MR BONGO
Rubel - Pearl (2026 Reissue) Rubel
Mr Bongo proudly presents a first-time worldwide vinyl and CD issue of Rubel's debut album Pearl
Self-released on YouTube in 2013, the album quietly became a huge hit in Brazil with the lead single and accompanying video for 'Quando Bate Aquela Saudade' amassing over 85 million views to date. Pearl laid the foundations for Rubel's path to greatness - a first glimpse into the brilliance of a modern- day troubadour and ever- evolving Brazilian artist who deftly mixes classic and contemporary influences. Fusing MPB, folk, pop, and indie, it charts Rubel at his purest and most personal.
The journey of Pearl begins with Rubel in his early 20's studying film in Austin, Texas. Immersing himself in the city's vibrant DIY music scene and surrounded by countless musicians who he shared a large house with, he set up a home studio with an assortment of rented gear and recorded the album without any expectations. It was inspired by an environment of youth, music and experimentation Rubel found himself within. The seven songs are an attempt to record and take with him a little of what he lived and learned whilst there. He uploaded the album to YouTube, didn't think much of it and continued to pursue a career in film in LA. Over the next few years however it became a viral hit in Brazil, with a subsequent Brazil only vinyl and CD issue, drawing him both back to Rio and a trajectory to musical stardom.
The spirit of Pearl has a timeless nostalgia; it feels familiar from the outset, and whether a Portuguese speaker or not, the songs touch your soul. It's an unpretentious album, with Rubel putting himself, his musicianship and his songwriting upfront and centre. The epic 'O Velho e o Mar' delicately layers acoustic guitar, banjo and vocal harmonies, as the track builds with a simmering intensity and an accordion drifts in across its final stages. Elsewhere, title track 'Pearl' has a global singer- songwriter aesthetic and could be Thom Yorke at his most acoustic. At nearly seven minutes, 'Quando Bate Aquela Saudade' is an unlikely breakthrough single, but its message really resonated with the Brazilian / Portuguese-speaking audience. Anyone who has witnessed Rubel live has felt the energy and interplay between musician and audience, with the crowd making this song as much their own as it is Rubel's. A true modern-day classic.
'Ben' echoes and channels the Brazilian greats; Caetano Veloso comes to mind whilst listening to this stripped-down tender ballad. The folk-leaning tones of the banjo make a return on the closing 'Quadro Verde'. A cinematic and anthemic track that could easily be imagined soundtracking a Wes Anderson film.Now a global, Latin-Grammy nominated star, Rubel is one of those rare artists who can straddle both mainstream pop success with the humbleness of an independent, underground recording artist. Those roots are on show here on Pearl, embodying an authenticity and rawness that spoke to a generation. We are proud to be able to give a worldwide release to this authentic and unpretentious first chapter in Rubel's story.
Mr Bongo presents a first- time worldwide vinyl and CD issue of Latin- Grammy nominated Rubel's much-cherished debut album Pearl.
Fusing MPB, folk, pop, and indie, it charts Rubel at his purest and most personal. Featuring the viral hit single 'Quando Bate Aquela Saudade' which has over 85 million YouTube views to date.
An in-demand release where original Brazilian copies sell for lots in the secondary market.
Also available in dark green vinyl variant.
Track List
A1 - O Velho e o Mar
A2 - Mascarados
A3 - Pearl
A4 - Quando Bate Aquela Saudade
B1 - Ben
B2 - Nuvem
B3 - Quadro Verde
Pickup available at Cambridge
Usually ready in 24 hours. Unless it's a Pre-Order
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Product information
Shipping
We aim to keep postage costs as low as possible while making sure your records arrive safely. All orders are packed securely using Defenda MusicMax stiff cardboard mailers, with plenty of “FRAGILE” tape, to provide the best protection in transit.
Shipping costs are calculated automatically at checkout based on the weight and destination of your order, along with packaging materials.
We send most orders via Royal Mail tracked services. For larger or heavier orders, we may use a courier service or split your order into multiple parcels to ensure it arrives safely and efficiently.
Pre-orders
Any items ordered alongside a pre-order item will be held back and posted alongside your pre-order. If you’d like them sent individually, please make separate orders.
On the subject of pre-orders, please note than release dates can change (sometimes not until the scheduled release date). Please keep an eye on our website
Returns
Returns Procedure
If you wish to cancel or return an order, you need to notify us by email (quoting your order number), and wait for us to get back to you before returning goods.
We will email you with instructions and a returns reference number. When returning items to us, you will need to take reasonable care to ensure they are not damaged in transit and that they are labelled clearly with the correct address & reference number (as provided by us) :
Relevant Record Café,
260 Mill Road
Cambridge,
CB1 3NF.
We reserve the right to not process returns sent to us without prior permission.
It’s your responsibility to retain possession and to take reasonable care of the goods in the period prior to return and until you send them back to us.
Your Right To Cancel An Order
Your right to cancel your order starts from the moment you place the order, and ends 14 days from the time you receive your order.
Non-Faulty Products
If you wish to return a product because it’s unwanted or it was ordered in error, please follow the returns procedure (see above).
We’ll happily accept a return as long as the product is still in its original shrink-wrapped packaging and is completely undamaged. You have 14 days from when you receive your order to notify us that you wish to return your order.
By opening a sealed product in any way (or using any digital download code accompanying your order), you waive your right to cancel or return your order.
Obviously we’d rather offer you store credit (in the form of a gift card), but if you’d prefer a refund, we promise to get this sorted within 14 days of receiving your return.
Please take care when ordering!
Faulty Products
If you believe you have purchased a faulty or damaged record, please follow the returns procedure (see above).
Once we receive your record, it will be tested by a member of staff in store.
If your record is deemed as faulty, you will be entitled to a refund, swap or store credit (to the same value as your initial purchase).
If this record is not deemed as faulty, we will not cover any additional postage and packaging costs incurred by either you or us, and we will not be able to offer you a refund, store credit or swap.
Basically, please be absolutely certain the record you have purchased is faulty before following the returns procedure. If possible, we suggest testing the record on different turntables and weighting the tone arm differently.
Steepletone and Crosley Record Players
After having several “faulty” records returned to us (that in actuality had nothing wrong with them), we cannot guarantee that any records we sell will play correctly Crosley or Steepletone branded record players.