For most of us here in the good ol’ USA (with apologies to the southwest), the Summer heat has never quite arrived, and here it’s August already.  But the cure is simple: Daily application of ‘Summer Sambas’, as needed!

Marcos Valle had just left his years as a Carioca teen behind him in 1965, when he wrote what has come to be one of the most popular Bossa anthems of all time, ‘Samba de Verão’. The song made its Brazilian debut early that year, and in June, Valle packed it up with his bags for America, where organist Walter Wanderley’s recording took it to the Top 20 of Billboard’s chart.

By then, it had a new name – ‘Summer Samba’ (So Nice) and new English lyrics courtesy of Norman Gimbel. Pianist Sergio Mendes had also just arrived in the US from Rio de Janeiro and Valle offered that Gimbel’s work to his new group. Within weeks, Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘65 had recorded the first English version, with vocalist Wanda de Sá.

Today, there hundreds and hundreds of recordings of this Marcos Valle song and its clear that the song’s popularity hasn’t waned from generation to generation.  Perhaps ‘Samba de Verão’ has even contributed to global warming.

Feel the heat? Ahhh…. So Nice!

This month on the radio and our 24/7 webcast channels at Connectbrazil.com, we’ll catch some rays with the best of Gal Costa (week of 8/1), Toquinho (8/8), Rosalia de Souza with song from her new D’Improvviso CD (8/15), pianist Antonio Adolfo (8/22) and Milton Nascimento’s beautiful voice (8/29).

So grab some sun time with us, and don’t forget about The Sounds of Brazil Extended channel (keyword EXTRA at Connectbrazil.com), plus many of our favorite versions of ‘Summer Samba’ to surprise you during our webcasts and at Mosaic TV (Keyword VIDEO).

Always a Pleasure,

Scott Adams

Program Host and Publisher