Chelsea Rose on Fôrça Bruta

Jorge Ben Jor

Fôrça Bruta (Philips)

Chelsea Rose on Fôrça Bruta: L.A. artist Chelsea Rose told us about her love for a Jorge Ben Jor gem.

Chelsea Rose: I chose Fôrça Bruta by Brazilian artist Jorge Ben Jor.

Choosing an all-time favorite is almost impossible, but Fôrça Bruta by Brazilian artist, Jorge Ben Jor, is one that I come back to again and again.

There’s something magical and effortless about it. Jorge Ben’s voice is unlike any that I’ve heard – sometimes wild and gritty, and other times soft and soothing.

Even if I can only understand a few Portuguese words, his emotions and expressions carry across. Created during the dictatorship in Brazil, there’s an underlying melancholy in between upbeat rhythms and grooves.

I love an album with dynamics and this one sweeps me away with gorgeous string arrangements, heavy percussion, and an irresistible blend of samba, funk, and soul.

Every time I put this album on, I’m transported back to Brazil, where my heart soars over lush, green hills. Until I make my way back there, I’ll always return to this work of art.

Chelsea Rose’s “Fallin'” single is out now.

“Rose spent her twenties fronting sunshine pop group Summer Twins with her sister Justine (Easy Love), releasing two full-length LPs and touring as far afield as Japan and Brazil before abruptly coming to an end when a pipe burst in her home studio the night before the band’s final show, flooding the room filled with instruments and other gear. But rather than giving up on music, Rose took this as a sign from the universe that it was time to move on”

“I feel like Summer Twins was a younger version of me,” she says. “This record is like an older version that has been through a little more, been through a lot of heartbreak and facing the reality of growing up, and living in LA and struggling with making a living being an artist, and keeping that dream alive.”