Search - Various Artists :: Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Lounge

Bebel Gilberto and her clones

Enrique Torres | San Diegotitlan, Califas | 03/26/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Putumayo is renowned for their superb presentaions of world music in compilation form; this is another in a long line of fine discs from Putumayo. The samba and bossa nova sounds of Brazil are presented in their newest incarnations as lounge music which features ecentric-electro-beatz for the lounge music lover. The easy going rhythms are ideal music to chill to. This disc gives you a good overview of some of the things going on with the music from down Rio way. The carnival gets slowed down for some nice down tempo electronica mixed with the cool vocals in Portuguese. The ever sexy voice(she could sound good in any language) of Bebel Gilberto is featured on " August Day Song" for a sensual song remixed by King Britt. Many of the female vocalist sound very similar but that is a good thing if you like the warm earthy vocals of Bebel. There are jazzy numbers too that are bossa nova like "Previsao" by BossaCucaNova that features another Bebel clone in Adriana Calcanhotto. Other Bebel sound alikes are the soft undersated vocals of Mariana De Moraes as featured on "Como Vou Fazer" by Dois Irmaos, the barely distinguishable vocals of Marissa on "Saudade Fez Um Samba", Marcela on "Os Grilos" and Katia B on "Parece Mentira." Not everything is Girl from Ipananemaesque as Seau Jorge demonstrates on "Bia" that is a kind of a heavy vocals style mixed with light airy music for an interesting effect and "Aqua de Coco" by Marcos Valles. Pretty much everything else sounds very Bebelesque. This is a nice mix for discovering more talent that sounds like Bebel Gilberto. Recommended for lounge lizards basking on the beach or poolside with an umbrella drink or iced soy green tea."

Welcome to contemporary Bossa Nova

The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 05/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you are under the impression that Bossa Nova somehow passed into a peaceful death of neglect after the 60's, here's a wake up call. If your only context for the genre is Antonio Carlos Jobim or Joao and Astrud Gilberto, "Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Lounge" will open your ears. Here's the modern beat of Bossa. If you enjoyed the first generation of Bossa Nova, you will find this immediately gratifying. This music has the same relaxed, tropical sway -the only difference is that a few songs employ modern drum synthesizers and some digital background effects. This collection has a balance of the up-and-coming along with today's heavy weights like Bebel Gilberto and Bossacucanova. This new wave again begs us to ask, 'Is Bossa Nova the world's most romantic music?' As with most Putumayo discs, this is a great introduction for the uninitiated and a valuable collection for the aficionados. Regardless of how you approach this music, "Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Lounge" will deliver the perfect soundtrack to a romantic evening."

Chillin' the Brazilian way

Amaranth | Northern California | 09/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brazilian music is perfect for relaxation; after all,Brazilians invented bossa nova,the most relaxing form of jazz.This compilation is a lower-key,chill-out companion to Putumayo's "Brazilian Groove."



Highlights-

1)Ha Dias-Unusual instrumentation,a nearly-reggae rhythm makes this song particularly catchy.Luca Mundaca's silky voice gives a jazzy flair to the melancholy lyrics about loneliness.

2)Previsao-A joyful song with a retro flavor.BossaCucaNova makes this sound like a Sergio Mendes&Brasil 66 original.

3)Agua de Coco-Another song with unusual instrumentation&danceable rhythm makes this catchy.Very funky.

4)Mariana-This song has a reggae rhythm (making it samba-reggae,perhaps?)Since it is a simple tune,it will stick in your memory.

5)E Depois-BiD (who collaborated with the late Brazilian music master Suba)collaborates with Seu Jorge on a song that sounds like a theme to an '80s primetime drama like "Dallas" or "Falcon Crest."

6)August Day Song (King Britt remix)-I had the "Tanto Tempo Remixes" album loooong before I got "Brazilian Lounge." I don't get it why Putumayo chose to borrow from Six Degrees (which is great with world techno,while Putumayo is great at world acoustic).This is a great song;it's on a Putumayo compilation 5 years after it was released (Bebel Gilberto has been famous for awhile now).Great remix,"funkified" according to the "Tanto Tempo Remixes" liner notes by Philadelphia DJ King Britt.

7)Saudade Fez Um Samba-Another happy song with sad lyrics.The title translates as "Sadness made a samba."



This compilation is a must for any Brazilian collection!"