Jorge Ben Jor’s Africa Brasil

1976, Rio de Janeiro. Revered Brazilian pop musician Jorge Ben Jor, known for his ‘samba-rock’ fusions and hits such as ‘Pais Tropical’ and ‘Mas que Nada’, picks up the electric guitar and records the album Africa Brasil. With grooves structured around guitar and horn riffs, funk drumming, samba percussion, and hypnotic vocal refrains, this album has become a favorite of connoisseurs of 1970s Brazilian vinyl. It was part of the growing cultural negritude of the time in Brazil, especially in Rio. American musicians such as James Brown were increasingly influential there; meanwhile, disco began to reach the city’s nightclubs, and a few musicians were getting hip to Afrobeat.

Through a close examination of the tracks on this seminal album, this book explores how Jorge Ben Jor and fellow musicians created a new sound, and it probes how ideas about blackness, Africa, and Brazilian identity were evolving during the mid-1970s. Written in a clear style and based on new research, it offers an engaging narrative that will appeal to fans, students, and scholars.

33 1/3 Global, a series related to but independent from 33 1/3, takes the format of the original series of short, music-basedbooks and brings the focus to music throughout the world. With initial volumes focusing on Japanese and Brazilian music, the series will also include volumes on the popular music of Australia/Oceania, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and more.