Another Surprise Gift
One of Brazil’s most surprising songwriters, Felipe Radicetti knows how to blend contemporary sounds and electronic samplers without losing Brazilian elements in his music. A gifted composer and singer, he also associates himself with other artists who are at the forefront of contemporary Brazilian music. Cristina Saraiva, Felipe Cerquize, Chico Adnet and Marianna Leporace, for example, are all present in Felipe’s latest release, SagradoProfano.
Born in Rio de Janeiro (1958), Felipe Radicetti studied with Michel Philippot. In 1983 he graduated from the School of Music at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and that same year, he was awarded second place at the Antônio Silva National Organ Competition. Year after year, he continued making his presence known in the music scene. He participated in several projects, such as Projeto Aquarius, and also wrote music for various Globo TV productions and soundtracks. He also got involved in theater music and won awards for it, as in the case of the 1996 Santos Theatre Festival. Finally in 2000, his first album was released, Homens Partidos. Besides playing all keyboards in Homens Partidos, he also wrote the arrangements and did the musical direction. The release included guest appearances by Lô Borges, Claudio Nucci, Geraldo Azevedo and Clara Sandroni. Also that same year, he entered the Globo Network Brazilian Music Festival with “Moleque-Marraio,” sung by Claudio Nucci and included in Homens Partidos. In 2002, he received another award with the song “Indiviso” (in collaboration with Cristina Saraiva) written for the XX Avareense Popular Music Festival. Homens Partidos was followed by SuperLisa in 2003, a project with Clarisse Grova that received critical acclaim.
SagradoProfano is presented in a mini-booklet format. The attention to the packaging is already a good indication of the gift you will receive once you break the seal and hear the music inside. In a offertory-like opening, “Canto de Roda da Pedra do Sal” has a folkloric beat enhanced by the violas and additional percussion played by João Cantiber. The background vocals in this track are performed by Clarisse Grova, Luana and Marianna Leporace — all of them featured later in solos in “Dom Pixote,” “Dois sem Par” and “Albeggiare,” respectively. Though Felipe writes music and lyrics to several tracks, when he collaborates with other Brazilian songwriters such as Marcelo Biar, Cristina Saraiva, Felipe Cerquize, Arnoldo Medeiros and Juca Novaes, his music reaches new highs. “Dom Pixote,” with lyrics by Marcelo Biar, for example, blends in Cervantes’ archetype with the Brazilian street kid, also pursuing his own dreams. In “Cadafalso,” co-written with Cristina Saraiva, the sound of Rio suburbs are highlighted with Nó em Pingo D’Água’s Rodrigo Lessa on the mandolin with Cristina’s poetry painting a daily scene in Rio de Janeiro.
I do not know for sure what it is that Felipe’s music does to my senses, but each track always offers a pleasing surprise. I guess the unexpected melodic changes, the minor chords and the use of berimbaus with samplers, for instance, are some of the gift his music provides us. The funky beat in “Dois sem Par,” the Latin tinge in “Nieblas” and the haunting melody in “Albeggiare” are some of the elements that comprise the album’s apparent dichotomy of sacred and profane, popular and erudite, acoustic and electronic. Combining all those elements very well, Felipe Radicetti continues to expand the Brazilian music horizon with SagradoProfano.
You can learn more about the artist and his music by visiting his web site.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Felipe Radicetti
SagradoProfano
Mills MIL013 (2009)
Time: 50’05”
Tracks:
All songs by Felipe Radicetti, except where noted.
- Canto de Roda da Pedra do Sal
- Dom Pixote (Felipe Radicetti – Marcelo Biar) – w/ Clarisse Grova
- Cadafalso (Felipe Radicetti – Cristina Saraiva) – w/ Chico Adnet
- Andes
- Medida (Felipe Radicetti – Felipe Cerquize) w/ Juliana Rubim
- Dois sem Par (Felipe Radicetti – Cristina Saraiva) – w/ Luana
- O Louco (Felipe Radicetti – Cristina Saraiva)
- Nieblas (Felipe Radicetti – Arnoldo Medeiros)
- Albeggiare (Felipe Radicetti – Cristina Saraiva – Anteo)) – Marianna Leporace
- Relicário de São Miguel
- Diadema (Felipe Radicetti – Arnoldo Medeiros) – w/ Ladston do Nascimento
- Primeira (Felipe Radicetti – Juca Novaes) – w/ Trovadores Urbanos
- Retrato de Poeta (Felipe Radicetti – Marcelo Biar)
