Gabriel O Pensador "Gabriel O Pensador" (Sony-Chaos, 1993)
(Produced by Fabio Fonseca)
Innovative, easily accessible hip-hop/samba-funk, with an oddball, neo-tropicalist twist. The album opens on a thunderous note, with "Abalando," a super-funky dancefloor bootyshaker that samples a classic Chico Buarque song... From there things go sorta sideways, with a few too many "kooky," spaced-out, digressive songs, including "To Feliz (Matei O Presidente)," a song that got the album banned back in '93 because of its political content... Gabriel briefly gets back on track with the slinky Superfly soul groove of "Lavagem Cerebral," and the forro-tinged "...E Voce" is also interesting, although mostly in an academic way. A lot of this album struck me as too static or self-indulgent, though... It's certainly worth checking out, and folks who are more into hip-hop and lyrical wordplay (as opposed to compositional strength) might find this pretty frickin' cool... Creative, but not necessarily captivating.
Gabriel O Pensador "Quebra-Cabeca" (Mercury, 1997)
Poppy hip-hop from "Gabriel the Philosopher," one of the more popular mainstream rappers in Brazil these days. Mostly pretty silly, but pleasant. Gabriel ain't got the flow of a Wu-Tang Clanner -- but then again, is that so bad? The campy highlight is his "Rapper's Delight" sample, on "Cachimbo de Paz" ("Peace Pipe"), which is also probably the best track on here.
Gabriel O Pensador "Seja Voce Mesmo..." (Mercury, 2002)
(Produced by Liminha, Chico Neves & Itaal Shur)
Fast paced and glossily produced (by Liminha and Chico Neves), this album is at once less subtle and more accomplished than his earlier work. The rapping is more forceful, but also less identifiably hop-hoppish, and the predominance of jagged funk-rock guitar riffs make this very much a Brazilian stab at a Red Hot Chili Peppers/Rage Against The Machine-style album. Highlights include the slightly psychedelicized, electronica-tinged "Ah!" and the funky, dancey "Masturbacao Mental." On the whole, this is a bit too aggro for my tastes -- I don't listen to this kind of music in English, either -- but as a modern BRock album, it's pretty darn good. Worth checking out.
Gabriel O Pensador "Ainda E So O Comeco" (Sony-Columbia, 2002)
(Produced by Fabio Fonseca)
Another creative, multi-layered hip-hop album, with clever samples and a sense of playfulness that comes through loud and clear. I'm all not that into hip-hop anymore, but this is more accessible and more interesting than a lot of stuff from the last decade or two. At least he's not all deathly serious about everything.
Gabriel O Pensador "Nadegas A Declarar" (Sony-Columbia, 2002)
Gabriel O Pensador "MTV Ao Vivo" (2003)
Gabriel O Pensador "Cavaleiro Andante" (Sony/BMG-Epic, 2005)
Gade & Waldrido Silva "Gafieira" (Musidisc, 1956)
Drummer Walfrido Silva and the pianist known as Gade composed all the songs on this album, with a sprightly vocal chorus singing cheerful, anthemic samba songs such as "Na Cadencia Do Tambor" (which sounds like it may have been intended as a Carnaval song.) There are also a number of instrumentals, some with familiar melodic themes... No indication of who the singers were (particularly the female lead) but regardless of the gaps in information, this is a lovely little record, a nice nostalgic disc from an era long gone.
Mona Gadelha "Mona Gadelha" (Movieplay, 1996)
Mona Gadelha "Cenas & Dramas" (Eldorado, 1999)
The second album by Mona Gadelha... Funky rock with a danceable groove on many tracks... A Slipcue reader had written me to recommend Gadelha's work, comparing her to similar artists such as Fernanda Abreu and Ana Carolina, and although Gadelha's production values aren't as slick as those major label gals, I think the reader hit the nail on the head. The modern rock guitars may be a little over-obvious at times, but this is certainly a different sound for Brazilian pop, and several songs are pretty good. Worth checking out.
