While hob-nobbing with Katy Perry was fun, lets get down to the real nitty gritty of the ARC’s Brazilian trip; record hunting. Our host was Allan Bastos, a collector and dealer from Rio+NYC. Our point man was Beco Dranoff, a producer, DJ and filmmaker based in NYC + Sao Paulo who is heading up our Brazilian projects. This dynamic duo made sure ARC met a great many collectors, artists, critics and label and record store owners in Brazil – all in preparation for ARC’s Brazilian World Music Day next September.
My first stop in Sao Paulo was the Galeria do Rock in the old center. This building used to house a great many record stores, but now has given way to music accessories and swag depots. More or less the first floor sells hip-hop, the 3d Metal (who could resist the cuddly Goth baby doll), and the 4th floor rock.
And what floors!
One of the last remaining vinyl outlets is Baratos Afins (Cheap + Willing). Started by Luiz Calanca in 1978, they rightly proclaim themselves an independent pioneer, as both label and retailer. The store became a label when os Mutantes vocalist/bassist Arnaldo Baptista enlisted Calanca to release a solo LP. Soon the store became known for releasing ‘underground’ music and rereleasing out-of-print LPs by os Mutantes and Tom Zé. In time the label issued a wide range of genres: experimental, post punk, garage, modern pop, jazz and metal.
A big thanks to Mr. Calanca who donated a group of his rock and jazz LPs. Naturally I couldn’t resist this Twist LP.
Another long-lived store specializing in Discos Vinil is Eric Records in the Pinheiros neighborhood of Sao Paulo.
One nice touch is the guitar mosaics in front of the store, continuing the theme of patterned sidewalks you see throughout the city. Run by Eric Crauford, the shop is chock-a-block with new and vintage plastic, both local and international, surrounded by memorabilia, room after room deep. By the way those RS 1.99= $1.10.
Beco, who had just produced the fabulous Red, Hot + Rio 2 album (listen or purchase here), was at Radio Eldorado doing an interview. Later we toured their archive. The very first record they ever received was by Tony Bennett, but I liked this one.
Here’s a shot of archivist Edgard Conçalves filing some 45s, who’s been here as long as, well, Tony Bennett. You can listen to Radio E here.
The highlight of the Sao Paulo trip was a visit to a fabled collector who is relocating his 400,000 recordings – here they are, all boxed and labeled and getting ready to enter their new home. ARC has offered to help to catalog this collection and a large donation of duplicate will be coming our way later this year.
The next day we were off to Rio to give a presentation (details next blog) at Studio X, a Columbia University initiative. Outside their window we discovered this tidy street vendor where we found good things, in good condition, at about $1 an LP. Like this gem featuring Baden Powell.
Another highlight was a tour of the Museu da Imagem e do Som (MIS, Museum of Image and Sound) in Rio, a government supported institution since 1965. The museum houses about 80,000 recordings, more than half of them 78 rpm discs. This is a remarkable collection, yet to be cataloged and the metadata made available to the public – but the 78s are all digitized. They are in the process of building their new space (go two-blogs-back to see what the magnificent new building will look like) in the heart of Copacabana beach. The goal is to offer interactive access to all the materials in a few years. Thanks to VP Rachel Valença for her time and attention. We also visited MIS in Sao Paulo, who’s concentration is more on image than on sound. Thanks there to Paola de Marco.
A cultural organization in the Urca neighborhood is the Instituto Cultural Cravo Albin. It’s a not-for-profit, called an ONG here (NGO in the EU), founded and run by Ricardo Cravo Albin in 2001. Mr. Albin is best known for his encyclopedic Dictionary Cravo Albin da Música Popular Brasileira, published in 1997 and available online.
The Institute is built right into the base of Sugarloaf, the rock breaking into some of the rooms. (I curse my camera, on the fritz that day). One treat was a reconstruction of a 1930s radio studio, complete with transmitter and microphones reportedly used by a young Carmen Miranda. A big thanks to Mr. Albin for the donation of some of his publications and the nice bottle of Champagne we had on his porch overlooking Rio.
On the last day in town we visited journalist and critic, Tarik de Souza. Tarik has the usual wall-upon-wall of LPs, but here’s a peek at his room of reference files on Brazilian artists. Mr. de Souza will offer an essay on sambalanço, a genre that emerged and was somewhat eclipsed with the bossa explosion, for our Brazilian World Music Day.
