O Tempo Do Samba

2005 release. Far Out Recordings are proud to release the fifth album from Grupo Batuque, O Tempo Do Samba. A feel-good album of up-tempo Brazilian rhythms that pays homage to the samba beat, O Tempo Do Samba features ten full-length album tracks, plus eight percussive and vocal edits, hot-on-the-heels of the Tony Allen remixes of the first single from the album, Afro Black. The core of the album was written by Ivan Conti who, as one third of Azymuth and a regular Far Out Recordings contributor, needs no introduction. He was helped by infamous percussionist Cidinho Moreira, who has previously performed with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon as well as the crème de la crème of Brazilian artists and, who on O Tempo Do Samba, is backed up on percussion by Pirulito, a regular member of Jorge Ben's legendary Banda Ze Pretinho in the '70s. Nico Rezende is a famous Brazilian pianist who had major success in the '80s as did composer, songwriter and saxophonist, Leo Gandelman, who worked on the searing horn arrangements that punctuate the album. The two lead vocalists are Fabiola and Claudemir de Silva. Fabiola was one of the most famous Brazilian samba singers from the '70s to the '90s, whilst newcomer Claudemir is both a poet and Sambista who is just beginning to get recognition for his impressive talents. Featuring seven vocal tracks including the 12" dancefloor monster "Afro Black" and the anthemic closing track "O Tempo", O Tempo Do Samba is undoubtedly Grupo Batuque's most accessible album to date. Whilst previous Grupo Batuque albums have often concentrated on the percussive rhythms, O Tempo Do Samba resets the balance with a set of songs, that, while keeping the percussion to the fore, form an album that will not only appeal to sambistas and percussionists, but anyone who digs the beat from Brazil.