Bom Tempo (Concord Records CRE-31575-02, 2010)
After an overwhelming presence of America rappers in previous albums, Sergio Mendes has sought the assistance of fellow Brazilians for his latest album, titled Bon Tempo. With the toning down of rapping, the result is a rich tropical sound that combines jazz hipness with the best of Brazilian roots and dance music.
Brazilian heavy weights Carlinhos Brown, Seu Jorge and Milton Nascimento add valuable contributions. Carlinhos Brown throws in two songs and his voice. Milton Nascimento provides his unmistakable vocals and one song. And Seu Jorge lends his unique vocal style to two pieces on the album.
Sergio Mendes’ intention is to reintroduce popular danceable Brazilian songs to a wider audience and he is succeeding at it. In addition to the new songs by Carlinhos Brown and Nascimento, Mendes has chosen classics by well known Brazilian composers such as Gilberto Gil, Jorge Benjor, Moacir Santos-Nei Lopes, Antonio Carlos Jobim. Mendes has even brought back samples of his own earlier recordings, giving new life to earlier classic recordings.
“I wanted to create a collection of songs that are mostly uptempo, fresh and danceable, so that young people can relate to them,” says Mendes of his work on Bom Tempo. “I want to reintroduce great Brazilian melodies in a different way and communicate with a new audience.”
Bom Tempo continues to show us a reinvigorated Sergio Mendes, this time accompanied by some of Brazil’s finest performers.
Buy the two new Bom Tempo albums: Bom Tempo and Bom Tempo Brasil (dance remixes). Other recordings available: Timeless, Encanto, Brasileiro, Look Around, Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 – Greatest Hits
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.
