Uniao Black

Uniao Black was one of the few Brazilian soul bands from the '70s who were in the right place at the right time, albeit their time there was brief. Starting out around '75 as Africa Hot Band, the band changed their name shortly thereafter to capitalize on the trend known as Black Rio that started at the beginning of the '70s with artists such as Toni Tornado, Tim Maia, Dom Salvador, and Cassiano.

Uniao Black was mesmerized by the energy, sound, and look of stateside artists like James Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Funkadelic, so they began their short career with these influences proudly in view. Their first recording in '77 was a batch of instrumentals that would become backing tracks for the prime James Brown figure from Sï¿?o Paolo, Gerson King. After that, Uniao Black recorded their sole eponymous release making music known as Black Power. This sounded much like an early Kool and the Gang record but with the unique arrangement and rhythmic choices that only a Brazilian band could make.