Music / África Brasil

Fly, Jorge, fly!

Ele chegou descontraído
Chegou filosofando num tom de voz meio angelical
Explicando o fenômeno
E a compreensão
Da agricultura celeste
Do amor e do coração^note He arrived relaxed / He came philosophizing in a angelic voice / Explaining the phenomenon / And understanding / The heavenly agriculture / Of love and the heart

— "Ó Filósofo"

África Brasil is the fourteenth studio album by Jorge Ben Jor, then using his prior moniker, Jorge Ben. Released in 1976, it would become one of the most noted works in Jorge's discography.

The album abandoned Jorge's previous groove-oriented acoustic "samba soul" sound in favour of a much more hard-hitting funk style with an electric guitar. In addition, Jorge drew heavily from Afro-American pop music (particularly funk and soul) and black consciousness at the time, as his lyrics on the record shifted from the esoteric subject matter first established on A Tábua De Esmeralda (not completely, however, if "Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu" and "O Filósofo" are remembered) to focus more on topics like Pan-Africanism and Brazilian football.

Considered one of Jorge's best albums, África Brasil is considered one of his best-known recordings outside of his native Brazil. It has also grown to one of his most revered works in his home country, with outlets such as Rolling Stone Brasil ranking it at number 67 on its list of the 100 Greatest Brazilian Albums of All Time.

Tracklist

Side A

1. "Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)" (3:52)
2. "Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu" (3:02)
3. "O Filósofo" (3:27)
4. "Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro" (3:53)
5. "O Plebeu" (3:07)
6. "Taj Mahal" (3:09)

Side B

1. "Xica da Silva" (4:05)
2. "A História de Jorge" (3:49)
3. "Camisa 10 da Gávea" (4:04)
4. "Cavaleiro do Cavalo Imaculado" (4:46)
5. "África Brasil (Zumbi)" (3:47)

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É como que está em baixo, ele troped

• Careful with That Axe: Jorge comes to the very verge of this on "África Brasil (Zumbi)"
• Celebrity Song: Although his name isn't in the title of the track "Camisa 10 da Gávea" is about and namechecks Brazilian football player, Zico.
• Double Meaning: "Umbabarauma" is a Football Fight Song about an African striker, yes. However, with the Pan-African themes of the album and its almost tribal instrumentation, it can be considered something of a reverence for the traditional African warrior.
• Female Empowerment Song: "Xica da Silva" is intended to be this for Afro-Brazilian women. As its lyrics refer to a famous story of a former slave woman coming to prominence as first a mistress of a diamond mine owner and later a judge.
• Football Fight Song: "Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)" is the most infamous one, however, it isn't the only one with "Camisa 10 da Gávea" being on the B-Side of the record.
• Historical Domain Character: Xica da Silva was a Afro-Brazilian woman who became famous for becoming rich and powerful despite having been born into slavery. Her common honorific being The Slave Who Became a Queen.
  • Hermes Trismegisto is a lusophone variation of Hermes Trismegistus a legendary philosopher and author who supposedly wrote the Hermetic Corpus, sacred texts in western esotericism and the basis ó of Hermeticism.
  • Zumbi (the sub-title for the title track) is also the name of Zumbi dos Palmares a Afro-Brazilian slave descended from the Kongo people, who was known for being one of the last kings of Quilombo dos Palmares, a settlement for escaped and freed slaves.
• Historical Hero Upgrade: Although stories of her rising from slave to elite are true. Part of the reason Xica da Silva actually rose to power was due to owning slaves herself.
• New Sound Album: Although Jorge had flirted with soul music on previous records (Jorge Ben and Fôrça Bruta being the most apparent examples), África Brasil would further it's influence from Afro-American soul music and even include influence from West/Central African music.
• The Philosopher: "O Filósofo", obviously. "Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu" as well.
• Rags to Riches: "Xica da Silva"
• Rearrange the Song: Despite this record being his most popular record, most probably do not know that multiple tracks on this record are revisions of tracks from older albums, examples being:
  • "A Princesa e o Plebeu" from Sacundin Ben Samba, initially a piano-led bossa nova song, became a psychedelic soul song with the simplified title of "O Plebeu"
  • "Taj Mahal" originally from Ben had a appropriate acoustic Near East / South Asian-esque tinge to it, whereas though África Brasil's version of it would turn it into a horn heavy and percussive jam practically made for arenas.
  • "Zumbi" from A Tábua de Esmeralda would be a solemn song about the African slave trade in Brazil taken from the point of view of a slave recanting the scene of a slave auction, ending with the hope that things may change when Zumbi arrives.
  • The África Brasil version, now the Title Track would practically be a war song driven by West/Central African-influenced percussion, taking the solemn meditative vibe of the track and flipping it into an aggressive, almost bellicose aura that seems to allude to a call to revolution.
• Uptown Girl: "O Plebeu" is about a man who seeks the love of a woman of a higher class woman, but knows it will never come do to his status as a poor man.
• Title-Only Chorus: "Taj Mahal"
• Title Track: "África Brasil (Zumbi)"

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