Regardez-moi dance un samba. It’s me, again, with another look at our relationship with Brazil. In the past, I took the time to create a mix outlining the contours of Japan’s relationship with its largest immigrant community and how that shaped its own pop music. On my latest mix for LYL Radio, I take a different tack, looking for other influences further abroad (in the places one least expects them).
You can say I was spurred by Joyce Cooling’s wonderful 1988 release, Cameo. Raised in New York and New Jersey, it was her love of jazz and music, in general, that spurred her to discover some of imported songs and culture of Jersey’s considerable Brazilian and Portuguese immigrant community. Linking up with simpatico Bay-area composer and keyboardist, Jay Wagner — who similarly carved out a niche (within a niche) playing American-made, Brazilian-inspired music under the umbrella of West Coast group Viva Brasil.
In her solo work, together, they explored the outer worlds of jazz, where other ingredients were ripe for exploring, creating music of distinctly South American lineage. Even if they were far from Brazilian themselves, one couldn’t escape the feeling of saudade permeating through their global-MPB.
So this mix explores others like Rafika Duri, Gilles Rivard, Xácara, to name precious few, who although spread out far and wide from Rio De Janeiro, put a fascinating twist on what we assume is a distinctly “Brazilian” sound. There might be a few ringers in here, but in the end, all of this music makes it quite clear: sometimes our ticket to Rio might just begin within the wingspan between those big ole ears of ours.
Ticket To Rio
Tracklist:
Brian Elliot – Tickets To Rio
Rafika Duri – Pemuda Indonesia
The Rah Band – Sam The Samba Man
Martine St. Clair – Oublie-Moi
Mendes & Mendes – Evolução
Umberto Marzotto – Calipso
Gilles Rivard – Ca Va, Ca Va Brazilia
Anne Dudley – Catamaran
Joyce Cooling – Ve
Doris Monteiro – Dia De Feira
Edu Lobo & Tom Jobim – Chovendo Na Roseira
Xácara – Saudade
Jang Pil-Soon (장필순) – 나는 여기에 (I Am Here)
Luluk Purwanto – Nuansa
Adriana Mascagni – Sentinella
Yuji Dan (檀雄二) – Night Breeze