Two years since his previous effort Gutter Rainbows hit stores, Brooklyn rhymer Talib Kweli drops off his fifth solo album Prisoner of Conscious. With an array of featured guests, a magnitude of rhythmically responsive instrumental backdrops and more subject matters than a book of short stories, the 15 track lyrical get down is a tempo frenzy of intellectual poetry.
In a recent article Seu Jorge, arguably Brazil’s most internationally successful contemporary artist, boasted about his, then forthcoming, UK tour with the band Almaz, "I know I’m going to put the English to shame with this gig. I’ll show Oasis how it’s done!"
Well, I’ve never attended an Oasis concert but I’d hazard a guess it wouldn’t be as entertaining as Jorge and co’s performance at the Roundhouse in Camden earlier this month. Besides, Jorge visits these shores so consistently to play for his British fans that we can forgive a little bragging.
Brazilian superstar Jorge Mario da Silva aka Seu Jorge returns this autumn with a collaborative effort involving Almaz, a band comprised of some of Brazil’s premiere musicians: Lucio Maia (Guitar), Pupillo (Drums) - both members of celebrated group Nação Zumbi- and film score composer Antonio Pinto on bass.
The four previously worked together for the soundtrack of Walter Salles' incredibly depressing film Linha da Passa. They had such a good time they decided to get back in the studio to jam. The outcome of these sessions is an album that re-works in curious fashion various Brazilian and Anglophone tunes with Seu Jorge’s distinctive vocals binding the project together.