Lia De Itamaraca "A Rainha Da Ciranda" (Tapecar, 1977)
Lia De Itamaraca "Eu Sou Lia" (Rob Digital, 2000)
Unruly, captivating, raw regional music from a Pernambucan singer who sticks to the old-fashioned way of making music... These songs (many of which, it must be admitted, sound an awful lot alike...) are maracatus and cocos de roda, with heavy, wobbly rhythms and off-kilter, stripped-down accompaniment on percussion and a single, quirkily honking horn. Lia (aka Maria Madalena Correia do Nascimento) has been making music for years and has a lot of the same tenor and gravitas as Clementina de Jesus or Dona Ivon Lara, but this music is just a little bit weirder and more wild than their traditional sambas... Probably not for everyone, but very traditional-sounding and definitely worth checking out.
Lilian / Lilian Knapp - see artist profile
Marina Lima - see artist discography
Ed Lincoln - see artist discography
Arto Lindsay - see artist discography
Claudio Lins "Um" (Velas, 1999)
An album by the son of composer Ivan Lins and actress Lucinha Lins... Pretty schmaltzy romantic stuff, mostly.
Claudio Lins "Cara" (Biscoito Fino, 2009)
Ivan Lins - see artist discography
Lucinha Lins "Sempre, Sempre Mais" (Philips, 1982) (LP)
Singer Lucinha Lins was married to MPB/jazz composer Ivan Lins and sang on all his major records of the 1970s, as well as on numerous other artists' albums, but she recorded only sparsely under her own name. In the early '80s she shifted gears and took up an acting career, which has led to many roles in dozens of telenovelas and films.
Lucinha Lins "Cancao Brasileira: Lucinha Interpreta Sueli Costa" (Biscoito Fino, 2002)
A well-crafted set of MPB ballads, which should appeal to fans of Gal Costa and Maria Bethania's cabaret-oriented style. Lucinha is backed here by pianist Gilson Peranzzetta and his ensemble. Rio-born songwriter Sueli Costa was a favorite of slick '70s performers such as Simone, Joanna, Ney Matogrosso, Fafa de Belem, Maria Bethania, and -- one would assume -- Joao Bosco, especially since she collaborated often with Aldir Blanc. Costa recorded sparingly in the late 1970s; this affectionate tribute should help bring her music to the attention of a new generation of MPB fans.
Liverpool "Por Favor Sucesso" (Equipe, 1969)
(Reissued on CD and LP by Shadoks Music.)
Robert Livi "Serie Jovem Guarda: Apaixonado/Robert Livi" (Sony-Columbia, 2000)
A 2-CD reissue of two old jovem guarda albums, Apaixonado and Robert Livi
Lobao - see artist discography
Valeria Lobao "Chamada" (Tenda Da Raposa, 2011)
Ary Lobo - see artist discography
Edu Lobo - see artist discography
Os Lobos "Miragem" (Top Tape, 1971)
A cool mix of styles - jangly pop-psyche, denser, jazzier proggish art-rock and bouncy, piano-led music-hall shuffles, reminiscent of The Kinks, with a touch of shimmering Byrds-iness in there as well. The alternating male-female vocals invite comparison to Os Mutantes... Personally, I like these guys better: their artistic output is more consistent and they seem a little less full of themselves (although there are a few similarly sluggish, spaced-out moments as well... Goes with the territory, I guess...) Overall, a great hippie-era relic! At least one bandmember, Dalto, went solo later in the 1970s...
Marcio Local "Says Don Day Don Dree Don Don: Adventures In Samba Soul" (Luaka Bop, 2009)
(Produced by Mario Caldato, Jr.)
Contemporary Brazilian funk and soul, from a Rio native who carries the torch of samba-soul pioneers such as Tim Maia and Wilson SImonal... There's a touch of the cooler, funkier, sexier Jorge Ben in there as well, but mostly that sound is in the mix; there are some great arrangements (courtesy of Beastie Boy producer Mario C, who in recent years has returned to Brazil and joined the simmering local hip-hop/samba scenes...) but the vocals are pure Simonal, a husky, schmaltzy style that is popular in Brazil, but may be hard for many North Americans to get into. This is a musically creative record, and in terms of keeping true to the traditions of 1970s/80s Brazil soul, it's also very authentic. Definitely worth checking out -- if you like this, you'll also want to check out Maia, Simonal and Maia's nephew, Ed Motta.
Marcio Local "Samba Sem Nenhum Problema" (Universal, 2009)
Fernando Lona "Cidadao Do Mundo" (Tapecar, 1977) (LP)
Soft pop, with a northeastern regional flair, including a few dips into more traditional baiao/forro music. The opening tracks are awful, but the deeper you go into the album, the better it gets. Ultimately, he's a bit like Edu Lobo, an ornate but tuneful MPB pop stylist. Doesn't really wow me, but I can see where this would have appealed to folks at the time, especially those in search of representatives of a modern regional culture. All the songs were written or co-written by Lona, with arrangements by old-timer Leo Peracchi.
