I also love Brazilian jazz, from the Bossa Nova of the late fifties and sixties (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz, João Gilberto, Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66, and the heavenly-voiced Astrud Gilberto)…
…to artists like Tania Maria, Ivan Lins, and the great Milton Nascimento.
The beauty of Brazilian jazz is that, even though you may not understand a lick of Portuguese, it’s such an exquisite language that you end up listening to the artist’s voice as an instrument instead of hanging on the actual lyrics. One of my very favorite Brazilian singers is Djavan.
He is, without question, a worldwide superstar. I was listening to his music this weekend as well. My all-time best cut of his (and that’s a reach, because he’s splendid on so many levels) is a tune called “Samurai” that featured Stevie Wonder on harmonica, from the album Luz, released in 1982.
You may not know what the heck the song is saying, but Djavan and Stevie complement each other so well, you can’t help but go with their incredible vibe. Enjoy!!!
Here’s a live version, sans Stevie, just because. It’s still a bad ass groove, no matter what. Check out how the audience goes wild the moment he opens his mouth and they ultimately sing along.
*Juan G., maybe now you understand why, on those rare occasions when I do drink, I prefer, love, and can make a mean caipirinha. That also explains why I took to Ceiba like a duck to an empanada the very first time you took me there.
**Alright, I’ll leave y’all alone with the music for today. I know I can get a bit carried away. But we share because we love. That’s what The Lo Zone is all about.
The Lo Zone 
>Nice, Lo. Tania Maria is one of my favorites and has been for a long while. Brazilian music and Brazilian jazz in particular is such soulful music that, as you say, it doesn't matter that you don't understand it.I definitely understand the Ceiba attraction/connection.Though not Brazilian, check out http://www.jaylou-ava.com He's from Camaroon and I was introduced to his music by this African designer some years ago. I only hate that I can not find it here in the states.
LikeLike
>Hanging out with all of you let me know I have so much good living ahead of me. So many things to try, so many things to see. Thanks for the music. My daughter (8yrs old) had me listening to Brazillian music just yesterday in a store we were hanging out in. I'll have to play this for her. Thanks
LikeLike
>i was first introduced to brazilian jazz music by the song, "the girl from ipanema" from jobim & getz. it's so smooth and mellow, whatever stressful that going on in your life, that song has a way of bringing you down.
LikeLike
>There's a nice James Taylor song, titled "Only A Dream In Rio" about the time he spent in Brazil. Much of the chorus is in Porteguese and is beautiful. I remember him playing it live and saying he borrowed a guitar from (I will spell this wrong) Gilleberto Giland while down there and the song "just came out of the guitar"…thought that was nice.
LikeLike
[…] my posts yesterday about the music I was listening to over the holiday weekend, a couple of you mentioned Lonnie […]
LikeLike