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Judging a foreign language CD is always tricky business. Thankfully, the music speaks for itself.
This Gilberto Gil album is no exception, so I’ve recruited my Brazilian friend Cesar to help me out. One thing I can fathom out is, that this is a collection of two very different musical styles. The first part, Frevo Rasgado with defunct psychedelic rock
ers Os Mutantes (The Mutants) does in places, sound very dated, and then others timeless.
Throughout this superb collection, Gil switches from baritone to scat singing or falsetto with consummate ease. Music wise, he was (is) considered avante garde and progressive even back then. The backdrop for the music and lyrics was the chaotic turmoil h
appening in Brazil in the late 60s.
Until recently, Gil was Brazilian Minister For Culture, however, his effectiveness is open to debate, nevertheless, he’s one of Brazil’s eminent exports.
As a musician, he’s always been highly respected, even by the critics and this collection captures him arguably at the peak of his powers, where it begins with a breezy universal approach on the rhythmic heavy Frevo Rasgado with the all-guns-blazing brass
section and scat, on what translates as torn rhythm. Considering the political climate then, Coragem pra Suportar, is controversial, inasmuch it exudes courage to bear to its people. Dated Domingou (Sunday) is a raspy effort to match the West Coast work
of Love (including Arthur Lee) on albums such as De Capo and Forever Changes, whereas the more indigenous sound (snorting trumpets and all that) of Marginalia 11 is a dig at marginals / criminals via pulsating Latino shuffle.
Pega a Voga, Cabeludo is a bundle of fun and a term possibly used by Gil’s Bahia region meaning ‘popularity’. This thrusting blast has all the hallmarks of the period – hand claps, wailing, shouts and wiry guitar solos. There’s a dramatic shift in pace an
d template on the exquisite Ele Falava Nisso Todo Dia (he talked about it every day). Sparkling acoustic guitar picks, synonymous with Spanish maestros and big orchestration.
A rockier element carries the bouncy Procissao (procession) the type of thing you might have heard at a 60s hippy / underground Carnival. The dirty bass is something to behold. At this point we reach the divine Luzia Luluza – fluttering instrumentation ap
lenty.
The changes are more profound, and more commercial on Pe da Roseira (Rosebud). The funky beat, heavy bass and wiry solos only add to the magic, still retaining the Brazilian sound to perfection, reminding me of something Astrid Gilberto and Stan Getz woul
d have done.
Moving on there’s the playful blues-inflected Volks Volkswagen Blue boosted by masses of brass. A personal favourite is the loungy bossa nova delight Aquele Abraco – a great hug – indeed, one of the several timeless gems, accompanied by bluesy, as bluesy
gets in Brazil, 17 Leguas e Meia. Check the superb guitarist. There are some oddities too, like the edgy-experimental acid-rocker A Voz do Vivo. Bringing back some musicality, the urban infused jazzer Futurivel with eccentric flashes – restores some credi
bility at least. Gil closes the collection with curious Oma Iao, bristling with delicious guitar solos and some kind of Asian chant or religious expression.
1. Frevo Rasgado
2. Coragem pra Suportar
3. Domingou
4. Marginalia 11
5. Pega a Voga, Cabeludo
6. Ele Falava Nisso Todo Dia
7. Procissao
8. Luzia Luluza
9. Pe da Roseira
10. Domingo no Parque
11. A Luta Contra a Lata ou A Falencia
Cerebro Eletronico (1968)
12. Cerebro Electronico
13. Volks Volkswagen Blue
14. Aquele Abraco
15. 17 Leguas e Meia
16. A Voz do Vivo
17. Vitrines
18. 2001
19. Futurivel
20. Objeto Semi-Indentificado
21. Oma Iao
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