The rains may have come and the nights may be drawing in, but that’s no reason not to enjoy jaunty Bollywood tunes and samba covers, declares our TuneSmith Rob Wood…

ALBUM OF THE MONTH

Seu Jorge & Almaz by Seu Jorge & Almaz

When? You fancy a Brazilian
Why? It’s Kraftwerk gone samba

Seu Jorge leapt from the favelas of Rio to international attention as the crime-ridden Knockout Ned. But it was his startling collection of Bowie covers on the soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic that cemented his reputation for one of samba’s most captivating and soulful voices. Cover versions are also the basis of his new album, but this is far from a solo effort. The new band features composer Antonio Pinto on bass, and two of Brazil’s most respected musicians: drummer Pupillo and guitarist Lucio Maia. Together they bring a gently psychedelic Latin rock sound to Roy Ayers’ ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’, Tim Maia’s ‘Cristina’, and Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model’. The set includes a perfectly realised version of Jorge Ben’s ‘Errare Humanum Est’, full of searing guitar and rhythm, and a less successful cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘Rock With You’. Overall, this is another example of how Brazilian music soaks up influences and then does its own thing (a point demonstrated brilliantly in the wonderful and highly recommended music documentary Beyond Ipanema). But the real magic here is between the players. This is the sound of a band at one with itself, doing inspirational covers, led by a truly original voice.

Download Seu Jorge & Almaz now

T

THE SMITH CLASSIC

Jonny Trunk & Joel Martin Present Bollywood Funk Experience by Various artists

When? You want to spice up a dinner party with something exotic
Why? This Bollywood compilation is packed with flavour and funk

If Bollywood music has never set your sari on fire, think again. Bollywood films are not only a feast for the eyes but for the ears too. From the flamboyant Lata Mangeshkar to the downright groovy Mohammed Rafi, the genre is filled with colourful characters, great voices and fantastic dancing. When obsessive crate diggers Jonny Trunk and Joel Martin got together to select rare, exotic, peculiar and wonderful funk gems from 60s, 70s and 80s Bombay, it was always going to be intriguing. From Indian exotica to Indian disco and Indian reggae, this is a lively collection of occasionally bizarre, more often groovy Bollywood music from the likes of Asha Bhosle, Charanjit Singh, and legendary film composer RD Burman. It proves to be as magical, funky and spicy as the place itself.

Download Bollywood Funk Experience now

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 30th, 2010 at 9:45 am and is filed under Features, Uncategorized. You can follow any comments on this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.