A Splendid Debut
It seems everything is just happening to Marcela Biasi, composer, vocalist and guitarist. She’s always at the right place at the right time. Born in Niterói, RJ, Marcela Biasi (1981) enjoyed and absorbed the rich musical environment. Away from glamorous Rio (Niterói is on the other side of the Guanabara bay), Marcela wasn’t seduced by “the dream come true”-lifestyle many young musicians have these days. She just did what she wanted, in her own tempo, surrounded by many of Niterói’s own obstinate musicians. A few years ago Marcela recorded a demo and when she spotted Torcuato Mariano (one of Rio’s best known session guitarist and artistic director at EMI) in a restaurant having dinner, she handed over one of the copies. Torcuato Mariano was so pleased by the voice and with the music that he invited Marcela over to the studio. A studio that happened to be next door to the club she was singing at that time… The birth of a brilliant MPB pop album!
Under the wings of Torcuato Mariano’s know-how, Marcela was given the opportunity to work under the best circumstances with remarkable artistic freedom. It is to the young singer’s credit that she stayed true to the music of her talented musical friends. The compositions we hear on this cd contain a high level of originality and beauty. Starting from the beginning, with the title song of this album “Arrastando Maravilhas.” A true gem, and right away one of the favourites at the acclaimed Radio MPBfm’s weekly popularity contests. Composed by Kali C and Alexandre Lemos, the song is able to show the qualities of its interpreter: the singer conquers the song completely and makes it her own. This says as much about the quality of the composition as about the quality of the vocalist. A joint venture that is very often overlooked. It looks like the music is specially written for the perfect voice of Marcela Biasi. A beautiful ballad. The next composition is by Biasi and Zélia Duncan. Marcela is a fan of Zélia’s and met her on stage during a few occasions. The partnership is wonderful. Zélia is guest vocalist on this track (“Me Basta”) and the ladies sound absolutely beautiful together. Their two different voices complement each other respectfully. André Rodrigues sounds great on the acoustic bass. “Então” is a composition by the eccentric young singer/composer Mary Fê. Saxophonist Marcelo Martins is a guest here, giving the pleasantly swinging bossa nova a contemporary twist. “Depois Eu Te Conto” is another example of how things happen to Marcela. Via the internet, one of her fans regularly submitted lyrics. To her own surprise she, Fernanda Moretti, saw the lyrics put on music and performed by her idol. Back to Marcela’s favourite composers, Kali C and Suely Mesquita wrote the bittersweet bossa “Mertiolate.” It’s one of the cd’s most beautiful moments. Very close to the original, this arrangement puts the song in a sweet soft-focus kind of sound: strings soften the sharp edges of the lyrics, while gentle sound effects, on the contrary, echo the bitterness. Adriana Calcanhotto wrote “O Amor Me Escolheu,” but never recorded the song. Marcela heard it on the radio during a live show of Calcanhotto and decided to put the song on the repertoire of this cd. It’s a gentle ballad with Marcos Nimrichter on the accordion. “Por Perto” is a nice pop song by the hands of Fernanda Takai and John, half of the popular band Pato Fu from Minas Gerais. The song can be found on the band’s MTV Ao Vivo album. This rendition by Marcela Biasi (arranged by Torcuato Mariano) does justice to the approach of Pato Fu, although Marcela’s voice makes it all sound a bit more mature, despite her young age. The album closes with the elegant accompanied “Irremediável.” Simple acoustic guitar, beautiful bass lines and tasteful effects form the perfect setting for this melancholic song.
Together with the other not mentioned songs, this album is nothing short of a splendid debut from the young artist, who is helped by fantastic musicians, such as bassist Dunga, guitarist Torcuato Mariano, drummer João Viana and master percussionist Armando Marçal, among others.
More about this artist can be found at her official web site.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Marcela Biasi
Arrastando Maravilhas
Virgin EMI 5846152 (2004)
Time: 50’43”
Tracks:
- Arrastando Maravilhas (Kali C – Alexandre Lemos)
- Me Basta (Marcela Biasi – Zélia Duncan) w/ Zélia Duncan
- O Que Penso (Torcuato Mariano – Marcela Biasi)
- Então (Mary Fê)
- Depois Te Conto (Marcela Biasi – Fernanda Moretti)
- Mertiolate (Kali C – Suely Mesquita)
- A Fuga (Marcela Biasi)
- Vapor (Natália Mallo)
- Por Perto (John – Fernanda Takai)
- O Amor Me Escolheu (Adriana Calcanhotto)
- Os Grãos e as Chaves (Marcela Biasi – Kali C – Dudu Caribé)
- Na Beirinha (Marcela Biasi)
- Estar Só (Maurício Pacheco)
- Irremediável (Marcela Biasi – Suely Mesquita)
