For the Love of Paradise
Is there a more beautiful way to remember the sound of the late Márcio Montarroyos (1949 – 2007) than to hear him play the muted trumpet on the opening track of Liebe Paradiso? And that’s just one of the many highlights on this album.
Two decades ago Celso Fonseca and Ronaldo Bastos started to work on their trilogy of albums; Sorte in 1994, Paradiso in 1997 and Juventude /Slow Motion Bossa Nova in 2002. The impact of Paradiso made the duo decide to give the album a very special treatment. With the spiritual help of producers Duda Mello and Leonel Pereda, they came up with the idea to use some of the recording tracks of the Paradiso album as the basis of a new recording. The final inspiration came after a visit to Berlin (Germany); an occasion that also resulted in the album’s title Liebe Paradiso. A carefully selected number of very enthusiastic guests (both vocalists and instrumentalists) took the opportunity to dedicate their love (“Liebe” in German) for the songs of the original Paradiso album. Ten of its songs get a re-lecture here.
The album opens with “Paradiso.” The original recording tracks of trumpet player Márcio Montarroyos are embraced by the always attentive sounds of keyboard wizard Sacha Amback and beautiful percussion by Marcelo Costa. The soft bossa voice of Celso Fonseca completes the beauty of this new rendition of the composition. The song ends with the in-Berlin recorded voice of musician/record company boss Christian Kellersmann, reading the poem “Gesäng der Geister Über den Wassern” by Goethe (1749 – 1832). What follows is maybe even more beautiful: a breathtaking rendition of “Flor da Noite.” Only the percussion of the original recording is used. Nana Caymmi is the featured guest. Her warm voice with Celso Fonseca on guitar, Sacha Amback (synths) and a string quartet make the song a nostalgic sounding second highlight of the album.
In fact, each track of the album has its own beauty; music that comes the closest when it’s about explaining the meaning of the mysterious Brazilian word “saudades.” It’s amazing what the artistic minds of all participating musicians put together. The guest vocalists do their own thing in their very own way, one by one they shine with their unique vocal styles. Whether it is Paulo Miklos (vocalist from Titãs; on “Você Não Sacou”), Luiz Melodia (on “Ela Vai Pro Mar,” with Marcos Valle on Fender Rhodes piano) or even Sandra de Sá (soulful and gently on “Polaroids”). There are also two compositions that are not on the original Paradiso album. The first is a gem sung by the great voice of Adriana Calcanhotto. The song (“O Tempo Não Passou”) was composed earlier for the album Sorte but gets a brand new arrangement here. The other song, “A Thing of Beauty/Juventude,” is performed by Celso Fonseca (guitar and vocals), João Donato (piano) and Ronaldo Bastos (vocals). It’s based on a poem by the Englishman John Keats (1795 – 1821) and it closes the album in the right way.
The concept of mixing old with new recording tracks might scare people off. But that’s absolutely not necessary because the result is an album that makes you want to hear it again as soon as the last notes of “A Thing of Beauty/Juventude” fade away. It’s a CD that should stand on its own, no successors please. It’s how true love for music creates a unique paradise.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Celso Fonseca e Ronaldo Bastos
Liebe Paradiso
Dubas 233692 (2013)
Total time: 47’59”
Tracks:
All compositions by Celso Fonseca and Ronaldo Bastos, except where noted.
- Paradiso
- Flor Da Noite – w/ Nana Caymmi
- Candeeiro
- Quanto Tempo/Minos/Vento Azul (Celso Fonseca – Ronaldo Bastos – Antônio Cícero) – w/ Milton Nascimento
- Você Não Sacou – w/ Paulo Miklos
- Out of the Blues
- Ela Vai Pro Mar – w/ Luiz Melodia, Marcos Valle
- O Tempo Não Passou – w/ Adriana Calcanhotto
- Denise Bandeira
- Polaroides – w/ Sandra de Sá
- Alma De Pierrô
- A Thing of Beauty/Juventude (John Keats – Celso Fonseca – Ronaldo Bastos) – w/ João Donato
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