboom's first release in the wake of the wildly successful Bebel Gilberto CD Tanto Tempo.

Customer Reviews

Bossa with a twist
Although I like "Revisited", this is the better of the two albums. "Brasilidade" has taken Getz, Gilberto, Jobim and others and mixed them in a catchy way to bring Bossa Nova of the 60's right into the new century. The songs are alive, fresh and full or energy.

A tremendous Sequel - Must have
An excellent CD. Their first disc was nice, but the beats were a little too cliched. On this disc, they have a new, fresh sound. And they have taken on the sound more common from O Barquinho, from the first Bossa Cuca Nova cd. I do not know how to explain it they have gotten better in time and their sound has a maturity to it now. And that flavor and extra ingredient that they need is there with Roberto Menescal. They redo the classics again. While they will not make you forget the old versions (that is not their goal anyway) they will give them a facelift. It is a bad description but the best I can think of. New versions of the songs that are very good.

This CD is a good one. Ziriguiboom/Six Degrees Records has another winner. If you like Brasil 2Mil, you will really like this album. And if you liked their first album, you will like this one even more.

Much better than the first one!
This album is an excellent sequel to the "revisited clasics" CD, now the 3 DJ's are organized as a band but what makes this album special and interesting is the great colaboration of Roberto Menescal, this is a perfect blend of great grooves & Bossanova, all of the arrangments are tasteful and cool, my favorite tracks are "Rio" & "Brasilidade", check also the soulful version of Garota De Ipanema, this is by far my favorite CD of all the Six Degrees/Zirigüiboom series (Brasil 2000, Zuco 103, Suba, Bebel Gilberto) which by the way all of them are great, A must have!