Latest releases reviewed

VARIOUS ARTISTS Beleza Tropical 1 & 2 compiled by David Byrne Luaka Bop ***
We've got the guy from Talking Heads to thank for hearing something special in the pop music of Brazil, and helping to bring it to a wider audience. When the first Beleza Tropical was released in 1988, few of us had heard of Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso or Jorge Ben, but by the time the second one was released 10 years later, we were all dropping their names in buena vista social circles. The songs here fuse bossa and Afro beats with American middle-of-the-road, making them feel both rootsy and slightly cheesy at the same time. They might often sound slight, but for a country coming out of decades of oppression and poverty, the rock guitars, ethnic rhythms and poppy melodies represent a radical cultural upswell. Luaka Bop are also reissuing albums by Peruvian chanteuse Susana Baca, bilingual New York collective Si*Se, and Brazilian psychedelic lounge combo Os Mutantes. Book your return trip now. www.luakabop.com
Kevin Courtney