Luis Vagner "Luis Vagner" (Copacabana, 1976)
Well look, I know on an intellectual level that this is pretty bad music... As the album opens, guitarist Luis Vagner, known for his studio work with various artists, zonks his way through a sometimes-slick, sometimes-spaced out set of goopy, loosey-goosey soft rock, adding some of the most generic, unmoving electric guitar licks you'll ever hear... There's also a slight sheen of the disco production sound of the day, making this album sound something like the lost lovechild of Barry Manilow and Stevie Vai. It's very dorky, but somehow very heartfelt and sincere. Vagner seems so earnest about what he's doing, it's hard not to find yourself rooting for him on some level. Then, a little deeper into the album, something clicks into place and the disc gains some substance. On "Corcoveia," the fourth track, some Brazilian-ness asserts itself, and the album loosens up and gets kinda funky. The good vibes aren't sustained long, but this disc does have its moments. I guess I'd have to classify this as (ulp!) a sort of a guilty pleasure.
Luis Vagner "Swingante" (Paradoxx, 2004)
Luis Vagner "Brasil Afro Surrealista" (Obi Music, 2006)
Alceu Valenca - see artist discography
Marcos Valle - see artist discography
Geraldo Vandre - see artist discography
Vanusa "20 Super Sucessos" (Sony, 1999)
Negligible latter-day re-recordings of old jovem guarda teen-rock hits from the 1960s. These versions are musically solid and professional sounding, but what's the point, really? The appeal of the originals was Vanusa's youth and perkiness, as well as the inherent dorkiness of the ie-ie-ie scene; hearing a more mature woman sing them, with modernized pop-rock arrangements, kind of defeats the purpose. Look for the originals, instead.
Paulo Vanzolini "Por Ele Mesmo" (Eldorado , 1979)
A sweet acoustic set by Sao Paulo samba composer Paulo Vanzolini, a compatriot of Elton Medeiros, Paulinho Nogueira, Toquinho and others, and whose work was popular throughout the 1960s and '70s... This album opens a little on the sugary, lush side, but soon settles into a reserved, classy sound. Although there are several tribute albums from various sources, this is apparently the only album that Vanzolini released under his own name. Nice stuff!
Renato Vargas "O Som Do Barzinho" (Philips, 1998)
I'm sure Vargas is a bit of a lesser light in the novo bossa nova scene, but this live acoustic album, where he leads a singalong chorus through some of the best-beloved tunes in the Brazilian canon, is pretty darn nice. Not innovative, but beautiful. Here's his website.
Renato Vargas "O Som Do Barzinho, v.2" (Universal/Deck Disc, 1998)
Renato Vargas "O Som Do Barzinho, v.3" (Universal/Deck Disc, 1998)
Renato Vargas "O Som Do Barzinho, v.4" (Universal/Deck Disc, 2000)
(Produced by Joao Augusto & Pepe)
Another nice, thoroughly enjoyable volume in this curious series of singalong MPB albums. Vargas sings classics by Joao Bosco, Chico Buarque, Paulinho Da Viola, Tom Jobim and others, and the audience cheerfully sings along. Brazilian karaoke is, apparently, a participatory live event... Be kinda fun to go to one of these shows!
Renato Vargas "O Som Do Barzinho, v.5" (Universal/Deck Disc, 2000)
(Produced by Joao Augusto & Pepe)
I'm starting to really like these records... they're kinda silly, but they're fun!
Andre Vasconcellos "Observatorio" (Visom, 2004)
Nana Vasconcelos - see artist discography
Veiga & Salazar "Original" (ST2/Trama, 2000)
Poppy, bouncy hip-hop from Sao Paulo, featuring sharp turntabulism, decent beats and live, funky saxophone. These guys have flow, although I admit I found my attention wandering midway through the album... Andres Salazar's sax work is a little weak in places; not bad, just not as soulful as it might have been, although his Spanish-language rapping easily matches Gustavo Veiga's Portuguese tounge-twisting toasting talents. Keep in mind, these kids are pretty young, and this is a pretty strong debut. Worth checking out if you're into the whole global hip-hop trip.
