— Isn’t it wonderful when a Christmas gift lands in your hands in late Spring? Well, that has been the case with these two releases I cover here. They are summer cool as a refreshing glass of lemonade on a hot day or a caipirinha on a balmy evening. I am talking about the new albums by Alberto Rosenblit and Antonio Villeroy, Passeando and Banquete, respectively.
The name Alberto Rosenblit may sound familiar to your ears. We first talked about him in his partnership with Mario Adnet. They released an album together back in 1979, Alberto Rosenblit & Mario Adnet.
Carioca (that’s the moniker used for someone from Rio de Janeiro) composer, pianist, arranger, and producer, Alberto Rosenblit (born October 1954) started his professional musical career in 1970 playing in various groups. He actually received a degree in engineering from PUC-Rio, but it was music, though, his true calling.
His discography includes a number of soundtracks for Brazilian TV novelas and mini-series. In addition to those, some of his noteworthy releases include the 2001 Trilhas Brasileiras, and the 2013 Mata Atlântica.
In Passeando, Rosenblit showcases ten original instrumental tracks as he strolls down impeccable arrangements ranging from waltzes to bossas. The album is dedicated to Brazilian Bossa Nova icon Roberto Menescal. Menescal is, in fact, a guest on “Losinha,” one of the album’s tracks. Along with Mu Carvalho, Rosenblit co-produced Passeando. One interesting side note about the release is the meaningful musical citations Rosenblit uses in several tracks. A careful listener will hear, for example, chords from Baden Powell & Vinícius de Moraes‘ “Samba da Bênção” right on the opener, “Arpoador,” and Tom Jobim‘s “Águas de Março” in the title track. A remarkable and cool recording such as this had to include a top-notch number of musicians. The list is very long but in addition to Rosenblit on piano, other names you will recognize include Mu Carvalho (keyboards), Cristóvão Bastos (piano), Roberto Menescal and Lula Galvão (acoustic guitars), Jorge Helder (basses), and many more.
The music is very intimate and relaxed, as one would expect from Rosenblit’s Bossa Nova roots. “Arpoador” brings you vivid images of that Rio de Janeiro neighborhood. Naturally, when you listen to “Master Donato,” you will clearly hear João Donato in every note and beat. The notion of bringing you the best of Rio is evident in all tracks. This is a delicious and pleasing album to listen to when you are in the mood to relax to Bossa Nova beats.
The second summer cool album I want to briefly comment on here is the new release by Antonio Villeroy. His is a new name on MusicaBrasileira.org. I confess I must have been hiding in a cave — or living in the USA — since I had never heard of him before. Antonio Villeroy, also known as Totonho Villeroy, hails from Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul. He was born in 1961 in São Gabriel (RS). Singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer, Villeroy studied agriculture in college, but he never finished that degree. Music was calling him more strongly. After several years of traveling from Porto Alegre (capital of Rio Grande do Sul) to Rio de Janeiro and Europe, Villeroy now resides in Portugal. He may be new to my ears and our readers, but he is no stranger to Brazilian music. He has been recorded by Ana Carolina, Ivan Lins, Ednardo, Moska, Paula Lima, and Maria Bethânia, among others.
In Banquete, his fourteenth album, Villeroy brings a taste of Europe and the world to the Brazilian musical universe. As part of this album’s release, he will be touring Brazil and many other countries, including confirmed stops in France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, with more shows scheduled for 2024 in Argentina and Uruguay.
Villeroy says that Banquete completes his love trilogy. The two previous albums were the 2016 Gravidade do Amor and the 2020 Luz Acesa. This gives listeners an open door to the types of songs we will hear in the album. Most tracks are duos, and you will have featured guest performers including Brazilians Francis Hime, Gelson Oliveira, and Colombo Cruz, Portuguese Joana Amendoeira, Italians Mafalda Minnozzi and Chiara Civello, French Marie Minet, Spaniard Pedro Guerra, and Venezuelan Georgina. It is truly a world-music album with deep roots in Brazilian music. Besides Brazilian choro, you will hear morna and reggaeton, reflecting the diverse Villeroy musical world and the sixty-two international musicians who participated in this musical banquet. Banquete is Brazilian music inviting the world to participate in our rich musical heritage. Villeroy’s calming vocals are just as beautiful as his music.
You must be logged in to post a comment.