Encanto

Brazilian music legend Sergio Mendes spins his remarkable magic on his newest recording, a bona fide classic! This is a kaleidoscopic album that underscores the maestro's ear for addictive melodies, as well as his ability to cast incredibly talented singers and musicians from all over the world
Customer Review: a review for Brasil '66 fans
It's been around 40 years since Mendes reached an artistic and commercial peak with several classic albums that successfully mixed bossa nova, jazz, and pop music. Those albums still sound fresh today, thanks to the terrific songs, latin rhythms and some sparkling arrangements. Since then, Mendes has experimented with mixing his Brazilian sound with folk rock, funk, dance music, hip hop, and on "Encanto," some r&b. As someone who prefers the work he did with Brasil '66 to anything more recent, to my ears the album is pleasant though generally forgettable with the exception of a few wonderful tracks. Unsurprisingly the best tracks are those with strong melodies by Antonio Carlos Jobim, in particular "Somewhere in the Hills" and "Dreamer," both of which are direct descendants of the sound of Brasil '66. "Dreamer" includes both Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, who sounds remarkably like she did when she was fronting Brasil '66. This is a genuinely stunning track and easily the best on the album. Natalie Cole sings "Somewhere in the Hills" which is appropriately jazzy and is one of Jobim's strongest melodies. Other Jobim tracks include "Waters of March" which Mendes has covered several times in the past. It's a singer's song, and sounds a little rhythmically stiff here, as it has in his previous efforts. "Morning in Rio" is also good, with a more Brazilian styled melody and a nice trombone solo. The rest of the CD is listenable, but not such that I ever want to hear most of it again. "The Look of Love" is an unnecessary remake of a good song. What made the original great was a sensational big band arrangement which has been dropped in favor of a hip hop arrangement. I liked the Brazilian styled funk of "Odo-ya" and the mellow "Catavento" with Mendes' wife on lead vocals. On the other hand, "Funky Bahia" and "Lugar Comum," the latter of which features an Italian rapper doing a little snippet of "Volare," are disposable pop/hip hop songs. If I could get into Mendes' head, I would try to convince him do an album of Jobim and Marcos Valle songs with Herb Alpert and Lani Hall and a small jazz/bossa combo. It might not sell a million copies, but it would be an artistic triumph. If you're an unreconstructed fan of Brasil '66 as I am, I can recommend this with reservations. You might be better off just downloading a handful of tracks. But "Dreamer" should not be missed.
Customer Review: Summery and enchanting.
"Encanto" follows the highly acclaimed 2006 collaboration with will.i.am Timeless and with this latest release, Sergio takes us even deeper into Brazil, having recorded all the basic tracks in Rio and Bahia and finally finishing up in in California, where the studio band included Alphonso Johnson. For "Encanto" (in Spanish for Enchantment), Mendes has also enlisted the formidable and enchantingly diverse talents of an array of guest musicians who hail from the world over. Latin superstar Juanes from Colombia and multi-talented Carlinhos Brown & Vanessa da Mata from Brazil jostle alongside the foremost Japanese pop group Dreams Come True, Belgium's Zap Mama and Italian rapper Jovanotti. This international cast is completed by the American stars Fergie, Siedah Garrett and Herb Alpert who is accompanied by his wife, original Brasil '66 singer, Lani Hall. Old smoothie Mendes gets jiggy on a selection of bossa-favourites with a raft of guest stars including the ubiquitous Will.i.am and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, Natalie Cole and Herb Alpert et all... This new album essentially is a cross between Mendes' soft, salsa-tinged melodies and modern day R'n'B. The opening track, "The Look of Love" with rap/vocals by Fergie, is a deliciously moreish funky-fusion, and for the first third or so, the combination of Sergio's Rhodes with the hip-hopped production style is terrific. Perhaps this new version of Burt Bacharach's "The Look Of Love", which Mendes had originally transposed to bossa nova heaven in 1967 is the boldest track on "Encanto". This new interpretation, produced by Black Eyed Peas will.i.am, preserves the alluring melody of the original while bringing the song into the new millennium with crisp drum programming and a sexy rap by Fergie. Then it goes all smooth jazz on you. Not bad, though. Whether you are a Sergio Mendes fan especially the earlier stuff, Brasil 66, Equinox, etc or a Black Eyed Peas fan, or indeed R&B then there's something on this album to please everyone. I'd say for such a challenging album there are only a couple of songs that are just to heavy hip hop for me. The rest is a joy to listen to, if you are open minded about remixes and love to see what Sergio has been up to. This album is a grower. The more I listen to it, the better it gets. You will like it. Picks of the album: "The Look of Love", "Waters Of March", "Dreamer", and "Somewhere In The Hills (O Morro Nao Tem Vez)". Equinox Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Greatest Hits The Very Best of Sergio Mendes & Brazil 66

Belly Dancing is a very popular form of entertainment in Turkey. It is quite common to find dancers performing in nightclubs and restaurants all over the country. However belly dancers are often hired for private events such as weddings, festivals, shows and parties.

In Turkey belly dancing has a long-standing tradition that has lately become a hot tourist attraction. In spite of its popularity these dances remain an intrinsic part of the private lives of all Turks regardless of age or class, and in its most basic form it is a dance for fertility.

In its native tongue it is called "Gobek dans" and it is still growing and changing even today especially as it comes under the influence of various cultures. And the authorities are mixed on where they believe the original dance came from, some say from the Greeks and others claim that it is from the Egyptians.

In The Clubs

The art is very popular in Turkish nightclubs and is a profitable profession for women who receive their tips from men literally showering them in paper money, or by stuffing bills into their costumes. And of course a little known fact is that men also belly dance. It is not uncommon for men to jump up out of the audience and accompany the woman on stage. Of course this happens more often at private parties or festivals than in the clubs.

Worldwide Popularity

As belly dancing spreads the globe it is enjoying increased popularity as it hits different parts of the world. Perhaps the allure of the dance is due to its rich heritage that makes it so unique as a dance style. Because of this heritage many people associate the belly dancing from Turkey with religion and exoticism. And of course this causes some strong opinions about the art; some love it while others despise it.

The Music

In Turkey the dancer is generally a well-curved woman, with strong abs muscles who dances to a backdrop of traditional music. She will often accompany the music with the use of clangs, which are the little bells used during a Turkish belly dance. The music is very rhythmic and the dance emphasizes the movement of the hips and chest. The movements are solid and organic as the dancer moves bare foot across the floor in order to remain connected to the earth.

The Movements

The cadence of the dancers body parts are the main characteristic of this style. The dancer moves with fluid, supple and well-integrated movements which are very sensual in nature. Most movements concentrate on the hips and shoulders, which alternate with shimmy and sliding moves.

Various other items are used by dancers, which are specific to Turkey such as serpents, swords, veils and candles. These items are most widely used in Turkish folk dances, and are said to have mystical powers. The use of a snake during dances come from the ancient cults and are a foundational element symbolizing male and female sexuality and even the concept of immortality.

Find out more about Turkish, Egyptian And Arab belly dancing visit http://belly-dancing-secrets.info a popular site for women who want to enjoy the beautiful art of belly dancing.

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