Ana Caram - see artist discography
Os Carbonos "Serie Bis - Jovem Guarda" (EMI/Copacabana, 2000)
Mainly sluggish, mid-tempo teeniebopper ballads, recorded between 1969-81, well after the real Jovem Guarda boom. Although there are plenty of potentially interesting cover tunes ("Bus Stop," "Mellow Yellow," Arthur Adams' "Anna"...) none of the performances are very exciting... this is basically the Brazilian equivalent of the kind of oldies cover band you'd hear at a country fair up here in the States... Of note, though, is their version of "Never Never," by Uruguay's Los Shakers, which is still pretty rinky-dink, but noteworthy because of the pan-Latin American link.
Os Carbonos "Selecao De Ouro" (2007)
Elizeth Cardoso - see artist discography
Wanderley Cardoso "O Jovem Romantico" (Copacabana, 1964)
The first album by teen balladeer Wanderley Cardoso... It's simply awful...! Sure, I guess technically he could be lumped in with the whole jovem guarda teenpop scene, but really he's just singing overripe romantic vocals material, with lots of gooey, string-y arrangements and a big nod towards the lethargic boleros of a generation earlier. There's really very little here that places him within the "youth culture," other than his thin, tremulous voice. This is pretty torturous to listen to... Love htat narcissistic image of him gazing adoringly into the mirror, though!
Wanderley Cardoso "Perdidamente Apaixonado" (Copacabana, 1965)
Wanderley Cardoso "So O Amor Constroi" (Continental, 1971)
Don't let the love beads fool you: once again, he's about as vigorous or rebellious a performer as Bobby Sherman. Sort of a morph between Roberto Carlos and David Cassidy, although he does hit a few funky notes on songs such as "Eu Nao Nasci Pra Ser Feliz," Cardoso apparently never met a backbeat he wanted to bring home for dinner. If he'd been recording up in the States, I'm sure he could have landed a spot or two on The Tonight Show... Monterey Pop or Woodstock, however, would not have been his scene.
Wanderley Cardoso "Renascer" (Continental/UA, 1971)
Trying to crack into the Spanish-language pop market, Cardoso is even tamer and more cheesy than with his Portuguese-speaking audiences. Not a lot here to hold my interest.
Wanderley Cardoso "2-Em-1" (EMI, 2003)
A twofer reissue that combines two full albums, Wanderley Cardoso and Soccoro Nosso Amor Morrendo, both from 1968.
Wanderley Cardoso "Selecao Do Ouro: 20 Sucessos" (EMI, 2002)
Wanderley Cardoso "40 Anos Do Bom Rapaz" (EMI, 2006)
Wanderley Cardoso "Serie Bis: Jovem Guarda" (EMI, 2000)
Os Caretas "Historia Dos Sambas Enredo: 1932-1975" (Polydor, 1975)
Usually samba de enredo albums are collections of the best carnaval songs, issued as souvenirs from the various samba schools which had competed or won in a given year. This one, however is a collection of famous or winning songs, drawn from five decades of competitions, and performed by one band (the studio band Os Caretas, who did a series of generic souvenir albums in the 1970s). The survey includes famous songwriters such as Noel Rosa, Cartola, Ze Keti and Candeia, as well as dozens of more obscure writers. Musically, this is quite pleasant, though also quite static -- the arrangements (percussion, cavaquinho, cuica, chorus) are unvaried from track to track. Of course, it's a sound that's hard to find fault with, so sonic homogeneity may not be a problem for many.
Os Cariocas "Os Cariocas A Ismael Neto" (Columbia, 1957)
This early album (their first LP?) was an homage to the group's bandleader, Ismael Neto, who died a year earlier. His brother, Severino Filho, became the band's guiding force afterwards. The songs are all Neto originals, and the performances are uniformly over-the-top. Glee club vocals gone mad, with arrangements that range from staid to utterly outlandish. I think this primarily qualifies as kitsch, but these guys certainly had their fans, and they were quite a tight vocal group. This is, generally speaking, the inspiration for the vocals groups of the '60s, such as Quarteto Em Cy and the MPB4.
