The Brazilian Sound
by Chris McGowan and Ricardo Pessanha
Temple University Press
From a global perspective, Brazilian music has contributed as much (if not more) to the way we think of music than just about any other genre you can think of, “rock and roll” included. This brilliant tome contains just about everything you’d like to know about Brazilian music, from the obvious (history, sub-genres, key players) to the unique. The Brazilian Sound fully, almost exhaustively, explores the music of the region in a very egalitarian manner. Not only is Sepultura mentioned, but they get their own sidebar.
As a reference source, this book is invaluable. If your appreciation of Brazilian music runs towards the conga line at the Christmas office party, then maybe you’re better off buying a compilation (either volume of label Luaka Bop’s Beleza Tropical would be a good start) in order to begin grasping the complex nature of the genre. But if your interest is more than passing, this is your bible.
Temple University Press, Philadelphia
