Nana Vasconcelos - Saudades (1979)

O Berimbau
Vozes
Ondas
Cego Aderaldo
Dado.


Nana Vasconcelos - berimbau, percussion, voice, gongs
Egberto Gismonti - guitar
Members of Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart
Mladen Gutesha - conductor.

By Cpierola

I have full respect for those who think that the only enjoyable pleasures are the love-at-first-sight ones. But I don't agree. When I bought this CD some years ago, the shop's host warned me that this was a great one but also a tough one.
Since then, each time I listen to it I discover new sounds and I improve my ability to be impressed again and again. These pieces are always a mystery but at the same time are so primarily human that you can't avoid finding links on the intellectual and physical levels.
The brilliant percussion leads you to a catharsis. The litany of the fantastic berimbau is overwhelming. The voice is tranformed into an instrument through emerging whispers and wild screaming. You can find a mix of the most rustic, almost tribal sounds blended with an academic chords section.
One advice: Listen to this music alone on a peaceful atmosphere. Otherwise you are wasting time.