Os Cariocas "A Bossa Dos Cariocas" (Philips, 1963)
This perky vocal quartet was known as the greatest of the post-WWII vocal groups, and was the model for the bossa-era bands such as the gals in Quarteto Em Cy and their male counterpart, the MPB-4. Unlike their successors, Os Cariocas were not hopelessly saccharine, nor were their arrangements completely ludicrous. Sure, their Four Freshman-ish versions of various bossa nova standards are somewhat silly, but in an innocuous kinda way. These early '60s recordings were made well past the group's 1950s glory days, when it was still led by the famed arranger, Ismael Neto. Although these are not immortal recordings, this is certainly worth checking out. For more info, check out the group's website, which has an extensive historical section (in Portuguese).
Os Cariocas "Mais Bossa Com Os Cariocas" (Philips, 1963)
Os Cariocas "De Quatrocentas Bossas" (Philips, 1965)
Mainly for nostalgia-driven fans. Some bright, big, sometimes brassy orchestrations frame their too-smooth vocals. This really doesn't appeal to me: it's too easy-listeningish, even with the mildly adventurous touches in the arrangements. Just not my bag. Although I'm sure there are plenty of others out there who would really dig it. Includes compositions by Carlos Lyra, Roberto Menescal, Marcos Valle, Ronaldo Boscoli and other younger writers, as well as chestnuts from Joao de Barro and other samba-cancao composers.
Os Cariocas "Reconquistar" (Warner, 1992)
Os Cariocas "Os Cariocas Com Bossa" (Albatroz, 2007)
Os Cariocas "A Bossa Brasileira" (Albatroz)
Os Cariocas "Os Classicos Cariocas" (Albatroz)
Os Cariocas "Bossa Carioca" (Sony, 2006)
Os Cariocas "Ao Vivo" (2007)
Os Cariocas "Mestres De MPB" (Warner, 1997)
Os Cariocas "e-Collection: Sucessos + Raridades" (Warner, 2001)
A 2-CD set with rare tracks and hits.
Os Cariocas "Serie Sem Limite" (Universal, 2002)
Os Cariocas "Pure Bossa Nova" (Verve, 2007)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Mudei De Ideia" (BMG-Ariola, 1971)
Way cool. This songwriting duo is not to be confused with Antonio Carlos Jobim... particularly not on this lost gem from the tail end of the tropicalia years. Full of driving, legitimately funky grooves and piercing acid-rock guitars, this is an unusually dynamic album which shows a clear debt to psychedelic singers like Gilberto Gil, but is also a notable early link in the history of Brazilian soul music. In fact, compared to the big names in Brazilian soul, softies such as Hyldon and Cassiano, this is pretty kickass material. Features the funk monster, "Kabaluere," which captures the bass-heavy electric style of the Isley Brothers, and makes it into a super-Brazilian sizzler. Very, very nice album... and one you should try to track down.
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Definativamente" (BMG-Ariola, 1974)
Oh, how quickly the worm turns... While this is still very listenable, the hard, experimental edge of their earlier albums is clearly being abandoned for a softer pop style. While not as saccharine as their later work (which sadly dominates their best-of collections...), this record is a sign of things to come. It's okay, but it's really that cool. One striking moment of folk-influenced silliness is the blend of samba cancao and English madrigal, on "O Poeta E O Cobetor" -- not a great song, but an interesting stylistic footnote. They also start dipping into regional pop with the forro flavored "Chuculatera" and the funky pagode of "Terceiro Ato" and "Toro De Lagrimas." Maria Creuza guests on one tune -- she also covered a lot of their material on her own albums. (NOTE: this album was re-released on CD along with the 1971 album, Mudei De Ideia)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Cada Segundo" (RCA, 1972)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Antonio Carlos & Jocafi" (RCA, 1973)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Ossos Do Officio" (RCA, 1975)
A delightful, summertime-y, mellow pop album, the epitome of easygoing, folk-tinged MPB. This is a very listenable album, mixing a gentle pop-rock sensibility with some sweet, swaying samba, like a mellower version of Jorge Ben's soul-samba sound. Nice one!
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Antonio Carlos & Jocafi" (RCA, 1976)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Louvado Seja" (RCA, 1977)
A pleasant samba-tinged pop album which picks up a little of the funky beat of their early work. Mostly this is pretty feathery and fluffy material, but not overtly icky in any way... The hit from this album is the anthemic "Opus 2," a song which has been widely covered ever since... Their original is a bit softer than later renditions, but still nice. This isn't earthshaking material, but it's nice to listen to.
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Ela Por Elas" (RCA, 1978)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Trabalho De Base" (RCA, 1980)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Trabalho De Base" (Polygram, 1984)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Feitico Moleque" (Continental, 1986)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Samba, Prazer & Misterio" (RCR, 1994)
A live album...
