On the radio

Listen to Sean Marquand guest DJing on WFMU. The wonders of the internets! Technology is our friend. Just click where it says, "Hear this show now: Real Audio." and you can hear Sean discussing artists such as Tim Maia, Banda Black Rio, Maria Bethania, etc. And playing lots of their best, rarest tracks, too.

And after you listen to that stuff, you might be tempted to get Sean and Greg's two "Baile Funk" CDs. Here's Turntable Lab's very apt description of both the Sunday night Brazilian Beat party and the Baile Funk 1 CD that you can buy at their website or store:

There's a party I go to sometimes where all these gorgeous Brasilian women are packed into this little spot, dancing to tune after tune of incredible music that I have never heard before. I mean, no party filler, no hits you've heard a million times, just a world of great music that happens to originate in the southern hemisphere planet of Brasil. This mix CD was put together by the three DJs who select the songs for the night, Sean Marquand, Claudio Medusa and Greg Caz, who some might know from his contributions to the TTL review crew, and I can vouch that it's a fair representation of how they get down (...if anything about this set can be called fair, I mean it's really un-fair to tantalize me with these great records I have no chance of finding). The mix eschews pure samba and batucada to focus on fierce sweet and sour melodies and funky orchestrations that groove for days. This is the kind of stuff you wish would make a comp but never does. Records you might find if you dug hardcore in Sao Paulo. OK, I've heard of Gilberto Gil, Azymuth and Tim Maia. You seen their Brasilian releases around anywhere though? Didn't think so. How about Trio Esperanca? Maybe Os Diagonais? Uh huh, now you're getting the picture: these are special records. The disc flows like sugar from a diner dispenser, right from Cassiano's Mayfield-esque opening cut through to a Tim Maia jam that bumps like Cutie Pie. Breakheads check out Carlos Dafe's offering. Blends are unobtrusive and right on, letting the songs breath. I like this CD a lot. And the party? Well you're going to have to get the CD for that info.--Monk

Actually, though, you already have the party info, thanks to this here blog. But I'll repeat those details for any newcomers:

Every Sunday, the Brazilian Beat Brooklyn Party is at Black Betty, 366 Metropolitan (at Havemeyer), Williamsburg, Brooklyn (take the L train to Lorimer or G to Metropolitan). Party starts at 9pm, really gets jumping around 11pm, goes late, usually til 2:30 or 3:00am.

OK, I'll be away from the internets for the next few days, so I wish you all a very Feliz Natal! Beijos!