Mona Gadelha "Tudo Se Move" (Brazilbizz, 2004)
Gallotti "O Samba Das Rodas" (Rob Digital, 2003)
Galo Preto "So Paulinho Da Viola" (Leblon, 1994)
Galo Preto (with Elton Medeiros & Nelson Sargento) "So Cartola" (Rob Digital, 1999)
A live tribute album featuring some of the '70s acoustic sambistas who had worked with Cartola, and who co-wrote several of these songs. It's a sweet performance which takes a little while to gather steam. Initially things are a bit slow -- none of these fellers are as sprightly as they used to be, and the vocals are a bit slurred. But the band is solid, and Sargento's performance gains resonance as the show goes on. Nice stuff.
Galo Preto "30 Anos" (Rob Digital, 2005)
Isaura Garcia - see artist discography
Mario Garcia "Sr. Cisne" (Itaipu, 1982)
Torturously dull electric guitar instrumentals, with obvious debts to noodly rock-fusion pickers such as Stevie Vai, Jeff Beck, and Carlos Santana, although there's little on here that's as fluid or imaginative as anything those dino-dudes ever did... Apparently Garcia was into exploring the African musical traditions in Uruguay and other Latin American locales, as well as the "trio eletrico" style of the Recife Carnaval parades... The Brazilian connection you can hear, but the other stuff seems pretty well buried under the dreadful rock influences. Really not a record I need to hear again... ever.
Garoto - see artist discography
Os Gatos "Aquele Som Dos Gatos" (PolyGram, 1966)
(Produced by Dori Caymmi)
An all-star schlockfest... String-laden easy listening, arranged by Eumir Deodato and produced by Dorival Caymmi's son, Dori. Mostly slow, tacky instrumental versions of bossa nova standards, featuring the tragically squandered talent of Paulo Moura, as well as EZ-fusion flautist, Meirelles. One point of interest, though: could the "Betty" Carvalho listed as a backup singer actually be future samba star, Beth Carvalho? Anyone know for sure?
The Gentlemen "The Gentlemen" (1972)
A late-edition album by these veterans of the jovem guarda... The Gentlemen originally formed in 1966, with Ze Ramalho as a founding member; he was long gone by the time this disc came out, though... This disc starts out with a blistering acid-rock fuzz-guitar instrumental song, clearly influenced by Carlos Santana; what follows is a parade of softer rock-pop songs, including several cover tunes, which varies in tone from (early) Bee Gees wimpy to Animals-esque bluesiness. A taste of heavy rock reasserts itself on songs such as "Vazio," "O Embarque" and "Eu Juro," but mostly this is softer stuff, mainly in line with the JG scene of the late '60s. Keep in mind the scene they came out of: compared to top bands such as The Fevers and Renato & Seus Blue Caps, though, these guys sound relatively rugged. Definitely worth checking out if you're into the JG sound.
Ze Geraldo "Zege & The Silver Jets" (Rozenblit, 1972)
An early album by Ze Geraldo, working under the pseudonym "Zege." It's fairly clumsy jovem guarda-meets-psych/pop material, in the Roberto Carlos style, but not as well produced or performed. It's okay, though, mostly a curio. There are only a few tracks on here are ones I'd want to come back to and listen to just for fun, including a couple with a Ray Charles beat to 'em... A lot of sluggish, organ-heavy ballads, though, and those are less fun. (He also apparently put out several singles under this name as well, some of which are kinda fun...)
Ze Geraldo "20 Super Sucessos" (Sony-Polydisc, 1998)
Yeesh... Gooey, overly earnest romantic material, drawn from Geraldo's first three albums, recorded for CBS between 1979-81. Geraldo wrote almost all the songs on here, and they all share the same low-key, midtempo, slightly lethargic feel, with somewhat flat vocal performances. ... It's not overtly cheesy or over-the-top, but it also isn't particularly compelling, either. Born in Minas, Geraldo is notable as one of the Northeast's bigger pop stars, and his 1990s concert collaborations with Elba Ramalho and Ze Ramalho. This best-of set didn't do much for me, though.
