March 2023 Playlist: Jorge Ben Jor

From Mas, Que Nada! to Pais Tropical to Taj Mahal, it’s hard to imagine Brazilian music over the last 50 years without the music of Jorge Duílio Lima Menezes, better known as Jorge Ben or Jorge Ben Jor, who turns 84 this month.

His style brings together elements of swing, maracatu, funk, bossa nova, samba, rock, and many others. He burst onto the scene in the 1960s with Mas Que Nada, which became a hit for Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘66, a rarity for a non-English song.