TOQUINHO レコード& CD

Review: By the time he released the career-defining "Toquinho" in 1970, guitarist Antonio Pecci Filho was already a rising star in his native Brazil. Propelled forwards by cheery hit single "Que Maravilha" - a samba-soaked collaboration with fellow South American star Jorge Ben - the eponymous LP made "Toquinho" a massive star in his home country. As this reissue proves, the album has aged brilliantly. It features a fine mix of laidback instrumentals, shuffling samba songs (see the ace "Zana"), folksy excursions and cuts that later provided samples for some of dance music's best-loved tracks (most notably "Carolina Carol Bela", which was sampled by DJ Marky on his breakthrough hit "LK"). The kind of album that everyone should have in their record collection.