Samba in Review
The Dicionário Cravo Albin da Música Popular Brasileira defines “teatro de revista” as
Gênero de teatro musicado surgido no Rio de Janeiro na segunda metade do século XIX. […] Tinha como característica passar em revista os principais acontecimentos do ano, pondo em cena os fatos, revividos com humor e com o recurso da dança e da música.
Musical theatre genre that appeared in Rio de Janeiro in the second half of the nineteenth century. […] It was characterized by a review of the main occurrences in a given year via a theatrical presentation of those facts, always with a dose of humor, dance and music.
That sums up Revista do Samba. The trio chose one of Brazil’s most significant genres, the samba, as the focus of its self-titled CD. After careful research, the trio, comprised of Beto Bianchi (acoustic guitar, voice), Letícia Coura (cavaquinho, voice) and Vítor da Trindade (percussion, voice), selected 15 sambas covering different eras in Brazilian music: from 1917, with Donga and Mauro de Almeida’s historical “Pelo Telefone” (the first samba ever recorded in Brazil) to 1960, with Cartola and Elton Medeiros’s “O Sol Nascerá.” A true who’s-who in Brazilian samba history, the songwriters in this release also include Assis Valente, Noel Rosa, Ataulfo Alves and Adoniran Barbosa. 
The opening vignette, Noel Rosa’s “Coisas Nossas,” sets the stage for some unforgettable samba performances. Without trying to change the original tunes or update these excellent sambas, Revista do Samba delivers each track with remarkable competence and captivating vivacity. They sing these songs with gusto, and by doing so, they allow new generations to experience some of the best there is in the Brazilian music repertoire. While most tunes are vibrant, when the trio slows down for Monsueto Menezes and Ayrton Amorim’s “Me Deixa em Paz,” Coura’s voice appears lazy and languid, but it is only her way of expressing the frustration and anger in the lyrics. Zé Kéti’s “A Voz do Morro” is exuberant in its very percussive arrangement, with the addition of repinique, caixa, surdo, atabaque and other typical samba instruments. In the best tradition of teatro de revista, the arrangement for Amado Régis’s “O Samba e o Tango” will likely make you chuckle when Coura’s sings about the tango.
Though the album does not follow a chronological order in the performance of the songs, it is interesting to hear how well these tunes blend together as if in a medley. That is especially true with “A Voz do Morro” (from 1956) and “Leva Meu Samba” (from 1941).
Liner notes contain photos and all lyrics, including guitar chords. Revista do Samba not only performs classic sambas with impeccable precision, but they also make you feel you are stepping back in time with each song they sing. Teatro de revista comes alive again with this excellent album.
More about Revista do Samba, including song samples, can be found at their web site.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Revista do Samba
Revista do Samba
Traumton 4460 (2002)
Time: 43’51”
Tracks:
- Vinheta: Coisas Nossas (Noel Rosa)
- Lata d’Água (Luís Antonio – J. Júnior)
- Atire a Primeira Pedra (Ataulfo Alves – Mário Lago)
- Me Deixa em Paz (Monsueto Menezes – Ayrton Amorim)
- De Conversa em Conversa (Lúcio Alves – Haroldo Barbosa)
- A Voz do Morro (Zé Kéti)
- Leva Meu Samba (Ataulfo Alves)
- Pelo Telefone (Donga – Mauro de Almeida)
- Por Causa de Você, Yoyô (Assis Valente)
- O Sol Nascerá (Cartola – Elton Medeiros)
- O Samba e o Tango (Amado Régis)
- Tic-Tac do Meu Coração (Alcyr Pires Vermelho – Walfredo Silva)
- Não Vou Pra Casa (Antonio Almeira – Roberto Roberti)
- Apaga o Fogo Mané (Adoniran Barbosa)
- Três Apitos (Noel Rosa)
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