Ze Geraldo "Terceiro Mundo" (CBS, 1979)
Ze Geraldo "Estradas" (CBS-Epic, 1980)
Ze Geraldo "Ze Geraldo" (CBS-Epic, 1981)
Ze Geraldo "Caminhos De Minas" (Copacabana, 1983)
Ze Geraldo "Sol Girassol" (Copacabana, 1984)
Ze Geraldo "No Arco Da Porta De Um Dia" (Arco Som, 1986)
Alcides Gerardi "Selecao De Ouro - 20 Sucessos" (EMI-Brasil, 1998)
Alcides Gerardi "Serie Bis - Cantores Do Radio" (EMI-Brasil, 2000)
Another gem in this series. Gerardi specialized in swooping romantic ballads, with more than a hint of Argentine tangos and French musette... Schmaltzy but delightful, this 2-CD set kick off with a few galloping, lounge-y swing tunes and settles into calmer, cornier material. It's all really good... recommended!
Gera Samba "Gera Samba" (1994)
This is the group that would evolve into the highly-successful samba-pop "axe" band, E O Tchan.
Gera Samba "E O Tchan" (Polygram, 1996)
The band changes its name... So... Is this an album by Gera Samba called "E O Tchan," or an album by E O Tchan called "Gera Samba"? Oh, my head is spinning!
Gera Samba "Balanco Envolvente" (Sony, 2002)
Stan Getz - see Joao Gilberto and my Brazilian Jazz section
Claudionor Germano "Capiba: 25 Anos De Frevo" (Mocambo, 1959)
A big-bandy tribute to composer Capiba, with earnest but fairly unengaging vocals by Claudionor Germano... Not a lot of variety from song to song... Also, even though the rhythms are right, the energy level seems kind of low for a frevo record: maybe the style sounded a lot different in the 'Fifties?
Giane "Esta E Giane - A Voz Docura" (Chantcler, 1964)
Giane "Giane" (Chantcler, 1965)
Giane "Suavemente" (Chantcler, 1965)
Giane "Vitrola Digital" (Warner, 2007)
A best-of set for this jovem guarda minor-leaguer...
Gilberto Gil - see artist discography
Astrud Gilberto - see artist discography
Bebel Gilberto - see artist discography
Joao Gilberto - see artist discography
The Gilbertos "Os Eurosambas: 1992-1998" (Midsummer Madness, 1999)
Indierock doesn't have a particularly large following in Brazil, but this was one of the most widely available albums of its kind to come out of the tiny indie scene. Released by the folks at the Rio-based Midsummer Madness 'zine, this is unfortunately a less-than stellar album, rehashing musical themes from the US and European twee and lo-fi scenes, though with little drive or focus, as far as I can tell. Songwriter Thomas Pappon previously fronted a band called the Fellinis and ran the independent Stiletto label (none of which I've heard or have first-hand experience with...) but here he seems self-indulgent and diffuse, trying all sorts of techniques but without generating much spark. Dunno; maybe it's just me. Still, there's plenty of international lo-fi rock and twee stuff that I have heard and liked (or disliked), so I think I have enough of a background in rock to know a disappointment when I hear one. Still, for thise who are curious, this may be a disc worth checking out, if just to know what's out there...
Gino & Geno "Gino & Geno" (Warner-Continental, 1989)
Regional music from the sertaneja... Sounds like a mellow version of Mexican ranchera to me, but what do I know? I'm just a dumb gringo. Apparently this duo is one of the more influential acts in the Northeastern caipira scene... This disc includes "Procurando Treta" and "Chuva Grossa."
Gino & Geno "Gino E Geno" (Warner-Brasil, 1991)
Brazilian sertanejo from the Northeast is considered hick music... The artists dress up like cowboys, and the songs sound quite a bit like Mexican rancheras. Gino e Geno are stars of the genre, and this early album is okay for what it is... But it's also a bit dull, at least to outsiders. Still, if you want to check the style out, this disc is a pretty good example.
"The Girls From Brazil" - see Quarteto Em Cy
Egberto Gismonti - see artist discography
