LATIN & BRAZILIAN MUSIC

SALSA

great salsa artists:

* DLG * Celia Cruz * Tito Puente * Jerry Rivera * Grupo Niche

MERENGUE

Suavemente - Elvis Crespo

Chupacabras Mix - various artists

Merengue Mix - various artists

CHA CHA CHA

single songs (not too many good strictly cha cha cha albums):

I Need to Know - Mark Anthony

Oye Como Va - Santana, or originally done by Tito Puente

Got a Hook on You - DLG

BACHATA

Bachatanga - various artists

BRAZILIAN MUSIC:

"O SAMBA"

Brazil Classics 2

Various Artists

compiled by David Byrne

Just what the title says - this CD includes many of the classics by samba greats including Clara Nunes, Zeca Pagodinho, and Beth Carhalvo. Consists mainly of slower to medium paced and more relaxed-sounding samba - terrific for practising your moves!

"SAMBA SQUAD"

by Samba Squad / Rick Shadrach Lazar

Mighty Orso Music, 2000

Samba Squad is a local Toronto group who I've adored at festivals, clubs, and street corners for years and now they've come out with a CD!!! The CD totally re-creates that feeling of seeing them live and needing to jump up and start dancing like crazy! The CD includes some terrific sambas (fast and medium speeds) as well as some samba mixed with soca, reggae, rap, and other funkiness! Drums, drums, and more drums!

"BRASILEIRO"

by Sergio Mendes

Elektra, 1992

This CD starts off with two very powerful, driving, fast sambas, "Fanfare (Cabua-Le-Le)" and the now very well-known "Magalenha" (made famous in the movie Dance with Me). The album also contains quite a few Bahian samba-reggae mixes as well as many other Brazilian styles such as ijexa, maracatu, baiao.

"OLA BRASIL"

Various Artists

Starbucks Coffee Series

Universal Music Special Markets, 1999

A great selection of the Brazilian classics, some performed by original artists, some re-created by more contemporary artists. This CD has a lot of slow stuff, so if you're looking for driving drumbeats - you won't find many here… sounds more like lounge music. Includes well-known Brazilian pieces like The Girl from Ipanema, Mas Que Nada, and Brasil Brasil.