Chico César: Respeitem Meus Cabelos, Brancos

Chico César launched his fifth album, Respeitem Meus Cabelos, Brancos. Although he always seems to have a "bad-hair day," he sure deserves respect (a cliche easy to make of course!). This album is another beauty.

The typical Chico César sound is hard to describe, but you recognize it right away. His 1994 album Aos Vivos is a classic in his discography. This one deserves a place around that status, too. It's loaded with jewels. "Experiência" is one example, with a beautiful guest appearance by the sweet voiced Nina Miranda and a more than impressive percussion-arrangement by Carlinhos Brown (which makes you feel sad Carlinhos makes so little use of that talent since he's acting like a superstar...). Lyrics deserve a closer study, although they're kinda hard to understand for someone not using Portuguese as a main language. Luckily, you don't need to understand the lyrics (Carlos Rennó) to appreciate the song. Another jewel is "Antinome." Chico Buarque lends his melancholic voice to this Chico César original. As if it isn't enough to hear Buarque here, there's also the remarkable presence of Toninho Ferragutti on sanfona playing a wonderful solo. Marcos Suzano also appears on percussion. This is a song that absolutely deserves a place in any Chico Buarque duets compilation...

The title song "Respeitem Meus Cabelos, Brancos" is 100 per cent Chico César: simple guitar lines, funky beat and his unique voice. "Céu Negro" is one of César's more beautiful ballads. Will Mowat is on keyboards, and does that in a beautiful way on the organ (Mowat is known from the band Soul 2 Soul; he produced this album and he has worked with many 'new' Brazilian stars like Fernanda Abreu, Daniela Mercury (Sol da Liberdade), but also with Africa's diva Angelique Kidjo). Naná Vasconcelos puts his influence on "Sem Ganzá Não É Coco," which uses a smoking horn arrangement to create a balance between the vocals and the easy going acoustic guitar riffs. The inevitable reggae on the album is the pleasant "Nas Fronteiras do Mundo." The arrangement refers to other Latin styles (Salsa). The wonderful Simone Soul is on drums and percussion. "Templo" is another beautiful ballad that carries Mowat's print, an oriental arrangement with appropriate violin (Alex Braga) and synths.

A wonderful album that confirms the wonderful talent of Chico César.

Kees Schoof

Chico César Respeitem Meus Cabelos, Brancos MZA Abril 2407001-2 (2002) Time: 44'26"

Chico César launched his fifth album, Respeitem Meus Cabelos, Brancos. Although he always seems to have a "bad-hair day," he sure deserves respect (a cliche easy to make of course!). This album is another beauty. The typical Chico César sound is hard to describe, but you recognize it right away. His 1994 album Aos Vivos is a classic in his discography. This one deserves a place around that status, too. It's loaded with jewels. "Experiência" is one example, with a beautiful guest appearance by the sweet voiced Nina Miranda and a more than impressive percussion-arrangement by Carlinhos Brown (which makes you feel sad Carlinhos makes so little use of that talent since he's acting like a superstar...). Lyrics deserve a closer study, although they're kinda hard to understand for someone not using Portuguese as a main language. Luckily, you don't need to understand the lyrics (Carlos Rennó) to appreciate the song. Another jewel is "Antinome." Chico Buarque lends his melancholic voice to this Chico César original. As if it isn't enough to hear Buarque here, there's also the remarkable presence of Toninho Ferragutti on sanfona playing a wonderful solo. Marcos Suzano also appears on percussion. This is a song that absolutely deserves a place in any Chico Buarque duets compilation... The title song "Respeitem Meus Cabelos, Brancos" is 100 per cent Chico César: simple guitar lines, funky beat and his unique voice. "Céu Negro" is one of César's more beautiful ballads. Will Mowat is on keyboards, and does that in a beautiful way on the organ (Mowat is known from the band Soul 2 Soul; he produced this album and he has worked with many 'new' Brazilian stars like Fernanda Abreu, Daniela Mercury (Sol da Liberdade), but also with Africa's diva Angelique Kidjo). Naná Vasconcelos puts his influence on "Sem Ganzá Não É Coco," which uses a smoking horn arrangement to create a balance between the vocals and the easy going acoustic guitar riffs. The inevitable reggae on the album is the pleasant "Nas Fronteiras do Mundo." The arrangement refers to other Latin styles (Salsa). The wonderful Simone Soul is on drums and percussion. "Templo" is another beautiful ballad that carries Mowat's print, an oriental arrangement with appropriate violin (Alex Braga) and synths. A wonderful album that confirms the wonderful talent of Chico César. Kees Schoof
Track listing
Respeitem Meus Cabelos, Brancos (Chico César) Antinome (Chico César) Pétala Por Pétala (Chico César - Vanessa Bumagny) Céu Negro (Chico César) Flor de Mandacaru (ChicoCésar) Quando Eu Fecho os Olhos (Chico César - Carlos Rennó) Sem Ganzá Não É Coco (Chico César) Nas Fronteiras do Mundo (En Las Fronteras del Mundo) (Chico César - Luís Pastor) Antes Que Amanheça (Chico César - Carlos Rennó) Templo (Chico César - Tata Fernandes - Milton de Biasi) Teofania (Chico César - Bráulio Tavares) Experiência (Chico César - Carlos Rennó)