Brazilian

The sultry rhythm and warm-sand beats; the effortless melodic sexiness . . . it's no wonder that Brazil's musical bounty has been embraced by international audiences since the '60s. From the silky rhythms of the bossa nova to the socially conscious tunes of tropicalia, the Brazilian sound has been remarkable in its diversity. Sample its seductive charms with these introductory tracks, including the Gilberto/Getz version of "The Girl from Ipanema" — inimitable, instantly identifyable, and winner of a GRAMMY® for Song of the Year, 1965 — and the ever-fabulous, football-juggling-soundtrack "Mais Que Nada", Sergio Mendes' signature. Get funky with Banda Black Rio, in Next Steps.

While African, Latin, and Amerindian elements combine to make the tangy sonic stew that is Brazilian music, modern-day composers have refined its sounds without losing any of the primal rhythmic undercurrent. Let yourself be swept away by more of Brazil's best with this next set, which features the highly addictive fusion grooves of Djavan (Djavan Caetano Viana), setting feet aflame with "Serrano", the out-there, organic orchestration and wild vocal improvisation of Hermeto Pascoal ("Voz e Vento") — labelled "the most impressive musician in the world" by Miles Davis — and the '70s Rio-rumbling funk of Banda Black Rio ("Maria Fumaça"). Brazil embraces electronica, in Deep Cuts.

Guitar virtuosos, inspired percussionists, brilliant singer-songwriters: Brazil has all of these and more. It's a legacy that continually grows in richness, complexity . . . and electro-fuelled re-mixology. These tracks will help you discover a deeper level of Brazil's musical magic. Glimpse a world of possibilities in Democustico & Mr. Beatnik's Saturday Night Remix of "Rejoycing", check out the 21st Century production flourishes on "Tao Legal", as Carla Hassett lends her golden vocals to a mellow electro-bossa backdrop, and feel the big beat groove injection administered to Batida do Corpo's "Amazonas" by Fatboy Slim, who's clearly having fun with his exotic raw materials.

From the gentle breeze of mellow rhythms and breathy vocals known as the bossa nova to the socially-conscious, boundlessly creative tropicalia, the '60s found Brazil in the midst of a musical revolution unmatched by virtually any country — one that produced some of the world's most vibrant and enduring genres. And the sound of Brazil continues to evolve in incredible, ever more irresistible ways. Let yourself be swept away by the country's seductive sounds with these enticing tracks, which run the gamut from pioneering rock experimentalists Os Mutantes to 21st Century club rumblers Kaleidoscopio (aka Kaleido). There will be names you recognise (the Gilbertos and Jobims of this world) as well as artists who will come to you as strangers . . . but leave as friends.