Various Artists
Tropicalia, A Revolutionary Movement of Sound (Universal Music Latino, 2007)
The Tropicalismo (also known as Tropicalia) movement in the late 1960s was short lived, but it had a tremendous influence in Brazilian music. Combining politics and cutting edge music of the time, the intellectual movement introduced to music fans names such as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa and rock band Os Mutantes. All these young musicians later became some of Brazil’s most reputable artists.
The pieces include in Tropicalia show a wide variety of influences. The unmistakable Caetano Veloso uses late 60s pop arrangements and orchestral arrangements, while Gilberto Gil combines Afro-Brazilian music with rock and symphonic sounds.
Rock band Os Mutantes has been around for decades and recently toured the United States. In the late 1960s, the group mixed psychedelic rock with Brazilian beats. Later, in the 1970s, the band evolved towards exquisite progressive rock.
Gal Costa shows her psychedelic side on "The Empty Boat" and "Divino Maravilhoso."
Buy Tropicalia.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
