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A TAV Curator's Pick.

Brasileiro won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album.

Mendes went back to the taproots of his heritage, calling upon a plethora of explosive tracks from L.A. sessionmen and give the production a finished sheen. Combining Forro and Samba Reggae with Indiado stomps and shouts, "What Is This" is a romping Bahian take on Hiphop and grafts Portuguese vocals onto a swinging American Funk groove. And the unusual ¾-meter samba "Pipoca" is the creation of do-everything mystery man Hermeto Pascoal.

Mendes draws upon the giants and comers of Brazilian songwriting like Ivan Lins, Gilberto Gil, Joao Bosco, Carlinhos Brown, and Guinga. Mendes vocal blend is Gracinha Leporace who sounds more vibrant than ever. Bassist Sebastian Neto also returns to the Mendes fold. – Music On Vinyl

 “Brasileiro delivers with a vengeance, for at long last, here is a genuine, back-to-Brazil tour de force by expatriate Mendes. Taking up the long-abandoned thread of his prophetic Primal Roots album of 1972, Mendes went back to the taproots of his heritage, calling upon a plethora of explosive Brazilian rhythms and sounds recorded mostly in Brazil. Though he returned to California to pile on additional tracks from L.A. sessionmen and give the production a finished sheen, there is no sense of any watering down; the thrust of the music bears the added weight and polish easily.” – AllMusic

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