Veiga & Salazar "Os Bridoes De Ouro" (Atracao, 2003)
Veiga & Salazar "Ontem Ja Era" (ST2/Trama, 2004)
Veiga & Salazar "Original" (2007)
Jorge Veiga "O Caricaturista Do Samba" (RCA/BMG, 1971)
Old-school samba with a topical/comical bent. Although this was recorded at the height of the tropicalia era, the style is a throwback to the perky samba-cancao of 1930s stars such as Cyro Monteiro and Moreira da Silva. Nice stuff, although not dazzlingly unique. Includes the '60s anthem, "Brigite Bardot," written in honor of the great French sex symbol.
Jorge Veiga "Serie Raizes Do Samba" (EMI, 1999)
Jorge Veiga "O Melhor De Jorge Veiga" (Movieplay, 2005)
Velha Guarda Da Portela "Homanagem Ao Paulo Da Portela" (Nikita Music, 1989/2000)
(Produced by Katsunori Tanaka & Henrique Cazes)
The old-timers of the Portela samba school, circa 1989, band together for a tribute to songwriter Paulo Benjamin De Oliveira, who was one of the key samba cancao composers of the 1920s and '30s. This set is pleasant enough, though perhaps a bit perfunctory -- cavaquinho, percussion, a buoyant vocal chorus, all the hallmarks of the acoustic samba style, though performed with a little less magic and mystery than, say, the Tudo Azul album, listed below. It's still pretty swell, though: Monarco, Argemiro and Henrique Cazes are among the musicians featured here.
Velha Guarda Da Portela "Tudo Azul" (Phonomotor, 2000)
An absolutely gorgeous acoustic samba album. Relaxed, lyrical, affectionate takes on old samba cancao themes, featuring various members of the Portela samba school, including several influental old-timers. This disc was bankrolled by Marisa Monte, whose dad was an escola member in the '60s and who is now one of the escola's younger members... A beautiful album, frequently and deservedly compared to the Cuban Buena Vista Social Club... HIGHLY recommended!
Os Velhinhos Transviados "Na Brasa Viva" (RCA Victor, 1966)
Instrumental pop from a studio band that was apparently led by legendary session guitarist Ze Menezes... Most of these tracks are lively but undistinctive covers of non-Brazilian rock and pop hits, stuff like "What's New Pussycat" and "A Taste Of Honey," as well as contemporary hits by the Beatles and the Stones. There are a few Brazilian-minted songs as well, but rather than the band giving the Northern rock songs a Brazilian twist, they instead compacted the Brazilian songs into a kitschy American-style template. Apparently the band's name translates to something roughly like "the old weirdos," though, sadly, they aren't really all that weird on this particular album.
Caetano Veloso - see artist discography
Moreno Veloso +2 "Maquina De Escever/Music Typewriter" (Natasha/Hannibal, 2001)
First things first: Moreno Veloso does bear a striking vocal and stylistic likeness to his father, the patron saint of tropicalia. Playing ping-pong balls and toy pianos on some tracks, Moreno shows a playful, adventurous streak that is also very similar, although the younger Veloso brings a subtle modernism to bear on these recordings, using electronica production with perhaps greater panache than his well-known dad. In this regard he's closer in creative temprament to art-rocker Arto Lindsay than to Caetano, who in the past has let the glitziness of new technology get the better of him. Accompanied on a few tracks by bossa progeny Daniel Jobim, and on others by his pals Kassin and Domenico ("+2"), Moreno casts his net softly, recalling his father's calmest albums from the mid-1970s. With production assist by Chico Neves, one of the most prominent alternative rockers in Brazil, Veloso creates the kind of "world music" that isn't meant to be pumped out of the speakers at the local Starbuck's -- instead, it should be savored slowly at home. (See also: Domenico +2.)
