:: These reviews were originally published
The 2003 Prêmio Visa finalists
1. Celso Adolfo’s rich mineiro poetry.
2 July 2003
Celso AdolfoEstrela da Luz
(Celso Adolfo)Quem canta não pode se esconder
Se faltam canções vamos prover
A música passa em tudo que vê
Passa o anel de mim pra você
Na pedra, na tarde o sol vem bater
Estrela da luz a noite nos deu
Aqui, nessa hora, sei quem sou eu
Tudo se aplaina, escureceu.The mineiro singer/songwriter Celso Adolfo is one of five composers who on 23 July will vie for this year’s prestigious Prêmio Visa (the other four are Rafael Alterio, Vander Lee, Sérgio Santos, and Chico Saraiva).
Born in São Domingos do Prata and living in Belo Horizonte, Celso Adolfo has been composing and performing since the early 1970s. In 1983 he released his debut disc, Coração Brasileiro, produced by Milton Nascimento, who also recorded Celso’s song “Coração Brasileiro” in Anima. Around the same time, Elba Ramalho recorded both “Coração Brasileiro” and “Azedo e Mascavo.”
In 1995 came his second solo album Brasil, Nome de Vegetal whose title was borrowed from a Mário de Andrade poem. Guest artists included Milton Nascimento, João Bosco, and Aquarela Carioca.
Adolfo’s penultimate disc is Festa do Padroeiro (1998) a limited-edition CD dedicated to São Domingos do Prata. In all his works, the composer displays a style that is eclectic yet very Brazilian, ranging from poetic MPB and mineiro country songs to bluesy rock and pop. Unfortunately, his CDs are rarely available outside Belo Horizonte, but you can listen to some of his songs and read his song lyrics on the Web. The Prêmio Visa exposure should help spread his work farther.
The artist is currently in the process of launching his latest CD, O Tempo, which includes the song “Estrela da Luz” quoted above.See Celso Adolfo’s discography.
Celso Adolfo: Festa do Padroeiro
(Independent SDP-AGO/98; 1998) 21:54 min.01. Festa do Padroeiro (Celso Adolfo)
02. A Estrada do Barro Branco (Celso Adolfo)
03. Rio Lava-pés (Celso Adolfo)
04. Minha Fé (Celso Adolfo)
05. Calango Dela (Celso Adolfo)
06. Prata de Arreio (Celso Adolfo)
Celso Adolfo: Brasil, Nome de Vegetal
(Velas 11-V036/Independent; 1995) 41:13 min.01. Brasil, Nome de Vegetal (Celso Adolfo)—w/ Milton Nascimento
02. Dois Gumes (Celso Adolfo/João Ayres)
03. Sede (Celso Adolfo)
04. Me Dei Mal (Celso Adolfo)
05. Minueto (J.S. Bach/Celso Adolfo)
06. Depois do Amor (Celso Adolfo/Juarez Moreira)
07. Foi Assim (Celso Adolfo)—w/ João Bosco
08. Me Deixa (Celso Adolfo)—w/ Aquarela Carioca
09. Batom Passado (Celso Adolfo/Yuri Popoff)
10. Coração Brasileiro (Celso Adolfo)
11. Nós Dois (Celso Adolfo)
12. Na Noite (Celso Adolfo)—dropped from the independent CD= = =
2. Rafael Alterio’s sage life lessons.
8 July 2003
Rafael AlterioAbandono
(Rafael Alterio/Marcos Paiva/Rita Alterio)[...] Quem é você, nem bem chegou e bateu asas
Fechou a casa, retirou a minha mesa
Refz as malas e saiu da minha vida
Bateu a porta e disse: - Adeus, me esqueça!
E quem sou eu pra suportar tal abandono
Acostumado a ser tratado como um rei
Fiquei de um jeito, tô igual a um cão sem dono
O que é que eu faço, então me diga que eu não seiSinger/songwriter Rafael Alterio lives in the country, in what we might call upstate São Paulo, and his music combines the sophistication bequeathed by the Villa-Lobian and Jobinian lineage with pronounced caipira elements. A regular fixture on the music festival circuit, Alterio has been professionally active since 1992 and released his first album, Olhos de Noite, in 1996.
