Today’s song has got one mighty addictive riff to it, I can’t get it out of my head! After hearing Jimmy, Renda-se for the first time yesterday I’ve been listening to it again on Youtube today, discovering a lot about this track just from reading the comments below the video…(some of which did make me chuckle as you will see below!).
Someone has written, “I have no clue what he’s saying, but I like the vibe,” to which somebody else has replied, “I speak the language (Portuguese), and I have no clue either… ” It just goes to show that words can express more than just lyrics and in cases such as this, the voice has added yet another rhythmic layer to what I think is a truly infectious record!
The artist behind this track is Brazilian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer, Tom Zé. Hugely influential in the Tropicália movement of 1960s Brazil, Zé has often been referred to as Brazil’s answer to Zappa or Captain Beefheart with his innovative creations! Musically, his work is based upon Samba, Bossa Nova, Brazilian folk music and good old rock and roll, often composed in unusual time signatures and always pushing at the boundaries of experimentation; he has even been known to use a typewriter as an instrument!!!
After the peak of the Tropicália period, Zé went into relative obscurity and it was only in the 1990’s when musician and Luaca Bop label founder, David Byrne discovered an album recorded by Zé many years earlier, that he returned to performing and releasing new material, with his last album releasing only last year!!
Brighton-based indie label, Mr Bongo has re-issued some of Zé’s music, including his 1968 debut and self-title second album which was originally released in 1970. Jimmy, Renda-se features on his second record and has this mean tune that hooks you in from the minute it starts…check it out above and you will see what I mean!
Thème repris par le groupe Magma en 1971
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