Luaka Bop: An Introduction

David Byrne’s rationale for launching his Luaka Bop label in 1988 was fairly simple. “I wanted to turn friends on to stuff I liked.” Today, of course, it’s difficult to recall a time when every track in the world wasn’t available somewhere on the Infinite Jukebox. In the late ‘80s, however, Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical arrived like a smart, sultry revelation; it was more a mixtape that engaged you from beginning to end rather than a playlist you’d lose interest in after a track-and-a-half. Read more at Red Bull Music Academy…