Jorge Ben — Taj Mahal
Ben · 1972
Label: Philips · Genre: Soul / Samba-Soul · Country: Brazil · From: Rio de Janeiro, South America
Ben is the album Jorge Ben made in 1972, the one that contains Taj Mahal — the track Rod Stewart would later borrow for Da Ya Think I'm Sexy. Ben also contains Fio Maravilha, a love song to Fluminense striker Fio Maravilha that became one of the most enduring football anthems in Brazilian music. The album shows Ben at his most elastic — samba rhythms widening into soul, funk bass appearing under acoustic guitar, lyrics jumping between romantic and absurdist without warning. Trio Mocotó backed him throughout, and the partnership had developed by this point into something telepathic.
Did you know: Fio Maravilha, the footballer who inspired the song of the same name, was a real player for Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro. When Jorge Ben wrote the song as a tribute, he presented it to Fio in person before recording it. The player reportedly wept. The song outlasted the footballer's career by fifty years and is still sung in Brazilian stadiums.
Listen / buy: Juno · Spotify · YouTube
← Explore the full Souldigs collection