So we urge everyone to visit Brazil and to have a listen to the wide range of Brazilian music out there. A good introduction is our pal Beco’s recent guest shot on NPR’s Alt. Latino program. They call Beco a “Super Producer,” and he offers you a super taste of the new and wonderful music from Brazil.
Below is a list of the recordings ARC collected on this trip to Brazil. You can see all of the Brazilian recordings at the ARC that we have catalogued (this is a beta version) so far @ http://arcmusic.heroku.com/brazil_albums?c=label&d=up
• Manezinho Araujo. Nova Historia Da musica popular brasileira (Abril Cultural, HMPB-62-B, 12″, vinyl disc-Lp, 1979)
• Nina Becker. Azul (YB music / Nucleo Contemporaneo, Brazil, AB0001000 / YBCD060, 5″, compact disc, )
• Nina Becker. Vermelho (yb Music / Nucleo Contemporaneo, Brazil, YBCD059 AB0001000, 5″, compact disc, )
• Jorge Ben. “Natal Brasileiro (Que natal e esse)” / “Waimea” (Somlivre, Brazil, 401.6135, 7″, vinyl disc-Single, 1978)
• Maria Bethania. Talisma (philips, 6328 302, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1980)
• Maria Bethania. Drama (Philips, 6349.050, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1972)
• Bocato. Aqui Jazz Brazil (Baratos Afins, Brazil, BA 044, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1989)
• Bocato. Sonho de um anarquista (Baratos Afins, Brazil, BA 034, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1987)
• Cafe Creme. Beatles Disco (Pathe Marconi, Brazil, S7PT-15.023, 7″, vinyl disc-Single or Ep, 1977)
• Silvio Caldas. Cabelos Brancos (CBS – brazil, 70001, 12″, vinyl disc-, n.d.)
• Candeia. Seguinte…: Raiz (discobertas, Brazil, DB-080, 5″, compact disc, 2011)
• Beth carvalho. Beth Carvalho (Tapecar, LP- X – 19, 12″, vinyl disc-, n.d.)
• The Clevers. Encontro com Clevers (Twist) (Continental, Brazil, PPL-12.083, 12″, vinyl disc-, n.d.)
• Andreia Dias. Vol. 02 (Scubidu , SDU-010, 5”, compact disc, n.d.)
• Andreia Dias. Vol. 1 (Scubidu , SDU001, 5”, compact disc, n.d.)
• Gilberto Gil. “Chororo” / “Respeita Januario” (Elektra Records, Brazil, BR 12.024, 7″, vinyl disc-Single, 1978)
• Earl Grant. This Magic Moment (Decca, 012.116, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1969)
• dani gurgel e novos compositores. agora (Boranda, BA 0006, 5”, compact disc, 2009)
• dani gurgel . Nosso (Boranda, BA 0005, 5”, compact disc, 2008)
• Seu Jorge. Musicas Para Churrasco Vol. 1 (Cafune, Brazil, 60252775092 / AA0040000, 5″, compact disc, 2011)
• Kafka. Musikanervosa (Baratos Afins, Brazil, BA 032, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1987)
• Kafka. obra dos Sonhos (Baratos Afins, Brazil, BA 043, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1989)
• Gonzalo Labrado Trio. Imagens Do Brasil (Baratos Afins, Brazil, BA 039, 12″, vinyl disc-, n.d.)
• Miltinho . Um Novo Astro (Solar Fidelity, Brazil, LPP – 2004, 12″, vinyl disc-, )
• Miucha & Antonio Carlos Jobim. Miucha and Antonio Carlos Jobim (RCA Victor, 103.0213, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1977)
• Danilo moraes. Danilo Moraes (Scubidu, Brazil , SDU-007, 5”, compact disc, 2003)
• Danilo Moraes. Danilo Moraes e as criados mudos (Scubidu, Brazil, SDU-012, 5”, compact disc, 2010)
• Milton Nascimento and Jobim Trio. Novas Bossas (Blue Note, 50999 2 14817 2 7, 5”, compact disc, 2008)
• CLARA Nunes. Alvorecer (Odeon, Brazil, SMOFB 3835, 12″, vinyl disc, 1974)
• Andre Penazzi. Orgao Samba Percussao (Audio Fidelity, Brazil, DFM 3020, 12″, vinyl disc, )
• Percussivo mundo novo. percussivo mundo novo (Percussivo Mundo Novo, -, 5”, compact disc, n.d.)
