Jorge Ben - From Brazil [Spain Import]

From Brazil gathers Jorge Ben's 1967 album O Bidú: Silêncio no Brooklin, the record where Ben first wired his samba to electric guitars, here on 180 gram vinyl with two bonus tracks.

Ben made it while living in Brooklin, a São Paulo neighbourhood, sharing a place with Erasmo Carlos, and the title pokes fun at both his car and a neighbour who would shout for silence during his loud rehearsals. Backed by the rock band The Fevers, he moved closer to the youthful Jovem Guarda sound, and Caetano Veloso later named the album as one of the sparks behind Tropicália. Critics now hear it as his samba-rock breakthrough.

The songs are warm, witty and mostly upbeat. "Toda Colorida" bounces on a bright, swinging groove, "Frases" settles into a soft, easy sway, and "Menina Gata Augusta", written with Erasmo Carlos, shows how naturally Ben could fold pop hooks into a samba pulse. "Si Manda" closes the original running order with a grin. As bonus cuts, this limited edition adds two of his early signature songs, "Chove Chuva" and "Mas Que Nada", the hit that first made his name.

It is a short, bright record from the moment Brazilian pop started rewiring itself, and an essential early chapter for anyone following Ben toward África Brasil.