Guest post by Nathan Arizona
“Taj Mahal” is the song Rod Stewart lifted — accidentally! — for one of the biggest hits of his career, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy.” But one listen to this Jorge Ben tune from Brazil and it’s clear why it might stick in anybody’s head. It was an international hit that Stewart said he heard at the Rio Carnival but then forgot he did. Ben also wrote “Mas Que Nada.” That song kicked off the career of Sergio Mendes, who knew where it came from.
Jorge Ben began his own long career in Brazil’s mellow 1960s bossa nova era, but he was more at home with the psychedelic rock-influenced tropicalia movement that followed (Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil). By and large, though, he steered his own course with a blend of native samba, bossa nova, soul, rock and Afrobeat.
It wasn’t always easy to go your own way in 1960s Brazil. Ben mostly evaded the political turmoil that followed a 1964 military junta there. The new dictatorship severely restricted Brazilian citizens, including some musicians who were imprisoned or went into self-exile. Tropicalia artists opposed the new government but also ran afoul of anti-government activists who championed native traditions. They were skeptical of tropicalia’s adoption of international styles of music and avant-garde art. Ben performed with tropicalia artists but did not fully identify with the movement.
He became increasingly interested in his African heritage, reflected in the 1976 album “Africa Brasil,” which included “Taj Mahal.” He had written the song in 1972 after a trip to India. Rolling Stone ranked “Africa Brasil” 22nd on its list of the “50 Coolest Alums of All Time” (No. 1: Velvet Underground,”White Light/White Heat”). Rod Stewart must have liked at least some of it. The chorus of his 1978 disco-flavored hit “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” sounds enough like “Taj Mahal” that Ben sued Stewart over it. The case was settled amicably with Stewart donating the royalties to UNICEF.
Ben later changed his name to Jorge Ben Jor, apparently because George Benson was getting some royalty checks meant for Jorge Ben. It was bad enough his music had been credited to one other artist. Twice would be ridiculous.
Here’s Jorge Ben with “Taj Mahal.” You might want to watch the second video with Stewart first to refresh your memory, and then see how similar Ben’s song is to the chorus in Stewart’s. In this one Ben is on lead vocals and guitar. It kicks in at about 1:15.
Now Rod Stewart at his most Rod Stewarty. He first sings the chorus at about 0:52.