Dora Lopes "Minhas Musicas E Eu" (Copacabana, 1965) (LP)
Dora Lopes "Testamento" (RGE, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Chil Deberto & Jose Toledo)
An awesome set of roots-samba, '70s-style, with earthy, evocative vocals and solid musical backing. Ms. Lopes is the sort of exhortatory singer who really stirs up her band, and she summons a whirlwind on some of these songs... There's a strong wave of saudade and regret that flows through here, but also a vibrancy and power that's similar to the best of the pagode samba of this era. If you like Clara Nunes, Clementina De Jesus and Ivone Lara, you'll want to add this gal to your list as well. Overwrought at times, but generally pretty rootsy and real... Plus, she wrote all of her own songs!
Dora Lopes "Esta E Minha Filosofia" (Tapecar, 1972) (LP)
Nei Lopes & Wilson Moreira "A Arte Negra De..." (EMI, 1997)
Nei Lopes "Sincopando O Breque" (CPC-UMES/El Dorado, 1999)
Latter-day samba cancao with fairly posh, sometimes big band-ish arrangements. Lopes is one of those Brazilian old-timers whose career effortlessly spans the decades; here he's joined by another veteran sambista, drummer Wilson Das Neves, in a nice, lightly swinging set of songs, all written by Lopes himself. Sweet stuff, a little old-fashioned, but nice nonetheless.
Nei Lopes/Various Artists "De Letra E Musica" (Velas, 2001)
Nei Lopes "Celebracao" (Rob Digital, 2003)
Nei Lopes "Partido Ao Cubo" (Rob Digital, 2005)
Renata Lu - see artist profile
Romero Lubambo - see artist profile
Ana Lucia "Colecao As Divas" (?)
Ana Lucia "Canta Triste" (RGE, 196-?)
Pedro Luis E A Parede - see artist profile
Ze Luis "Guarani Banana" (Malandro, 1999)
An accomplished saxophone player who has toured on the road with Caetano Veloso and other giants of Brazilian MPB, Ze Luis moved to New York City, where he is firmly in the middle of the Big Apple's Braz-Jazz revival. Joined by others on the NYC scene, such as Mauro Refosco, Romero Lubambo and Paulo Braga, Luis has put out his own solo album, a mainly-instrumental jazzfest which ranges from muscular Latin jazz reworkings of bossa standards to lighter, dreamier numbers that are reminiscent of Milton Nascimento's Clube da Esquina days (notably "Winds From Africa"). It's not my entirely my cup of tea, but for the territory, this ain't bad.
Ze Luis/Paulo Braga/Nilson Matta "Green Heart" (New Orbita, 2007)
Luiza "Luiza" (RCA, 1964)
A nice, mid-1960s pop-bossa album featuring blonde-haired Luiza Silveira Fonseca (who I'd never heard of before) and pretty sharp arrangements by Moacir Santos, backed by an anonymous band, presumably culled from the bossa-era jazz camp. Luiza's voice is pretty nice, though perhaps a little too perfect and smooth, in a manner reminiscent of French chanson singers. Overall, a lovely little record that seems to have dropped off the radar over the years. Worth checking out.
Nonato Luiz - see artist profile
Luizinho & Seus Dinamites "Choque Que Quiema" (RCA Victor, 1964)
Twangy, surfy/garage-y rock; rough-edged stuff from the jovem guarda era. Luizihno "got" American-style rock... but just barely! Nonetheless, the shakiness of these performances is a big part of their charm... This is undeniably authentic teenster rock, with lots of energetic lead guitar work and several fun songs. Pretty cool little relic.
Luli e Lucina "Luli e Lucina" (1979)
Luli e Lucina "Amor De Mulher/Yorimata" (Nosso Estudio, 1982)
Gooey, amorphous, flowery folky stuff, with a kind of new age-y feel -- gentle, static acoustic guitar and noodly vocals. Lucina was, once upon a time, one of the singers in Grupo Manifesto. I'm afraid this disc doesn't do much for me.
Luli e Lucina "Timbres & Temperos" (Som Da Gente, 1984)
Luli e Lucina "Porque Sim, Porque Nao?" (Leblon, 1991)
Luli e Lucina "Elis & Elas" (Leblon, 1995)
Luli e Lucina "25 Anos" (Dabliu, 1996)
Moacyr Luz - see artist discography
Carlos Lyra - see artist discography
Kay Lyra "Influencia Do Jazz" (Video Arts, 2004)
The jazz-oriented debut of singer Kay Lyra, daughter of fabled bossa composer, Carlos Lyra. This was released in Japan, and so far hasn't seen release in the States...
Kay Lyra "Kandagawa" (2007)
