Tamba Trio

The Tamba Trio formed in Rio de Janeiro in 1963 with Jorge Ben on vocals and guitar, Luiz Henrique on vocals and bass, and Rubens Bassini on drums. They worked in that bossa nova moment when Brazilian music was finding new shapes, and their early recordings like "O samba da minha terra" and "Garota de Ipanema" show how they handled standards with a light, rhythmic touch.

Their version of "Mas Que Nada" became an international hit in 1966, though the song's authorship was later disputed. Jorge Ben left the group in 1968, and the lineup shifted over time with musicians like Milton Banana and Wilson das Neves passing through. They recorded more than a dozen albums, including tracks like "Contra o vento" and "Canto De Ossanha," that kept one foot in samba and another in jazz-inflected arrangements.

What remains is a handful of songs that still turn up on playlists and in covers. The trio's recordings from the mid-60s, especially those with Ben, have a particular clarity and swing that later Brazilian pop groups would reference. You can hear it in the way they treat a ballad like "Pra Machucar Meu Coração" or the rolling groove of "Asa Branca."