Tim Maia Sunday #2

The two songs I’m posting below is all you need to understand why Tim Maia is better than Jorge Ben.

In truth, there are days for both. It’s like comparing Tupac Shakur and Rakim Allah. Jorge Ben and Rakim being the great architechts, while Tim Maia and Tupac Shakur were without comparison, bleeding on the microphone with pure iconic soul power. Bigger than life. Their light shone far into the dark corners of the world.

Tim Maia packed many styles, and this time we find him on his Otis Redding shit, like a force of nature, unstoppable, untoppable, unfuckwithable. Tim Maia was also the preffered taste of the Brazil’s finest rap group, who sampled Ela Partiu for one of the deepest storytelling tracks ever.

Tim Maia – Ela Partiu

Tim Maia – Eu Amo Voce

Tim Maia Sunday

Just like every other sunday, today is Tim Maia sunday…

If you go look on the youtube for clips with the great Soul singer and man of Funk, mostly 80s and 90s shit will come up, and seriously… those weren’t good times for Soul and Funk. Even though Tim Maia sang as good as ever, the musical backdrop suffers from the placebo syndrome. That’s why I bring to you these two wonderful 70s clips.

First we have an energetic performance from 1971 with psychedelic visual tricks and singing in english.

The second and most important clip is a medley from 1974 that finishes of with my personal favorites Azul Da Cor Do Mar and Imunização Racional (Que Beleza). Apart from the sound engineer almost completely cutting out the metal section this clip is straight manna from the desert skies.

Jazzy Jay on the birth of “Planet Rock”

(via GRANDGOOD)

Mafia K’1 Fry – Pour Ceux (video)

Thanks to Sonny Balboa for finding this one… I don’t understand what they’re saying, but this here is still one of the best rap videos, ever…

Mafia K’1 Fry – Pour Ceux

Talking about great videos beyond språkförbristningen (aka the barriers of Babel), check out these clips with Brazil’s best. A dope beat, dope deliveries, powerful visuals… sometimes that’s all that’s needed…

Racionais MC’s – Vida Loka (parte 2)

Racionais MC’s – Diário De Um Detento

Sabotage – Respeito É Pra Quem Tem

Tim Maia is the best of Brazil

Tim Maia – Eu Amo Voce

I dedicate this song to Mariana. The discussion is over now, I assume.

Bring me a Jorge Ben song that rivals the naked heart and soul of Eu Amo Voce, and we can talk about it.

You can’t find one? Is that so? Really? And why?

Because a song like that doesn’t exist. Sim gatinha, Jorge Ben is mad talented… but please, he doesn’t even reach the shoulders of Mr. Tim Maia. The man towers over his competitors. He is the best of Brazil, ever.

And this is the end of that.

“Que beleza é sentir a natureza

Ter certeza pr’onde vai

E de onde vem

Que beleza é vir da pureza

E sem medo distinguir

O Maia e o Ben“

Jorge Ben – Errare Humanum Est

Song of the day. Jorge Ben on a beautiful, cosmic, Phil Spector trip.

“There are days, when I awake thinking… wanting to know… where our impulse to explore space comes from…“

Jorge Ben – Errare Humanum Est

Última Parada 174

In Última Parada 174 Brazilian veteran director Bruno Baretto tackles the explosive tale of homeless Sandro who one day will take a bus full of people hostage in central Rio de Janeiro, a theme already explored in José Padilha’s brilliant documentary Ônibus 174.

While far from as thrilling and orignal as recent Brazilian masterpieces City Of God or Padilha’s Tropa de Elite, it’s a well executed project and has some great scenes, including a very tense opening (and the actor that portrays Sandro looks like a young Will Smith, which is a bonus).

(Fresh Prince in Rio de Janeiro.)

You get a much clearer view of the social situation for the very poor in Padilha’s documentary, but retelling the story here, in a more easily acessed format, focusing more on a traditional, character-driven structure, also fills a purpose. The story deserves retelling, not just the story about Sandro’s path through poverty and crime and prison and cocaine to a violent but strangely communicative death, but the story about police that kills street kids like their were cock roaches (and the middle class that applauds them for doing so, the interviews with random people in the street about the Candelaria incident being the most shocking part in Padilha’s documentary).

The best of Brazilian Reggae

Brytburken is sending good vibrations to the best of Brazilian Reggae… A TROPA!

Jorge Ben is a genius

Jorge Ben – A Banda Do Ze Pretinho

Play this on the high volume. It’s time to clean up your head for the new week.

Jorge Ben, one of the great geniuses of Brazilian music.

Saw this guy live in the center of São Paulo together with another 100,000 people. He pumped out his hot buttered samba for some three hours, calling up girls from the crowd to dance around on stage during a climatic medley that ended with a stunning tribute to his protector… São Jorge. The sixty-six year old musician made it well worth missing Afrika Bambaataa, who played at the same time, but on the other side of the city center.

Racionais MC’s – Jorge Da Capadócia

Hiphop is not dead…

… it’s just that mainstream or big underground New York acts aren’t dominating the scene like they did in the eighties and nineties. And full lenghts from Raekwon, Saigon and Cormega doesn’t seem to be happening right at this moment.

Right at this moment, you need to check for rap music that makes you listen on repeat in other places.

BLVD ST is a good place to start, ’cause it’s all about southern hiphop, new and classic. If you, like me, until quite recently only knew about the biggest Southern names like Geto Boys, Outkast, Goodie Mod, it’s a mine of gold. If you don’t know about rappers like 6 Two, or K-Rino, or Attitude, or Marcus – get familiar.

Two songs that are on repeat these days:

Playboy Tre – Bleachers.
Attitude & Jackie Chain – Money.

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This talk with Pimp C here… one of the best interviews I have ever read.

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If you can take the language barrier: Brazilian rap.

Go find something with Rappin Hood, Sabotagem, MV Bill, or the mighty Racionais MC’s.

More has to be written about this at a later date.