as the tropical hot summer heat starts to roll by, i can't help but think of masayoshi takanaka's BRASILIAN SKIES, and how it captures everything fun about the season. just from the opening track, beleza pula, you are greeted with the scenery of a perfect sunny day. a carefree breeze blowing away whatever you were worrying about minutes prior, as you step outside into the sparkly seaside. this is a song that makes you want to danceโa song that makes you want to smile and move along without worrying if you look a bit silly while doing it!! words can't describe how much this song has picked me up on a particularly sad or uneventful day. i pop this on, hear the man go "BELEZA PURA!" and feel pulled into very good vibes.
that's how you know an album is going to be good.
masayoshi takanaka is a legend. i talked about it in my previous entryยน, but it's amazing how the guy behind this album is still going on tours 47 years later. in the big year 2025, the man is 71 years old and he's STILL rocking it on his guitar. you can't deny that it's at least a bit respectable, and he always looks like he has so much fun performing!!
with someone performing like that, and still doing music way past retirement age, you can tell that this man's love for music is nothing but sincere. and sincere musicians just find a way to let their feelings seep into their craftโand so to me, this album is a bundle of joy. while not the most perfect (i've yet to go through most of his discography, but my pick for favorite is "the rainbow goblins"), it's still something i find myself revisiting again and again.
that said, i had previously rated this a 7 because the second side of the album is a bit weaker than the first... but fuck it, this deserves an 8 because i said so. because i have sentiment attached to this, being my first takanaka album and introducing me to the world of jazz fusionโi've yet to branch out all that much, but i still really enjoy whatever i can listen to. it's the type of music i could replay over and over in the background, or when i need something to pick my mood up.
i've only ever gave my highlight to beleza pula, but please believe me that the rest of the album is lots of fun! if you tire of dancing by the seaside, there are also tracks here that are as mellow and laid back as a lazy summer night. and there's a good chunk of variety of sounds here, which is why again, i find myself returning to it. did you know this is an instrumental album, by the way? masayoshi takanaka is an excellent guitarist, using his instrument as both a tool and a voice... if that makes sense? his guitar takes center stage in most of his work, and it works really well!! at the very least, people wouldn't mind to put this in the backgroundโbut if you happen to find that you enjoy his work, i'd really, really, really encourage you to learn more about him. he's a fascinating dude!
i'll make your job easier... here's a youtube video!! it's worth the watch, i promise!!
it's 12 AM (technically not the 17th anymore, now is it), so maybe my wording and "review" isn't the most eloquent. apologies!! if anything, this isn't so much of a review as it is just me giving my flowers to this artist. his music has cheered me up on so many bad days, it'd be hard to count how many.
i should really listen to more of him!! wow!! don't be surprised if one day if i talk about the rainbow goblins, haha... at the very least, i'll be adding more of his music in my work days to make it more joyful ;D
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masayoshi takanaka, music
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โ๏ธ: angelais@protonmail.com