In his second solo disc, Pescador da Lua, Alterio shows off a variety of musical styles, enriched with lyrics mostly written by his wife Rita Alterio. He does all the singing himself, in an untrained yet highly expressive voice that at times recalls Guinga, although Alterio’s range is considerably broader. The similarity is especially marked in “Pobre de Mim,” a semi-erudite art song arranged by André Mehmari for piano and strings:
Pobre de mim
Equally satisfying is “Água de Chuva,” an expansively poetic song that echoes Rimbaud’s Le Bateau Ivre. The luminous arrangement for piano and strings (again by Mehmari) perfectly cradles Alterio’s high-register vocals and Mônica Salmaso’s elegiac response:
Um mandarim no tempo, ator
Perdido entre o lamento, a dor
O palco e o botequim [...][...] Rendi a sorte na luz da candeia
Pra quando a morte vier me buscar
Rema canoeiro em ponta de areia
É corredeira quem vai me levar [...]“Abandono,” whose lyrics may sound despondent, is in fact a lively samba (with a deft touch of cuíca) that underscores the desperation of the moment.
In addition to Mehmari, the musicians include Dino Barioni (guitar & bandolim), Marcos Paiva (bass), Guello (percussion), Toninho Ferragutti (accordion), Breno Ruiz (piano), Edu Ribeiro (drums), Marisa Silveira (cello), Léa Freire and Teco Cardoso (flutes), and Naylor “Proveta” Azevedo (clarinet).
This is a disc to cherish for years to come.
Rafael Alterio: Pescador da Lua
(Dabliú Discos DB0115; 2003) 39:19 min.01. Angelo [prelúdio] (André Mehmari)
Água de Chuva (Rafael Alterio/Rita Alterio)
02. Logradouro (Rafael Alterio/Kléber Albuquerque)
03. Pescador da Lua (Rafael Alterio/Rita Alterio)
04. Absoluto (Rafael Alterio/Caca)
05. Pobre de Mim (Rafael Alterio/Rita Alterio)
06. Miragem (Rafael Alterio/Rita Alterio/Juca Novaes/Edu Santana)
07. Abandono (Rafael Alterio/Marcos Paiva/Rita Alterio)
08. Rodopios (Rafael Alterio/Rita Alterio)
09. Ironia (Rafael Alterio/Rita Alterio)
10. Minha Sorte (Rafael Alterio/Rita Alterio)
11. Angelina (André Mehmari)= = =
3. Vander Lee’s irrepressible energy.
15 July 2003
Vander LeeThe mineiro Vander Lee won’t be pinned down. This talented composer is equally fluent in funk and bossa nova, rap and ballads, rock and samba. He writes lyrics that range from social commentary and quotidian stories to poetic ruminations. He’s also a versatile singer with an attractive voice who’s capable of sounding like Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, or Ed Motta. Active on the festival circuit, Vander Lee released two CDs, the independent Vanderly (1997) and No Balanço do Balaio from Kuarup (1999).
No Balanço do Balaio is a rich basket of offerings. Some describe frustrated love in a light-hearted way, like the samba “Passional,” with its tale of abandonment in mid-carnaval:
O samba rolava solto pelas tantas da manhã,
Eu posava de passista, e ela minha cortesã.
Eis que chega o sambista de uma escola campeã,
Ela me deixou na pista pra bancar a anfitriã.
Rolavam Noel, Cartola, Paulinho da Viola e coisa e tal,
Mas ela pôs um balde de água fria no meu carnaval. [...]Some romantic affairs never get off the ground, as is the case in the funky “Tô em Liquidação,” which begins with a quote from the Bee Gees’ “Staying Alive”:
Uma Garota Shopping Center
Descendo da "limusine"
em seu vestido Tricoline,
Passando pela vitrine
Do meu coração
E nem me viu...
Uma Garota Shopping Center
E seu jeitinho petulante,
Tomando refrigerante,
Na escada rolante,
No meio do saguão... [...]And there are sex wars and strikes, such as the one staged by the football player’s wife in the samba “Galo e Cruzeiro”:
Minha Preta não fala comigo
Desde primeiro de janeiro.
Ela me deu a mala eu fui dormir na sala,
fiquei sem dinheiro.
Não tem mais feijoada, nem vaca atolada,
Rabada ou tropeiro.
