The value of Brazilian records has long been dictated by the tastes of collectors worldwide. At first it was bossa nova and jazz that were most desired, then came funk and psychedelia, and most recently there’s been a demand for rare, esoteric releases from little-known artists, especially those connected with Afro-Brazilian rhythms or surprising instrumentation. paid for Pedro Santos’ Krishnanda, a difficult to classify record from 1968 mixing Eastern mysticism with Brazilian percussion and home-made instruments. The record regularly goes for £1,000-2,000, with a signed copy currently listed on Discogs for £8,500.
Other little-known composers who have become infamous due to rare releases include Victor Assis Brasil, Cildo Meireles and Arthur Verocai, the latter having a late career surge after his debut LP from 1972 was discovered by a bunch of US collectors in the early 2000s. Originals of that album now fetch around £2,000. Hareton Salvanini is another name to add to the mix. His debut, SP 73 (1973), was equally full of ornate arrangements, and regularly sells for £500+, but his back catalogue has many unexpected gems, the more psych-flavoured EP, Km 110 (1971) and his funky soundtrack for A Virgem De Saint Tropez (1974), both in demand. A recent trend for seeking out rare 80s LPs has also seen releases by Fernando Falcão, Leonardo V. Boccia and Zé Eduardo Nazário rise in price.