Fabiana Cozza – Quando O Céu Clarear (Atração Fonográfica – 2010)

Comparisons are odious, even in the most mundane circumstances, but there is a recording of a rare performance of Elis Regina Saudades Do Brasil , filmed and recorded in 1980, and directed by the great Cesar Carmago Mariano that reverberates with energy, even when it is not playing. The mere recollection of it can make the heart dance interminably. This recording Quando O Céu Clarear by the extraordinary paulista and sambanista, Fabiana Cozza bustles with the same level of energy. Cozza, whose wholesome contralto voice resembles most the great vocalists such as Clara Nuñes and sometimes even Maria Bethania, when she digs deep and vocalizes in a register down low and on the brink of a female tenor.

Cozza is expressive and pliable. She can give a commanding performance when the music conjouring almost shamanistic power as she does in the most Afro-Brasilian charts on this album, “Xangô Te Xinga,” “Ponto de Nanã” and on the devastatingly beautiful performance of Baden Powell and Vinicius de Moraes’ classic “Canto de Ossanha.” But Cozza is versatile, seductive and a changeling like the best vocal practitioners from Brasil. Her duets with the incomparable Dona Ivone Lara, “Doces Recordações” and the mellow composition from Dona Ivone Lara herself, “Tendência” find Cozza in a much restrained, sensuous state of mind. At any rate she is most beguiling and more than apt to weave a magical spell rooted in the Afro nature of her being as she is to charm an audience in a European sense of bewitching an audience. Either way she is one of the most attractive and riveting singers to come out of Brasil singing sambas and reimagining other folk fare.

Like the Elis set of thirty years ago, Camargo Mariano had a hand in the magnificent orchestrations then. At this time the torch passes to Marcos Paiva, who plays bass and is responsible for the musical direction. Paiva has created a sensation with his arrangements of the special variety of percussion instrumentation. But more than that, Paiva has recreated the music for a much larger canvas than for which it was imagined. Working with a bona fide star such as Fabiana Cozza made it all the more easy. However, Paiva must share the spotlight for his extraordinary work in creating the earthy textures and colors that mark this album as one of the most powerful and unique to come out of Brasil in recent times.

Tracks: Incensa; Mestre-Sala; Doces Recordações; Parte; Novo Viver; Quando O Céu Clarear; Saudação para Iemanjá Agradecer e Abraçar; Xangô Te Xinga; Não Sai de Mim; Tendência; Pela Sombra; Ponto de Nanã Canto de Ossanha; Nação.

Personnel: Fabiana Cozza: vocals; Renato Epstein: violão; Rodrigo Campos: cavaco; Ildo Silva: cavaco (3); Marcos Paiva: bass, acoustic bass (9); Rubinho Antunes: trumpet (2); Emerson Will: trombone(2); Josué dos Santos: tenor saxophone(2); João Poleto: flute (4, 12); Dino Barioni: mandolin (4); Edson Sant’anna: keyboards (4), piano (8, 12); Guilherme Ribeiro: piano (11), keyboards (13); João Cristal: piano (13); Celsinho Almeida: drums; Luizinho 7 Cordas: violão 7 cordas (1, 5, 6, 11, 15); Zé Barbeiro: violão 7 cordas; Marcelo Jeneci: sanfona (3); Tocão: banjo (3, 6, 15); Douglas Alonso: percussion; Julio César: percussion; Gersinho: surdo, percussion; Filipe Roseno: percussion (7, 9); Claudia Romano: chorus, handclaps; Ione Papas: chorus, handclaps; Juliana Amaral: chorus, handclaps; Marcos Paiva: chorus, handclaps; Fabiana Cozza: chorus, handclaps; Vitor Pessoa: chorus, handclaps; Nino Miao: chorus, handclaps; Julio Padrón: voice (14); Luis Márquez (Papo): voice (14); Special Guests: Dona Ivone Lara: vocals (3); Quarteto Em Branco e Preto: Magno Souza; Vitor Pessoa; Everson Pessoa; Ivison Pessoa; Maurilo Oliveiro (5); Yaniel Matos: piano (9); Julio Padrón: trumpet (14).

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Fabiana Cozza on the web: www.fabianacozza.com.br

Review written by: Raul da Gama

Antonio Valdetaro & Group – Letícia (Independent, Brasil 2009)

What stands out immediately about this record Letícia is the ebullient mood that is struck with the first few notes of “Segura e Sai.” From then on the music gets busier but retains its sense of “alegria.” A warning, however: it pays not to me misled by the nature of the tracks that flow one after the other. Valdetaro and his group do a fine job of masking the true complexity of the songs. On “Concorrencia Desleal” for instance, the Forrobodo form is exquisitely captured by the guitarist, who plays linear, flowing lines as the saxophone of Josue dos Santos weaves interesting contrapuntal melodies into the song. This is just a glimpse of what Valdetaro is capable of and showcases on the record.

The guitar and indeed stringed instruments play a featured melodic role in South American music. Guitarists such as Baden Powell, Luis Bonfa and Oscar Castro-Neves and many others opened up myriad harmonic possibilities as bossa nova and other idioms have become more widespread. But the key to maintaining the core values of rhythm and syncopation while enriching harmony have been a challenge to those to whom virtuosity is given. Thus Antonio Valdetaro faces challenges in composition and performance. The trick is to stay away from trite imagery and keep the music fresh and new.

On Letícia, Antonio Valdetaro manages to do much of this on his own. His compositions, while staying close to tradition, push hard at expanding the forms. The guitarist has an interesting vocal touch and, as he shows on “Letícia” is capable of writing music that recalls the heyday of Brasilian music. “Urublues Malandro” shows that Valdetaro does not shy away from employing humor and irony in his music as well. “Deixa Estar” features some wonderful writing that is good as any of the fine music that Caetano Veloso produced. Rubinho Antunes executes a warm and round, brassy flugelhorn solo, which is quite unusual for that type of horn.

There is a touch of Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd in the record and this is understandable as those two stellar musicians practically redefined bossa nova for audiences in the United States. It is quite possible that this record by Antonio Valdetaro and Grupo may have a similar effect. It is sometimes a pity that the industry has not kept pace with artistic development and chooses marketing gymnastics over artistic merit. On a different field this record might have made a somewhat greater impact on audiences in North America.

Tracks: Segura e Sai; Bossa Louca; Concorrência Deslea (p/ Guinga); Tradição (p/Paulinho Da Viola); Letícia; Urublues Malandro; Deixa Estar; Moça Bonita; Canção da Geraes.

Personnel: Antonio Valdetaro: violao and guitars; Fabio Leandro: piano; Josue dos Santos: saxophones and flutes; Pepa D’Elia: drums; Roberto Carvalho: electric bass. Special Guests: Adriano Trindade: drums (2); Ary Dias: drums (4); Rubinho Antunes: trumpet (8) and flugelhorn (7); Sidiel Viera: acoustic bass (5).

Antonio Valdetaro on the web: www.antoniovaldetaro.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama