I don't understand Portuguese. I have never been anywhere near Brazil. I enjoyed what little Bossa Nova I'd come across in the past, Getz/Gilberto and the like. But when I first heard Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, Gilberto Gil and their contemporaries, it felt like listening to the Beatles or Dylan for the first time - it was a revelation. Those comparisons are a bit unfair, no one can live up to such lofty expectations, but Brazilian artists made some amazing music during the 60's and 70's by any standard and continue to do so today. The Tropicália movement started it off, meshing traditional sounds from their country with the new music coming in from the U.K. and U.S. at the time. Bossa and Samba met Folk and Psychedelic Rock, with heavy doses of great songwriting and political dissent. Those Brazilian hippies did the damn thing, seriously.

The Caetano Veloso track, "Irene," was written after he was jailed and forced into exile by the government for his subversive songwriting which was endlessly censored. The cry of "quero ver Irene dar sua risada" (I want to see Irene laughing) could be interpreted as trying to cheer up a woman, but it was also the name of the gun owned by an infamous anti-government terrorist, who used his "Irene" for killing soliders and supporters of the military junta. Metaphor and ambiguous poetry was the only way Caetano could get his message past the censors and to the people. Os Mutantes made some way out there psychedelic music, and "Panis Et Circenses" is the opener for their way out there debut album. It's hypnotic and and I like it. "Ele Falava Nisso Todo Dia" is summery and upbeat with some twisting chord changes and "Mané João" is just a great pop song. Vivo Brasil~

Caetano Veloso - Irene
Os Mutantes - Panis Et Circenses
Gilberto Gil - Ele Falava Nisso Todo Dia
Erasmo Carlos - Mané João