Banda Black Rio’s ‘Maria Fumaca’ is one of the strongest Brazilian samba-disco-funk-soul-fusion albums of all time. As regularly played by Theo Parrish, Gilles Peterson and co.
‘Maria Fumaca’ is the groups first album, originally released by Atlantic in 1977; a record that bought the group worldwide fame. This album features in a list of the 100 greatest Brazilian albums of all time published by Rolling Stone Brazil, coming in at number 38.
Banda Black Rio’s debut album fuses Funk, Samba and Jazz in an intoxicating mix. The instrumental seven-piece outfit (3 horns, 4-piece rhythm section) excel on classics like ‘Mr Funky Samba’ and ‘Maria Fumacia’. Try the cover of Edu Lobo’s ‘Casa Forte’ or the groovy funk of ‘Leblon Via Vaz Lobo’. Overall, ‘Maria Fumaca’ is a very fine album, with the horn section a particularly strong feature.
Buy the LP HERE
