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Album Review: Milton Nascimento - Maria Maria / Ultimo Tem (Far Out)
Reviewer: Sanjiv Ahluwalia
Milton Nascimento is a legendary Brazilian singer/songwriter/composer who often verges on genius and is highly revered by
fans of Brazilian music. The traditional folk songs on these two ‘lost’ albums are sung with a buoyancy that contrasts
with their sometimes sad lyrical content. Many of the songs, musically at least, exude that customary Brazilian joy, here
expressed most strongly in a raucous
version of Os Escravos de Jo (a Brazilian dance floor favourite). Another highlight is Santos Catolicos X
Candomble which
has a beautiful stop-start feel to it; chanting Brazilian voices sing to tight percussion before melancholy drifts in with
a wistful turn on guitar. The nature of the material makes even more sense when you discover that the songs were written
for a 1976 ballet; the different paces and emotions of the songs seem to mirror the fluidity of a ballet dancer's movement.
But don’t be fooled into thinking this is highbrow stuff; it’s not. Brazilophiles get the definitive and original versions
of some Milton Nascimento recordings (most of the well known material was later re-recorded for subsequent albums). The
albums also thankfully steer well away from Nascimento’s dodgy rock fusion period. Maria Maria, the first of the two CDs
would be a very worthy purchase in its own right but Ultimo Tem is on another
musical plane. The latter, which was recorded in 1980 by a reunion of the musicians from the Maria Maria ballet, has many
songs equal to the classic recording of Para Lennon Y McCartney (not on these albums), and some even better. Take, for
example, Povo de Raca Brasil, with its gradual increase in tempo and infectious vocals that lead into a wonderful vocal
sparring match between Milton and others. Or Decreto, which races at you like a welcome cool breeze on a humid day,
enveloping you for a blissful two and a half minutes. Another, Richo Homem, is an audio wonder of the world; a simple
execution of the most harmonious vocals wrapped deliciously around some sharply executed piano, percussion and guitar -
even the handclaps make beautiful sense.
With Brazil’s love of music and passion for football in mind, one could say that Ultimo Tem has the grace of Thierry
Henry, the fluidity of Ronaldo, and the magic and lurking aggression of Zinedine Zidane. It is without doubt one of the
best ever Brazilian albums, and you get the very good Maria Maria as a bonus. Buy them, unwrap their treasures and feel an
incredible buzz for at least a week.
RELATED LINKS:
Far Out Recordings
Buy Maria Maria / Ultimo Tem at Amazon
UK
(CD)
RELEASE DATE: Monday 3 May 2004
PUBLISHED: Monday 3 May 2004
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::: RELATED LINKS
Far Out Recordings
Buy Maria Maria / Ultimo Tem at Amazon
UK
(CD)
More Reviews
|
