Tropicalia was a time (the 1970s) and a place (Brazil) and not a style or genre. But the spirit of Tropicalia can still be heard today in the music of Ricardo Dias Gomes.
I know very little about Gomes other than he's from a musical family (both his father and grandfather were Brazilian musicians). He played bass on a trio of critically-acclaimed albums released by Tropicalia legend Caetano Veloso in the late 2000s - Cê (2006), Zii and Zie (2009) and Abraçaço (2012). Gomes moved to Lisbon in 2018 where he recorded the album Aa, which featured Moreno Veloso and guitarist Arto Lindsay. Morrerei Por Isso ("I Will Die for This") is from his recent (2023) album Muito Sol, recorded between New York, Lisbon and Rio, and features Shahzad Ismaily ("your favorite musicians’ favorite musician," according to a recent article in the NY Times).
Even a casual listen to Muito Sol ("Very Sunny") distinguishes it from the sounds of Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, but the experimental and searching spirit of Tropicalia, combined with its roots in samba, is apparent throughout the album. Muito Sol is available on Bandcamp and the usual streaming services.
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