Gilles Peterson announces Tam Tam Tam Reimagined

Cult Brazilian album gets a musical reimagining.

Publicised by its high ranking on the Gilles Peterson wantlist, Jose Prates’ Tam… Tam… Tam…! is one of the most sought after and unique records to have come out of Brazil. After a plea on Channel 4 News (see below), Peterson eventually procured a mint copy – not long after Jonny Trunk’s 2014 re-issue.

Recorded in 1958, the original is exotic, the male vocals sounding like a Robeson of the southern hemisphere, and both of these qualities are partly on account of the record’s origin as the music for a stage show financed by the Brazil Culture Ministry. It’s a sublime piece of music from start to finish but particularly heralded for ‘Nana Imboro’, a prototype of ‘Mas Que Nada’ – the track that became a Sergio Mendes mega anthem.

Now, Gilles Peterson is revisiting the album for Tam Tam Tam Reimagined. For the modern follow-up, Peterson has assembled a dream-team – including Will Horrocks of UK bass-meddling duo LV, Rob Gallagher from 2 Banks of 4, London drumming prodigy Moses Boyd and Kassin from Rio’s Orquestra Imperial – to pick out phrases and snippets from the original to build something new.

Stream ‘Nós Precisamos De Você’, which features Moses Boyd:

Tam Tam Tam Reimagined drops on vinyl, CD and and digital on July 15.