Brazilian Funk & Folk for Christmas Day

These Brazilian treats should be a welcome addition to your holiday playlist although they might be a bit tough for the family to sing along to. Pour some cachaca into your egg-nog and pretty soon you'll be able to sing along just fine.

Caetano Veloso - In the Hot Sun of a Christmas Day
First we have a not-very-festive contribution from Caetano Veloso that comes from his 1971 album recorded while in exile in London. This is a beautiful album of Brazilian rock and folk - the kinda thing that today's neo-folkies just east up, particularly Caetano's get-up on the front. I think I saw a dude walking down Bedford Avenue (hipster mainstreet) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn trying to rock this same look. Caetano's homesickness is visceral on this track as he spends the holidays far from home in a different hemisphere, far colder than Christmas in Rio.


Cassiano - Hoje E Natal
Cassiano wrote this lovely holiday tune for his classic 1976 album, "Cuban Soul - 18 Kilates." Here, Cassiano finds is vocal range better and delivers some sweet soul about the holidays. The song title means "Today is Christmas."

The following two songs are a real treat. I'm not much of a raer record hound, but I don't know of anyone else with this particular record. I found it in a used bookstore in some backwoods neighborhood of Sao Paulo and as evidenced by the "Natal" side, it's seen some better days. Seeing as this is a Christmas post I've included the "Natal" side, but the "Ano Novo" side is in far better shape and should be used to rock your new year's party this year. I passed it off to DJs Sean Marquand and Greg Caz for their New Year's party at Black Betty last year and it slayed, so the story goes. I love the way that this anonymous band reworked "Good Times" and "Rapper's Delight" within a year of the latter being released and also augmented the song with some funky clavinet as well as a samba-breakdown. A true holiday party MONSTER!

Equipe Radio Cidade - Bons Tempos - Natal

Equipe Radio Cidade - Bons Tempos - Ano Novo

I just found some info on Equipe Radio Cidade on this website. Here are the technical information for these two songs (note the participation of Ed Lincoln, dance-band legend):

Bons Tempos II – Natal de 1980. – Letra: Romilson Luiz e Eládio Sandoval. Arranjos: Eduardo Souto Neto. Produção: Mariozinho Rocha Participação especial: Roupa Nova, Ed Lincoln e Mestre Marçal. Gravação: Estúdio Emi-Odeon.

Bons Tempos II - Ano Novo de 1980 – Letra: Romilson Luiz e Eládio Sandoval. Arranjos: Eduardo Souto Neto. Produção: Mariozinho Rocha Participação especial: Roupa Nova, Ed Lincoln e Mestre Marçal. Gravação: Estúdio Emi-Odeon.