Já fez greve de cama diz que não me ama,
Quebrou meu pandeiro
Na hora do cruzamento, ela deu impedimento
Ou falta no goleiro [...]The composer’s manifesto comes through gently but clearly in the beautiful bossa nova “Quando Chove”:
[...] Me tranca em casa quando chove
E um samba triste logo vem
Da batucada faço um manto
Da poesia o meu altar
Cantar é o lugar mais santo
Onde o poeta vem deitar
Por isso vim me apresentar
E pedir a sua benção, meu senhor
Eu vim aqui pra fazer festa
Eu vim brincar de ser cantorVander Lee plays nylon-string acoustic guitar. In No Balanço do Balaio he’s accompanied by a crack team that includes Beto Cazes (percussion), Dirceu Leitte (flute, clarinet & saxophones), Luiz Brasil (steel-string guitar), Marcello Gonçalves (7-string guitar), Roberto Marques (trombone), Zeca Assumpção (contrabass), and Rildo Hora (harmonica).
Lyrics and audio sample are available here.
Vander Lee: No Balanço do Balaio
(Kuarup Discos KCD128; 1999) 42:43 min.All songs by Vander Lee
01. No Balanço do Balaio
02. Passional
03. Deus-Lhe-Pague-Card
04. Quem Me Dirá?
05. Tô em Liquidação
06. Galo e Cruzeiro
07. Românticos
08. Neném
09. Piti
10. Fogo
11. A Baiana Cover
12. Truco Seis
13. Quando Chove= = =
4. Sérgio Santos’ melodious samba.
17 July 2003
Sérgio SantosAmong the 2003 Prêmio Visa finalists, the mineiro singer/composer Sérgio Santos is probably the best known in the U.S., thanks to the CD Mulato (1998), released by Blue Jackel, and Santos’ north-American tour with Joyce in 1999. Bruce Gilman’s article about his work was published in Brazzil magazine The same year, and an interview with Santos appeared in these pages last September upon the release of his most recent album, Áfrico.
Santos rarely writes lyrics, relying instead on his most constant partner, the distinguished poet/lyricist Paulo Cesar Pinheiro, with whom he has created over 180 songs. Traditionally focused on the melodic line, in his last disc the composer turned to exploring rhythmic elements. He is a fine singer and will be a strong competitor at the Prêmio Visa finals.
Sérgio Santos: Áfrico—Quando o Brasil Resolveu Cantar
(Biscoito Fino BF508; 2002) 53:37 min.
All songs by Sérgio Santos & Paulo Cesar Pinheiro unless otherwise indicated.01. Vem Ver [abertura] (Sérgio Santos)
02. Galanga Chico-Rei
03. Oluô
04. Ganga Zumbi
05. Kêkêrêkê
06. Sincretismo
07. Vem Ver [vinheta 1] (Sérgio Santos)
08. Olorum
09. Nagô
10. Saruê
11. Gongá
12. Vem Ver [vinheta 2] (Sérgio Santos)
13. Quilombola
14. Áfrico
15. Quitanda das Iaôs
16. Jongo de Joâo-Congo
17. Nossa Cor
18. Vem Ver (Sérgio Santos)= = =
5. Chico Saraiva’s instrumental beauty.
17 July 2003
Chico SaraivaChico Saraiva is the only 2003 Prêmio Visa finalist who doesn’t sing. The guitarist/composer/arranger was born in Rio de Janeiro, grew up in Florianópolis, and currently resides in São Paulo. Saraiva has worked with singers Suzana Salles, Márcia Salomon, and Ney Mesquita, but his own debut album, Água, is instrumental, consisting of Saraiva’s guitar accompanied by drums (Eduardo Ribeiro) and bass (José Nigro).
The three musicians have been playing together since 1993 as Trio Água, and the disc that took their name was recorded in bits and pieces between 1995 and 1998. Guest artists were Benjamin Taubkin (piano) and Mané Silveira (saxophone).
Água received high praise from respected critics such as Mauro Dias and Luis Antônio Giron, as well as from guitar aces Guinga and Ulisses Rocha. The former foretold a brilliant future for Saraiva.
Audio samples are available here.
Chico Saraiva: Água
(Cântaro 003; 1999)01. Chorando Embaixo d’Água (Chico Saraiva)
02. Contatos (Paulo Bellinati)
03. Dança da Chuva (Chico Saraiva)
04. Café (Egberto Gismonti)
05. Valsa da Aroeira Mansa (Chico Saraiva)
06. Melodia para a Incerteza (Chico Saraiva)
07. Gabriela (Tom Jobim)
08. Amarela (Chico Saraiva)
09. Choro pro Zé (Guinga/Aldir Blanc)
10. Balaio (Chico Saraiva/Roberto Coelho)
11. Ano Novo (Chico Saraiva)
Copyright © 2003–2014 Daniella Thompson. All rights reserved.
