Ritmo brasileiro

Brazilian music is exquisite.  And it's always part of my traveling.  For one, they give me (and generally, everybody else) great pleasure.  For two, I can show people a lil' bit of my culture.  

And it feels different when you're away.  This time I had mainly Tom Jobim (I found a great store in the Haigh St, in San Francisco and, since I was driving, I decided to grab me a few cds, to make it more pleasant.   Can't leave Franko Richmond aside, whom I got to know just now (almost in person).  Although not brazilian, I got two cds as gifts in this trip and, still, each time I listen to them I can not enjoy more!  Great latin jazz musician!

Back to the brasiliani, there are many artists that have left an unforgettable contribution behind and, because of that, are still very alive today.  One sweet example is Elis Regina, this beautiful short haired (version) lady, in the link below.  This song is so short, but yet so impressive:

BOSSA NOVA

The pace of Bossa Nova traduces Rio's atmosphere quite perfectly.  It's great to come back home through Rio.  I can never forget the time I flew Varig (equivalent to Pan Am) and, as we got Rio's visual, the flight captain started to talk about Bossa (as we call) and played Samba do Avião song that made that moment remarkable (I do have the video of that, but it was the time of tape camcorders, so I don't know where it's at, right now.  Will find it, though)        

A couple great songs from Tom Jobim are linked below (if you wanna be local, just call him Tom):

The SAMBA

Oh, the samba!  Rio is samba, and samba is Rio!  (let's not talk about the social downsize issues of Rio or Brasil, right now...I'll do that later)

Come on!!!  How can you stand still when the samba is playing???  Even the shyest ones shake their bootys!  Actually, there's this great samba song, that I present in two versions, for the ones that dare not like THE samba...

I wish I were alive at that time, in Rio!  These artists used to play in the bars at the corner. (it's a brasilian saying...btw: I like to spell with an "s") Can you imagine that???  

Here goes a few more: (if you're alone and nobody is watching, I bet you're gonna stand up and dance...at least shake your feet!  And then...play it again...many times!)

Cartola could be considered our Ray Charles.  I could say that, in my opinion, he's a lot better! (well, I'm brasileiro)  But they're both unique, in their genres.

The CHORINHO

Vibrant, that's what I can say about Chorinho (diminutive for cry).  This first song, Disparada, played by Hamilton de Holanda, is actually a version of a well known country music...but real country music, from the old times (why the real stuff comes from the "old times"?)

This one, Vibrações (Vibrations) is from Jacob do Bandolim, considered the Chorinho's master!

Here goes THE Chorinho's masterpiece, Brasileirinho:

This is just a treat.  There are other great examples of regional rhythms that I'll post ahead.  I could spend hours and hours searching and linking them to you...but I got more stuff to do now.  Plus, I need to leave everything ready, since in a few days I'm flying to Rio!  I'll spend some time around Rio and Região dos Lagos (another must see!).