Song versions were arranged and performed by Studio Rio, a band of Brazilian musicians specializing in the bossa nova and samba genres.

The album's twelve tracks include the vocals of Bill Withers, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday, Sly & The Family Stone, The Isley Brothers, Mel Torme, Nina Simone, Johnny Nash, Dave Brubeck with Carmen McRae, Andy Williams and Sarah Vaughan.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, the Bermans said that, prior to developing "The Brazil Connection," they had been attending raves in London where they heard expert Brazilian music.

Their aim was to blend "the beauty of the classic American vocal performances of Billie Holiday or Aretha Franklin or Sly Stone with that sultry, really fantastic intelligent Brazilian backbone.

The Bermans selected the songs that would work in new Brazilian arrangements from their "office," a coffee shop one block away from the beach in Rio de Janeiro.

The Scottish Express noted that the tracks featuring Bill Withers' "Lovely Day," Andy Williams' "Music To Watch Girls By," and Nina Simone's "I Wish I Knew What It Means To Be Free" elicit a "summery feel.