
Groove Gravy returns with the latest installment of their "Brazil Remixed" series entitled "Brazil Remixed 2". This edition, featuring 14 tracks (10 of which are previously unreleased) is sure to hit the spot for bossa nova and samba music lovers, as the traditional elements of these songs far outweigh the Western influence of electronics and club beats.
Track Listing:
Cyz "Que Zomba"
Electro Coco "Arte de Criacao (The Tao of Groove remix)"
Jazzelicious "Fantastico"
Cyz "Canta Maria Macambira (Swag remix)"
The Tao of Groove "Dance Floor (nu Brazilia remix)"
Kool Kojak Commandante "Praiano"
Riolistic "Uma Saudade"
Geni Pereira "Dengosa"
Cyz "Eu Tenho Pena (feat. Gilberto Gil)"
Rithma "Along The Way"
Carla Hassett "Tão Legal"
Martin East Project "Neverending (John Beltran remix)"
DJ Rain "Mi Vida Samba"
HighEnd "Regrowth"
Some of the best tracks in this collection come from Brazilian chanteuse Cynthia Zamorano, who performs under the name, Cyz. Of the three tracks she contributes to Brazil Remixed 2, "Eu Tenho Pena" featuring vocal work by Cyz and Gilberto Gil stands out most. It's not a typcial piece, due to its percussive rhythms that sound more Middle Eastern than Brazilian, but when the drums switch into their deep, slow groove your head's just going to nod. The other songs from Cyz are "Canta Maria Macambria (Swag remix)", bearing a retro-analog synth, deep house edge that's hard to resist, and "Que Zomba" which has a much more traditional sound. Both "Que Zomba" and "Eu Tenho Pena" can be found on her debut solo album "littlefishdublongwatersamba".
Retro-analog synth bleeps can be found on a few songs throughout Brazil Remixed 2, and one of them is "Arte De Criacao (The Tao of Groove remix)" by the very cosmopolitan trio called Electro Coco. Brazilian rhythms, synth beeps, jazz keys and the sweet voice of Viviani Godoy coalesce to nice effect. Amsterdam-based Electro Coco is comprised of Brazilian-born singer Viviani Godoy, English DJ Graham B. and Dutch producer/musician Alain Eskinasi. The song featured here can also be found on their critically-acclaimed album "Côco do Mundo".
Jazzelicious kicks it down with Seventies-styled horns, shuffled jazz-dance beats, Latin percussion, frenetic jazz piano keys, strings and vocal stabs with "Fantastico". Perfect for your nu-Brazilian-jazz-disco fix.
The Tao of Groove make a cameo appearance and smoke it up with a new track called "Dance Floor (Nu Brazilia remix)". As with the Jazzelicious track, the style is a mix of Brazilian rhythms and percussion, jazz guitar and flute, and a deep house groove topped with seductively soft, funk-edged female vocals. Yes, the nu-Brazilian-jazz-disco swerve continues.
Kojak's instrumental "Praiano" breaks in with a gritty, percussive groove and nice Latin guitar melodies. It hints at a hip hop influence, but never drops its sound down to street level, choosing mellow, sophistication instead.
The last track on Brazil Remixed 2 definitely delivers. It's an instrumental song called "Regrowth" by HighEnd, and it's laid-back, Brazilian groove, has just the right mix of electronics.
Whether your taste is margarita or martini, Brazil Remixed 2 is going to get your sophisticated, modern, Brazilian vibe in flow.