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In the past few years, the Mr Bongo label has brought the music of Marcelo D2 and AfroReggae to the UK, released a couple of Rio Funk mix tapes (before anyone really knew what baile funk was) and put together the Brazilian Beats series. Their mission to educate the British public in the ways of Brazilian music continues with the release of this Lula Côrtes & Zé Ramalho record.

Paêbirú is an obscure Brazilian psych concept album about the four elements (earth, air, fire and water); it ranges from hippy full-on freak outs to the meditative and pastoral. It’s not so much an album that cries out for repeat plays but one that confers a sense of musical worthiness just by owing it. It’s a bit like having your own piece of Brazil’s musical heritage (of the acid-laced psychedelic variety rather than sex soaked samba).

Brazil’s Pantanal region is well known for the presence of dengue fever and ‘Paêbirú’ is how I imagine dengue induced delirium to sound — a mixture of pounding drums, plain song and the haunting sound of nature (wind, water, etc.). Tracks like ‘Ballado das Muscarios’ and ‘Harpe dos Aires’ bring momentary relief (albeit with the noise of the jungle still bursting through) but the fever is soon back with the wailing guitars of ‘Maracas do Fogo’ and the eerie chanting of ‘Beira Mar’.

Paêbirú is like Marmite — you’ll either love it or you’ll hate it — though unlike Marmite you feel you really should like it. Psychedelic rock is never for the faint hearted and this is no exception.

Links:
www.mrbongo.com