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.
