Clarisse Grova & Felipe Radicetti: Superlisa

Two artists, two styles. Together, Clarisse Grova and Felipe Radicetti have released Superlisa, an album featuring Grova's and Radicetti's music along with one classic Dolores Duran song. Grova's previous work was the critically acclaimed Novos Traços (1997), in which she performed new songs by Cristovão Bastos and Aldir Blanc. She has one of the strongest voices in Brazilian music. As for Felipe Radicetti, his previous album was Homens Partidos (1999). The album included the participation of Lô Borges, Cláudio Nucci, Geraldo Azevedo and Clara Sandroni. Included in Superlisa is "Moleque-Marraio," a semi-finalist song in Globo TV Brazilian Music Festival.

Superlisa is daring, pop and moving while keeping a unique Brazilian quality to the entire project. From the funky opening of "Rude Pedra" to the closing Dolores Duran tribute with "Ternura Antiga," the album presents innovation and tradition in each track. It takes Brazilian popular music to another level of what we are used to. Using samplers and Victor Biglione's solo steel guitar in "Rude Pedra," for example, Radicetti and Grova rock you with lyrics that shout to break away with all ties. Music and lyrics unite in a perfect marriage. The same goes with Radicetti's use of electronic samplers mixed with acoustic instruments, such as Chico Adnet's nylon guitar and Ovidio's pandeiro in "O Tal Trem." Grova captured a lot of Brazilian icons and elements in that song. Her lyrics even question her own text along with songwriter giants:

Será que meu texto é bobagem
Que eu não entendi o que disse
Caetano, Buarque e Noel

Is my text silliness
That I did not understand what
Caetano, Buarque and Noel said

The element of nostalgia continues in the song with references to Vinícius de Moraes's and Tom Jobim's legacies. The song ends with a touching reference to Elis Regina.

"Indiviso" is a nice example of Radicetti's melodies. The minor key, sudden chord changes and rapid chord progression are musical elements used by Radicetti very effectively. Another gorgeous Radicetti melody is the tango-flavored "Senhora," with Owaldo Carvalho's hauntingly beautiful violin accompaniment. The metaphors in Marcelo Biar's lyrics address "honor and tradition" under the sheets, where judges, rabbis and everyone hide their normal lives. The bossa nova swing in "Coração" is a welcome change of pace with a more subdued use of electronics. The retro feeling in the song along with Grova's smooth vocals and Adnet's guitar accompaniment are very nice. In yet another change of mood, the fado "Um Outro Fado" will take you by storm with its intense romantic lyricism. Finally, closing the album, a new arrangement for "Ternura Antiga" is simply overwhelmingly mesmerizing. The arrangement created proves how timeless Dolores Duran's lyrics are.

The album contains various photos and all lyrics. You can hear samples of Superlisa here.