I’ll be honest with all of y’all…I know pretty much nothing about what I’m currently listening to. I tried to do some research on this record, I really did, but with no Wikipedia page, and less than specific info readily available on both of its creators, I’m just kind of going with the flow with Tropicalia 2. I have learned a bit about Tropicália, a weird little Brazilian late-’60s rock movement. I’m sure that we’ll all be getting a massive history lesson in the comment section, so I won’t even try to tell the story behind the movement.
Instead, I’m going to stick with what I do best—butchering descriptions of music. To quote the brilliant Sean Bonnette of Andrew Jackson Jihad, “Hate[rs], rain on me.”
So let’s start off with the obvious: this stuff sounds like Vampire Weekend. I know that these guys did it thirteen years before good ol’ Vampy Weeks, but it’s about all I can hear on this record. Well, that’s not entirely true—there’s also a bit of Why? in here as well, especially with the mostly-talked tracks like “Haiti.”
The point that I’m trying to make here is as follows: perhaps a bunch of the music that I regularly listen to may be influenced by this style. If not by Tropicalia 2 in particular, then by the movement that inspired it as a whole. Sure, the stuff that I usually play isn’t in Spanish, but how much does that even matter? It still sounds cool, and that’s all that should be important. I am waiting to be educated about this stuff, though, so bring it on, Chops.
Swole Ear 
First of all, AJJ were only paraphrasing The Who http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhSdNy1snaU&feature=fvst.
Second, that national language of Brazil is Portuguese.
Third, I am pleased that you liked this album. These two guys have a popularity in Brazil that is up there with Pele and Ronaldo. Gilberto Gil was the Brazilian Minister of Culture from 2003 to 2008 (how cool is that?). Beck gave them and the whole tropicalia movement a shout out on his Mutations album http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGe8F_zbuEA which will give you an idea how these guys would sound in English.
I was a little surprised that you did not comment on how varied the songs on this album are. From the sole-meltingly gorgeous last samba song, to funk, to a Hendrix cover and a sort of tone poem.
Finally, a short pitch for Brazilian music: the best Brazilian music is a bit like the best Brazilian soccer – brilliantly spontaneous yet deep in technique. Both artists have loads of good albums. Among the younger folks, you might want to give Sue Jorge and Marisa Monte a try.