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Sing The Music Of Jorge Amado" (BMG/Milan, 1996)
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "20 Supersucessos" (1999)
Re-recorded versions of old material.
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi "Acervo Especial" (BMG, 1994)
Very lite, samba/bossa based pop vocals, with muted cavaquinhos and lots of gooey string arrangements. This best-of rides closely on the edge between yummy and drekky, but sadly falls into the latter -- many of these songs can be recognized from popular versions by other MPB artists, but in this case, it's just slightly too saccharine to hang with. Still, compared to their '70s soft-pop contemporaries such as Antonio Marcos or Nelson Gonsalves, these guys had it going on.
Erasmo Carlos - see artist discography
Roberto Carlos - see artist discography
Ze Carlos "Passo A Passo" (Mixhouse, 2000)
These soft-jazz instrumentals, featuring guitarist Ze Carlos, are not my cup of tea. Not particularly "Brazilian" sounding, either. Folks more in the Pat Metheny/Kenny G swing of things might enjoy this, though.
Ana Carolina "Ana Carolina" (BMG, 1999)
(Produced by Nilo Romero)
Possessed of one of the most masculine female voices in Brazilian pop since Maria Bethania hit the scene, Ana Carolina also exhibits a fairly bold musical eclecticism, blending elements of modern rock, soul, rap, rough-edged indigenous styles and searching, sometimes scat-like vocals. That being said, for the most part, the parts are sometimes greater than the sum: although this album has bold elements, its overall tone is fairly bland and mainstream, particularly on the slower ballads, where her weaker side comes through. The opening couple of tracks are fairly striking, but this disc didn't really blow me away.
Ana Carolina "Ana, Rita, Joana, Iracema E Carolina" (BMG, 2001)
Several Slipcue readers wrote in to recommend this gal, usually in comparison to Marisa Monte, another multi-facted, multigenre diva. I can see where the comparison stems from -- on the surface Carolina does indeed share some characteristics with Monte, particularly the mix of electronica-tinged modern rock and slightly-rappy soul singing. But Carolina's sound pales in comparison -- her arrangements are too stereotyped and predictable, and the band frequently overplays, particularly the piercing, irritating electric guitars. Can't say I'm that into her voice, either -- a husky, brusque, throaty style, similar in some ways to Maria Bethania, though without much of Bethania's subtlety. This album is okay; if you're looking for something new and relatively inventive, along the lines of Adriana Calcanhotto, Lenine or Marisa Monte, this might fit the bill... But in the long run it didn't really hold my attention...
Ana Carolina "Estampado" (BMG, 2003)
Ana Carolina & Seu Jorge "Ana & Jorge" (BMG, 2005)
Ana Carolina "Perfil" (Som Livre, 2005)
A best-of set, covering her work up through 2005.
Altamiro Carrilho - see artist discography
Cartola - see artist discography
Beth Carvalho - see artist discography
Delcio Carvalho "A Lua E O Conhaque" (Eldorado, 2002)
Delcio Carvalho "Inedito E Eterno: Roda De Samba" (Rob Digital, 2003)
Delcio Carvalho "Inedito E Eterno: Acustico" (Rob Digital, 2003)
Delcio Carvalho "Inedito E Eterno: Encontros Musicais" (Rob Digital, 2003)
Delcio Carvalho "Profissao Compositor" (Rob Digital, 2007)
Nilze Carvalho "Choro De Menina" (CID, 1980)
A remarkable and beautiful choro album recorded by pre-teenage cavaquinho prodigy, Nilze Carvalho... I'm not sure how old she was when this disc was recorded, but judging from the picture on the cover, it couldn't have been much more than twelve years old, or so... And she is a stunning musician, not merely in a technical sense, but also for the depth and emotion she is able to infuse into her performances. Accompanying her is one of the premiere choro revival groups, Epoca de Ouro, and this is one of their best works as well. The arrangements are both lively and inventive, particularly with the use of percussion. There's none of the static feel or formalism of, say, Joao Nascimento's albums, but rather a lot of give and take between the precocious soloist and her backing back, and lots of creative, joyful playfulness. This is a wonderful set -- her first album, I believe.
Nilze Carvalho "Chorinhos De Ouro, v.4" (BMG, 1992)
Nilze Carvalho "Chorinhos De Ouro, v.7" (CID, 2005)
Nilze Carvalho "Estava Faltando Voce" (Rob Digital, 2005)
