Where the songs are passionate...

The bunting has been prepared, the elephants are on standby and the carnival has been brought forward several months. Yes, today is my first anniversary in Brazil. I could write a very long and detailed feature about my recollections and experiences, but I can't be bothered. So instead here is a flippant list of things I miss about the United Kingdom:

Cheddar cheese
Reading the Guardian on a Saturday while listening to Jonathan Ross on Radio 2.
Cricket
Sky Sports News
Being indoors when it's raining
Second hand record shops
Decent crisps (I'd kill a man for some prawn cocktail)
Gigs
Parsnips

And here's a list of things that I am particularly enjoying in Brazil:

Caqui
It being hot, but not too hot, all the time
The architecture in Brasília
Teaching
6 (so far) different types of banana
Having greatly increased mooching opportunities
Knowing that I am learning a language (although not the painfully slow process of learning itself)
Knowing that, not too far from here, monkeys roam free



Secondly, here's a special blog about the song known by most people as Brazil. It is actually called Aquarela do Brasil (Watercolour Of Brazil) and is considered to be one of Brazil's most patriotic traditional songs. Written by Ary Barroso in 1939, it has been covered by numerous people as you can see below. It's an extremely catchy tune, and has a yearning quality, as if the singer is trapped on the other side of the world, away from his beloved (or adopted) homeland, dreaming of returning to "old Brazil". I'm sure this is something I will identify with in the future, but then so can anyone who is homesick or longing to return to a place they love, whether it's Brazil, Bahrain or Bolton.

The imagery of the song is very evocative without being too specific, mentioning the "amber moon", the twilight and the sun. We know this place is paradise, but we are not sure why. If we want to know we will have to go there for ourselves, and discover it's secrets (which could take a lifetime, it's the fifth biggest country in the world!). I think the images in this song have probably contributed to the stereotypical image of Brazil around the world (by 1945 Brazil had been performed more than two million times on U.S. radio and TV), an image that most countries would die for: hot weather, carnival, beaches, football and beautiful people.



Brazil
(English lyrics by S.K. “Bob” Russell)

Brazil
The Brazil that I knew
Where I wandered with you
Lives in my imagination.

Where the songs are passionate,
And a smile has flash in it,
And a kiss has art in it,
For you put your heart in it,
And so I dream of old Brazil

Where hearts were entertaining June,
We stood beneath an amber moon
And softly murmured “someday soon”
We kissed and clung together,
Then tomorrow was another day
The morning found me miles away
With still a million things to say

Now when twilight dims the sky above,
Recalling thrills of our love,
There’s one thing I’m certain of;
Return I will
To old Brazil.

Here are some very fine Brazilian versions:

Gal Costa - Aquarela do Brasil

Catano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Joao Gilberto - Aquarela do Brasil

Elis Regina - Aquarela do Brasil

Tom Jobim - Aquarela do Brasil

The song was used extensively by Terry Gilliam in his film Brazil. Almost the entire film is accompanied by various versions of the song (which is the only reference to Brazil in the whole film), including this one by Kate Bush:

Kate Bush - Brazil

Two more versions:

Django Reindhardt - Brazil

Pink Martini - Brazil

In 1975, the Ritchie Family had a hit with a disco version:

The Ritchie Family - Brazil

In recent years, it has been covered by some better artists (better than the Richie Family you scoff!):

Cornelius - Brazil

Beirut - Brazil

Arcade Fire - Brazil

Of course they all pale in comparison with this masterpiece:

The Vengaboys - To Brazil

For more information go here.

The good tracks from a half good, half bad album that you've never get around to listening to otherwise part one

Hey there's a new tribute album to Joni Mitchell out, and it features such luminaries as Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox, and yes, James Taylor. I can feel your excitement through my keyboard. But hold on, before you go back to youtube to look for clips of monkeys fighting, the album also contains these fine artists:

Sufjan Stevens - Free Man In Paris

Bjork - The Boho Dance

Caetano Veloso - Dreamland

Elvis Costello - Edith & The Kingpin

Prince - A Case Of You


Jamesinbrasil - wading through the Lennox to give you the Stevens.

Pitchbjork

The new Bjork album Volta is out tomorrow, and where I'm from, this is a reason for much celebration. She is the closest thing we have to a bona fide genius, every album is fascinating and brilliant. She becomes more interesting as she gets older as she continues to experiment while retaining her pop core. The new album Volta, sees her working with fine roster of artists, from Antony to Konono No. 1. The most interesting collaborations are with Timbaland and Brian Chippendale of Lightning Bolt. The idea of Bjork singing over a Lightning Bolt track is possibly the coolest idea I can imagine, and she's only gone and done it on the track Declare Independence. The second coolest thing I can think of is for her to sing over one of Timbaland's sickest beats, and she's only gone and done that too, on the single Earth Intruders and on Innocence. Just listen to the beats on this track, they are beyond ridiculous:

Bjork - Innocence

And as a bonus here's a remix of Earth Intruders by your favourite B-more booty bass electro hip hop crew (a hotly contested title for many of you, I know) Spank Rock:

Bjork - Earth Intruders (Spank Rock remix)