The world’s best record shops #031: Tracks, Rio De Janiero

The Olympics are in town, so where else would you be?

Every week, we pick out one must-visit spot from a different city around the world with photos and a little bit of history. Think of it as a kind of 1000 places to see before you die but for record shops.

Having already stopped by the world famous Tropicália in downtown Rio, we head to the leafy district of Gávea for another taste of what the city has on offer.

As much a bookshop as record store, Tracks came with high recommendation from local legend Ed Motta, so we just had to pay it a visit.

Tracks

Location: Pça Santos Dumont 140 Baixo Gavea, 22470060 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Contact: +55 21 22747182

Go for: MPB, of course.

What’s the story? While Rio may not have the same reputation for record shops that Sao Paulo does (keep an eye out in the next few weeks for that), the spiritual home of samba does offer a huge variety of options.

And while digging in the city is now harder than ever, there are still enough dusty second hand spots to get your kicks. Tracks, however is not one of them. At the other end of the record store spectrum, it’s as much a bookshop and cultural hub, with the arts, literature and cinema also catered for.

Tucked away upstairs however you’ll find a vinyl corner that will set your heart a fluttering, with a curated selection of classic Brazilian MPB along side cheaper crates and a fair few 7″s. While the selection is modest, there’s more than enough here for those still discovering the scene.

The said, it’s also a fine spot to pick up cheap original pressings of US funk, soul, jazz and everything in between. While demand for Brazilian records in Rio has sent prices soaring, Tracks is as good a spot as any to grab a bargain on records you’d pay a chunk for back home.