Somewhat by accident I downloaded a song called Brazasia. It was attributed to Pauline Wilson and Yutaka Yokokura. It is very much in the Sergio Mendes style. In fact, the middle of the song seems very familiar but I can't place it. Is there a SM song like this? Who is this group? Have they recorded other similar songs?
Brazasia
- Thread starter AnnW
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I recognized this one from the title of your post! 
This is actually the title track from Yutaka's CD. It would have been on the GRP label, but it is long out of print (thanks to Universal's slaughtering of GRP Records). Yutaka's music is very similar to Mendes when Yutaka gets going in a Brazilian mode. He is, of course, Japanese, but these sessions all include some of the top L.A. session musicians, so that Brasil/L.A. crossbreeding is similar to what Mendes was doing.
I did see two copies for sale on half.com . (Do a search for Yutaka and you'll find it.) They don't show his debut CD (which I also have), but they show another CD called Another Sun with the wrong cover art displayed on the site. He's also a sideman on a Kevyn Lettau CD--she and her husband Mike Shapiro both toured with Mendes, on backup vocals and percussion (respectively). So there are some ties there!
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This is actually the title track from Yutaka's CD. It would have been on the GRP label, but it is long out of print (thanks to Universal's slaughtering of GRP Records). Yutaka's music is very similar to Mendes when Yutaka gets going in a Brazilian mode. He is, of course, Japanese, but these sessions all include some of the top L.A. session musicians, so that Brasil/L.A. crossbreeding is similar to what Mendes was doing.
I did see two copies for sale on half.com . (Do a search for Yutaka and you'll find it.) They don't show his debut CD (which I also have), but they show another CD called Another Sun with the wrong cover art displayed on the site. He's also a sideman on a Kevyn Lettau CD--she and her husband Mike Shapiro both toured with Mendes, on backup vocals and percussion (respectively). So there are some ties there!
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There are even greater ties--Yutaka was Sergio's Music Director for several years, and most of his CDs use a lot of Sergio's band. In fact, "Brazasia"'s vocals are by Gracinha and Yutaka. And of course Yutaka co-wrote "Whenever Your Heart Wants to Sing" which Kevyn sings so beautifully. Yutaka's fabulous LA Transit CD from the 80s features remakes of Sergio tunes with most of Brasil 88. A sparkling writer and arranger. Look for his debut stateside LP (I don't think it's been released on CD yet) "Love Light," produced, again, by Grusin.
TulitaPepsi
Well-Known Member
He's also prominently featured on the Japanese-produced L.A.Transit by the "Brasil '88 without Sergio Mendes" studio group (which includes Kate Markowitz, Carol Rogers & Gracinha) DeNovo - or is that CD 'DeNovo by L.A. Transit?'
Does anyone have a clue about whatever happened to Yutaka? He seems to have up and vanished after Another Sun.
Does anyone have a clue about whatever happened to Yutaka? He seems to have up and vanished after Another Sun.
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