Marimbanda Is Back!
It has been a few years — 14 years to be precise — since the last album Marimbanda was released. The wait is over. Marimbanda is back, and the new album is most definitely worth its wait.
Caminhar is full of surprises, including some very special guests. Carlos Malta is featured on flutes in “Duarteana”; Ricardo Herz comes on violin in “Eu Quero É Baiãozar”; and Alisson Pereira brings his clarinet to “Joaquim no Choro.” With 14 original compositions — all by drummer extraordinaire Luizinho Duarte, except for “Duarteana” (by Thiago Almeida) and “Se Vira Aí” (by Luizinho Duarte and Carlinhos Ferreira), the album is pure elation in the well-known Marimbanda sound tradition.
The band is Heriberto Porto (flutes), Thiago Almeida (piano, melodica), Miquéias dos Santos (electric bass), and Luizinho Duarte (drums, percussion, voice), and the album garnered musical production by Heriberto Porto. The repertoire brings back a journey through various Brazilian genres, including baiões, frevos, choros, ballads, sambas, and more.
The title track is the energetic opener for the album. The listener is introduced to each musician via a series of quick solos on the track. Porto’s flute is the glue that connects all instruments while allowing each musician to shine individually throughout the track. In “Duarteana,” our first special guest, Carlos Malta, appears. It is a thrill to hear Malta and Porto in duet. If you’ve heard Malta in his own albums, you know you get nothing short of exuberance and artistry.
Another guest, Ricardo Herz, brings a fiery violin solo in “Eu Quero É Baiãozar.” This lively baião is a delight. Pulling all stops, a third guest comes in the next track: Alisson Pereira. The clarinet solo in “Joaquim no Choro” is reminiscent of traditional choros from an era gone by. Of course, the subtle presence of Almeida’s melodica adds a whole new flavor to this choro. There is not a moment of dull music in Caminhar. As if we have not had special solos in these first four tracks, in “Fonte do Adeus,” Duarte adds some vocalise to a lovely ballad. His controlled vocals reminded me a bit of Michel LeGrand’s. This is a nice addition to the Marimbanda sound. Just in time for Carnaval celebrations, “Em Tempo de Frevo” will get you off your seat to start the Carnaval festivities. Frevo is an ebullient rhythm and dance originating in the northeastern state of Pernambuco, where it is still a central focus of Carnaval in that state.
You really have no excuse not to listen to Caminhar. It is available in all streaming platforms, and you can also listen to the entire album on YouTube on a special Marimbanda playlist. I’m so glad that 2019 ended on a high note with the release of Caminhar. It is a fantastic release and addition to the Marimbanda discography.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Marimbanda
Caminhar
Independent (2019)
Time: 72”00’
Tracks (all by Luizinho Duarte, except where noted):
- Caminhar
- Duarteana (Thiago Almeida) – feat. Carlos Malta
- Eu Quero Baiãozar – feat. Ricardo Herz
- Joaquim No Choro – feat. Alisson Pereira
- Fonte do Adeus
- Choro Temperado
- Em Tempo de Frevo
- Que Conversa É Essa?
- Eu Te Falei
- CuidardDe Nós
- Tudo Vem
- Troca Trocadilho
- Se Vira Aí (Luizinho Duarte – Carlinhos Ferreira)
- Lindos Olhos
