Noriel Vilela / Juca Chaves

Mr. Bongo's Brazil.45 continues with a repress of two highly sought-after tracks from earlier in the series, this time from Noriel Vilela and Juca Chaves. On the A-side, Vilela's 1971 cover of Tennessee Ernie Ford's '16 Tons' transforms the classic American folk song into a smooth, samba-infused groove. Vilela's version reimagines the track which was originally released on Copacabana Records, with a deep rhythmic flair. On the B-side, Juca Chaves' 'Take Me Back To Piaui' from 1970 featured on his 1972 album Muito Vivo delivers lush orchestration, velvety vocals and vibrant cuica tones. It's pure escapist bliss.