• Elis Regina. Em Pleno Verao (Philips, R 765.112 L, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1970)
• Rock in Rio. Rock In Rio (–, –, 12″, vinyl disc-, 2011)
• Rubinho. E Forca Bruta (Nikita Music, Brazil, NIK001, 5″, compact disc, 2005)
• Raul Seixas. “Judas” / “Magia De Amor” (Warner, Brazil, BR 16.096, 7″, vinyl disc-Single, 1978)
• Rodrigo Sha. Tom (GO2MUSIC, Brazil, SHA 002, 5″, compact disc, )
• Jussara Silveira. Entre o Amor e o Mar (Maianga Discos, Brazil, MG2001c, 5″, compact disc, )
• Jussara Silveira. Jussara (Maianga Discos, Brazil, MG0701C / AB0003000, 5″, compact disc, )
• Jussara Silveira e Luiz Brasil. Nobreza (Maianga Discos, Brazil, MG1901C / AA0005000, 5″, compact disc, )
• Various Artists. The New Brazilian Music (BM&A, Brazil, BMA 2008/01, 5″, compact disc, 2008)
• Various Artists. The New Brazilian Music (BM&A, Brazil, BMA 2009/01, 5″, compact disc, 2009)
• Various Artists [ DJ MAM ]. BRazilianLounge RIO (RIO Prefeitura, Brazil, –, 5″, compact disc, –)
• Vultos. Filme da alma (Baratos Afins, Brazil, BA 042, 12″, vinyl disc-, 1989)
• Tom Ze. Todos os olhos (Polysom, Brazil, 33069-1, 12″, vinyl disc-, 2010)
Books we added to the collection:
• Chico Buarque De Hollanda. A Banda (Livaria Francisco Alves, Brazil,1966). Paper back. Brittle, spine cracking. Includes lyrics printed from handwritten pages. Signed, Chico Buarque
• Caetano Rodrigues, Charles Gavin. Bossa Nova E Outras Bossas : A Arte E O Design Das Capas Dos LPS (Petrobras, Brazil, 2005). Introduction by Ruy Castro. Portuguese / English, 311 pages in 30×30 cm with clear plastic slipcase. 700 illustrated sleeves. Signed by Charles Gavin to B. George. 23 September, 2011.
• Ricardo Cravo Albin. Carioquice (ICCA, Brazil,2011). “Publicao Trimestral. Ano VII. N:29. Abr/Mai/Jun 2011” Cultural magazine dealing with life in Rio de Janeiro. Includes articles on Gastronomy, Music, Theater, Urban Issues…
. Choro : Do Quintalo Ao Municipal (Exhibition) (Faperj / UFF / Sectretarua De Estado De Cultura, Brazil, , ). Pamphlet is from an art exhibition inspired by the book: Choro : Do Quintalo Ao Municipal (Choro : Cry of the City Yard) by the Author Hernique Cazes
• Lucio Rangel. Jacob : Revista Da Musica Popular No. 10 (Revista Da Musica Popular, Brazil, 1955). No. 10 of a 13 part Periodical series.
• Lucio Rangel. Leny Eversong : Revista Da Musica Popular No. 11 (Revista Da Musica Popular, Brazil, 1955). No. 11 of a 13 part Periodical series.
• Oito Batutas, Mariza Lira, Fernando Lobo, Clemente Netto, Muniz Sondre. • Pixinguinha – 70 : Cadernos Da Música Popular Brasileira N. 1. Periodical. Approximately 20p. Collection of Articles about the musician Alfredo da Rocha Viana Jr. aka Pixinguinha. Includes “Bibliografia de Pixinguinha” on the back cover which includes bibliographic information on 16 books.
• Sergio Cabral. Tom Jobim (CBPO Campanhia Brasiliera De Projetos E Obras. Brazil, 8585144017, 1987). Each chapter is first in Portuguese, then repeated in english. 89 pages of Black and White Illustrations. Discography included page 177-213
• Ricardo Cravo Albin. Vinicius De Moraes (ICCA, Brazil, 9788598706108, 2010). Includes CD/DVD. Signed with personal note to B. George
And
…when you leave Brazil, do pause and have a listen to the sexy, breathy announcetrix at the international airport – flight “niiiiine” “ooooooo0000h” “nniiiiinneeee” delivered in a telephone sex voice. Maybe you should stay?
ARChive of Contemporary Music, or "Would You Take My Mind Out for a Walk" 
