Jorge Ben: "Tropical"

Jorge Ben is one of my all-time favorite Brazilian singer-songwriter-musicians, mostly because he’s just so goddamn FONK-AY!  His best album, or at least his funkiest, is the stomping “Africa Brasil,” but that’s kinda hard to come by over here in the States.  The album “Tropical” looks to have been released around the same time (’75-’76), and is comparable yet entirely different.  The emphasis is a little less on funk and a little more on samba, though it’s more of a blend of the two than anything else.  There’s stomping breakbeats, some classic Jorge Ben raps and vocals, and an altogether unified and well-produced sound.  Perhaps not for the uninitiated, but it’s a good example of Ben doing what he does best—kickin’ that hard samba funk, oh yeah.