— What a terrific start to the year! Not one but two noteworthy samba albums appeared on all streaming platforms at the start of 2022. Is this going to be the year of the Samba? Well, read on. If this is any indication, we are in for great music in the following months.
Before January closed, Marcos Sacramento released a brand new album, Caminho para o Samba. As the album title itself hints, Sacramento gives his own path to samba, a genre he is well acquainted with and an expert in. With fourteen original songs written by Sacramento with lyrics by Portuguese poet Tiago Torres da Silva, Caminho para o Samba takes us on a notable samba journey.
Caminho para o Samba has a singular lyrical quality unlike other samba albums. It opens with “Amor,” a vignette that appears throughout the album four times. At first, Sacramento is the soloist. Then in the second vignette, Joana Amendoeira is the guest soloist. The third vignette brings Áurea Martins, and in closing the album, the last vignette features the poet Tiago Torres da Silva himself in his very first recording. The title track, “Caminho para o Samba,” is an excellent example of how samba and poetry co-exist in perfect harmony. Although a lively rhythm, samba can also be a true expression of sadness. Take a look at these verses:
| “Tem dias que a tristeza é o caminho para o samba Tem dias que a saudade se transforma em melodia E quando isso acontece sete dias por semana Até a solidão ganha um sabor de boemia.” | “There are days when sadness is the way to samba There are days when nostalgia turns into a melody And when that happens seven days a week Even loneliness takes on a bohemian flavor.” |
Those verses sum up the beauty of this outstanding release. Sadness and nostalgia turn into music and samba. The album even includes a song in homage to Simone (Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira). In that song, “Em Forma de Canção,” Sacramento sings that when he “dreams this samba, he hears the Cicada sing.” Cicada (Cigarra, in Portuguese) is how Simone is known in the Brazilian musical world. That song closes with Simone echoing the verses that gave her that nickname.
Sacramento is in excellent form in his vocal performances here. They remind me of his unforgettable rendition of “Canto das Três Raças” in his 1994 A Modernidade da Tradição. He brings life to these songs and a whole lot of genuine emotion in all tracks. When he reaches high notes, his voice soars in glorious vocal prowess. It is pure vocal beauty.
The second samba album that is getting constant play wherever and whenever I am listening to Brazilian music these days is Desengaiola (in English, Set Free or Uncage). The album features four superb samba songwriters and singers in their own right, and when combined in a quartet as it is in Desengaiola, there is absolutely no stopping these four friends. They are Alfredo Del-Penho, João Cavalcanti, Moyseis Marques, and Pedro Miranda, who were also in charge of the artistic direction and arrangements. If their names look familiar to you, it is because they were guests in João Bosco‘s Abricó-de-Macaco, reviewed here in MB previously, as well as in other releases with Mario Adnet and several other Brazilian albums. Here in this release, they simply use their first names on the album cover and song credits. Typically Brazilian, I’d say!
Is it too soon to say this album will be on my shortlist of best for 2022? Don’t be surprised. These guys are simply phenomenal. The album, released in mid-January, features eighteen songs penned mostly by the performers themselves. The “outside” writers could not have been any better. You have Joyce Moreno‘s “Puro Ouro,” the classic Herbert Vianna/Bi Ribeiro/João Barone’s “Alagados,” as well as three other tracks they co-wrote with Cristóvão Bastos, Teresa Cristina, and Chico César. All four artists, Alfredo, João, Moyseis, and Pedro, sing in all tracks and perform a variety of instruments. Alfredo Del-Penho is on the 7-string guitar, cavaquinho, and flute. João Cavalcanti plays an assortment of percussion instruments, including the tamborim, tantan, zabumba, whistle tantan, tanzá, and ganzá. Moyseis Marques is on acoustic guitar, cavaquinho, and berimbau. Pedro Miranda is on pandeiro, tamborim, matchbox, and pocket ganzá. The instrumentation is simple and direct. The music and performances are the best I’ve heard in a long while.
Song after song, you will hear praises for strong friendships, just as what exists among the artists themselves. In “Luz do Meu Terreiro,” for example, you just need to hear these verses:
| “Tua generosidade é o berço da melodia Fortalece a amizade Acontece a parceria” | “Your generosity is the cradle of melody Strengthens friendship Partnership happens” |
That is how these musicians relate to one another. The music also has references to who and what is best in Brazilian music. Some lyrics will refer to some of Brazil’s greatest samba composers and singers, including Chico Buarque, Paulo César Pinheiro, Aldir Blanc, Paulinho da Viola, the poetinha Vinícius de Moraes (he was affectionately known in Brazil as Little Poet), Araci de Almeida, Clementina de Jesus, Rosa de Ouro, Nelson Sargento, Noel Rosa, and others. The title track, “Desengaiola,” is another masterful song with words comparing a free bird with free inspiration. The song says:
| “Deixa o seu coração te levar, decolar Desengaiola a inspiração Que como o passarin’, seu doutor Tem que ser livre pra poder voar” | “Let your heart take you, take off Set free the inspiration Like a lil’ bird, doctor It has to be free to be able to fly” |
The album, though mostly samba, also has some forró music. Whatever the genre, though, everything is impeccably well performed and arranged. The album takes flight and soars beautifully. It is captivating music, and at times quite infectious. I found myself dancing to the beat around my living room when listening to several tracks.
As if the album and performances by themselves were not enough to enjoy this catchy music — are you ready for it? — there is also a free “visual album” on YouTube. Yes, all eighteen tracks are there just like the regular audio album along with all credits for each track. One special treat of seeing these artists performing their music is the fact that you can see how they enjoy doing it and how they relate to one another. The way they look at one another is special. The video (a little over an hour) was filmed in October 2020 in Paty do Alferes (Rio de Janeiro) and was directed by Pedro Luís with João Cavalcanti. When you see the video — and you should not miss it! — you will immerse yourself in a stunning samba album and breathtaking location.
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