Another week, another must have edition in Mr Bongo's essential Brazil 45s series. This time round they've offered up a genuine rare-as-hen's-teeth gem: Sonia Santos's 1974 single "Marraio", a fiery slab of samba-funk fusion laden with rousing horns, shuffling beats and busy bass. It's brilliant all told, and well worth the admission price on its own. Of course, the flipside from Marcia Maria is also superb. A little less hard-to-find but still rare, 1979's "Oh! Man" is a more relaxed and groovy MPB affair that joins the dots between jazz-funk, soul and samba. It's undeniably sun-kissed and celebratory, like much of Maria's work in that period.
OBSERWUJ NAS