Non-Identical Twins
With a release in 2004, Tudo Novo de Novo was Paulo Corrêa de Araujos (in short: Moska) most recent studio album. The praise about the album here on MúsicaBrasileira ended with my curiosity about the follow up. That album never seemed to be recorded. The waiting was a bit compensated by the release in 2007 of a more than entertaining live version of the album, + Novo de Novo. But now, six years later, Paulinho Moska finally shows up again with a set of two wonderful CDs. During those six years of absence in the recording studio, the artistically multi talented Moska (Rio de Janeiro, 1967) has been doing other things. He had expositions with his series of pictures that he made of his own reflection in shiny (bath)room equipment, the so called auto-retratos that inspired the music on Tudo Novo de Novo. Paulinho travelled around in Latin America and also had his own TV and radio show (Zoombido) in which he talked with some 130 fellow composers and musicians. Highlights of these shows are documented on CD and DVD (Zoombido, 2008). In the meantime he collected ideas for a new record. The album appeared to have two different faces and was therefore released on two discs; non-identical twins, as Moska likes to call them. You can buy them separate but also as a double album, Muito Pouco. The music on the albums is unquestionable Moska. He has his own style which, especially after all the waiting, is great to hear again. Listening to Muito Pouco gives the listener a nice proverbial déjà-vu feeling. On Muito we hear Moska with a full band and on Pouco, he performs in a more intimate, acoustic setting; the two formats he alternately chooses for during his career. The 18 songs gratefully cherish their artistic originality and carry Moskas typical lyrics, often full of puns. Moska refers to his recent compositions as an autobiography of sensations, inspired by his life during the past six years, his wife (actress Larissa Bracher) and his sons Tom (Antônio) and Tim (Valentim). Moska handpicked the accompanying instrumentalists for each track.
The Muito CD is opened by Devagar, Divagar ou de Vagar?, with (among others) Arthur Dutra on vibes and Humberto Barros (organ) and immediately sets the mood. The songs on Muito are tasteful pop songs with varying sentiments, the way we expect from Moska. On the title track Muito Pouco and on Ainda, Moska is accompanied by four of the members from the Bajofondo Tango Club, an Argentinean/Uruguayan collective of composers, singers and artists that performs a blend of acoustic tango and electronic music. With the addition of Kuki Stolarski on drums, the Bajofondo members Luciano Supervielle (piano), Gabriel Casacuberta (bass), violinist Javier Casalla and Martín Ferrés (bandoneon) make the two songs among the absolute highlights on the album. Among the list of almost two dozen of instrumentalists, its good to hear Christiaan Oyens on the drums again on three tracks. Also returning veteran participators on Moskas albums are by Sacha Amback (keys), Dunga (bass), Nilo Romero (bass and guitars) and Marcos Suzano (percussion).
The opener of the Pouco disc, “Semicoisas,” is a song that only Moska can write and performed in a way only Moska can. It brings up a certain sentiment; Paulinho truly enjoys showing his new songs to the audience and he does that in a disarming and amicable way. The following O Tom do Amor, nostalgically echoes the kindness of pop music during the 1970s. American Argentinean composer/ performer Kevin Johansen (Alaska, 1967) shows up with two of his compositions. His work fits perfectly in this album; the relaxed pop songs with partly English, Portuguese and Spanish lyrics even give an international touch to the album.
On Pouco we find three compositions of Moska in partnership with Zélia Duncan. “Sinto Encanto” was previously recorded by Zélia Duncan on her wonderful album Pelo Sabor do Gesto. Não was already on that other great album of Zélia’s, Pré-Pós-Tudo-Bossa-Band. Here the song gets a jazzy touch by the vibraphone of Arthur Dutra. Another fantastic moment is the participation of Chico César on Saudade. The addition of the voice of co-writer Chico César and the beautiful accordion of Cezinha Silveira truly evoke the feeling of saudade! Other guest participations are by singer Maria Gadú and Argentinean Pedro Aznar (internationally known from his work with the Pat Metheny Band; on acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, piano, voice and percussion).
Paulinho Moska is completely back again with this fantastic set of CDs. The discs are accompanied by booklets with lyrics and for each song an illustrative picture, taken by Moska and his wife. One major remark, though The price of the album is for two discs, while the length of the album is only one CD (63 minutes) Muito pouco, if you ask me! But lets forgive Moska, it fits the contrasting concept he had in mind, and most of all, the music is really, really, really good! Although the danger is, of course, that this music maybe doesn’t reach as many people as it should, due to this smell of a commercial money trick… It would have been better if Biscoito Fino had released the CDs as a specially priced double album.
Visit Paulinho Moska at his new website.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Moska
Muito Pouco
Biscoito Fino BF-333
(Muito BF-983, Pouco BF-984) (2010)
Total Time CD 1: 33’38”
Total Time CD 2: 29’53”
Tracks:
All compositions by Moska, except where noted.
Muito
- Devagar, Divagar ou de Vagar?
- Muito Pouco
- Deve Ser o Amor
- Canção Prisão
- Soneto do Teu Corpo (Moska Leoni)
- Ainda
- Pêndulo
- Quantas Vidas Você Tem?
- Antes de Começar
Pouco
- Semicoisas
- O Tom do Amor (Moska – Zélia Duncan)
- Sinto Encanto (Moska – Zélia Duncan)
- Nuvem (Nano Stern – translation Moska)
- Waiting for the Sun to Shine (Moska – Kevin Johansen)
- Provavelmente Você
- Oh My Love, My Love (Kevin Johansen)
- Não (Moska – Zélia Duncan)
- Saudade (Moska – Chico Cesar)