Moreno Veloso +2/Various Artists "Maquina De Escever: Musica Remix" (Natasha, 2001)
The original Typewriter album was so perfectly sculpted and richly rewarding, and already incorporated so many of the tonal concepts of modern electronica that a remix album seems on the face of it to be a rather superfluous and dubious venture. Then again, you never know. Well, the first couple of tracks are clearly disappointing -- simplistic, note-by-note, stuttering chop-ups of "Enquanto Isso" and "Sertao," tracks that seems like mere masturbatory technical exercises (at least to my untrained ears...) Yeah, sure, you can do that in a studio, but what's the point? Sometimes song deconstructions can take on a life of their own and offer radical, eye-opening reinterpretations of the original music; I really don't think this was one of those great events. However, on the second half of the disc some subtlety slips in, several later tracks have a honied, sensual appeal to them, and a couple even sound completely unlike the source material. No one needs to frantically rush out and track down this album -- I think the +2ers really said all that needed to be said on the original record, and they said it quite well -- but there are some nice moments and a few pleasant surprises, and those of an ambient-electronic inclination will probably enjoy this disc just fine.
Flavio Venturini "Meus Momentos" (EMI, 1994)
Simply awful, synthesizer-drenched sorta-rock, framing the whiny vocals of former Bis 14 bandeader Flavio Venturini. He may have been a key player in Brazil's early New Wave scene, but this best-of collection did not leave me looking for more of his music... It's similar in some ways to the spacy ramblings of Lo Borges, but with less oddball appeal. It's just plain bad.
Flavio Venturini "Serie Bis" (EMI, 2000)
2-CD set.
Flavio Venturini "The Essential Flavio Venturini" (EMI, 2004)
Flavio Venturini "Para Sempre" (EMI, 2006)
Flavio Venturini "Identidade" (EMI, 2007)
Arthur Verocai "Arthur Verocai" (Luv N Haight, 1972)
Arthur Verocai "Saudades Demais" (Rice, 2005)
Arthur Verocai "Encore" (Far Out, 2007)
Geraldo Vespar "Take 5" (Polydor, 1964)
(Produced by Joao Mello; arranged by Maestro Gaya)
Geraldo Vespar "Samba Nova Geracao" (Odeon, 1965)
Geraldo Vespar "Eu E O Violao" (Parlophone, 1968)
Skillful yet sugary guitar showpieces from picker (and erstwhile MPB producer) Geraldo Vespar... He's very talented, although this album is a little too slick and syrupy around the edges. Basically a solo guitar album, although there is light accompaniment on many tracks. Mostly first- and second-wave bossa standards by Chico Buarque, Tom Jobim, Marcos Valle, et. al. It's also interesting to hear small bluesy leads on some of the tracks, with bent notes and blues scales that are (or were) uncommon in Brazilian pop. A tune or two (like "Lapinha") are more vigorous than the others; his version of Jobim's "Corcovado" is also nice.
Marcelo Vianna "Teu Nome, Pixinguinha" (Biscoito Fino, 2002)
An unusual update on the music of choro pioneer Pixinguinha... The old master's spritely instrumental tunes are given new lyrics, written by the likes of Gastao Vianna, Paulo Cesar Pinheiro and Vinicius De Moraes; some of the lyrics are of an earlier vintage, collaborations between Pixinguinha and contemporaries like Joao de Barro and Cicero de Almeida. Youthful vocalist Vianna approaches collection of tunes through the filter of slick, modern MPB, turning the old bouncy choroes into ornate pop ballads. Some tracks retain the upbeat feel of the originals, but others are much slower and more reflective. Definitely a different take on this old material, but fans along both sides of the spectrum will probably be won over by this disc.
Marcelo Vianna "Cai Dentro" (Lua, 2007)
Noriel Vilela "Eis O Ome" (Copacabana, 1968)
Claudia Villela "Supernova: Brazilian Jazz" (Jazzheads, 1998)
Claudia Villela & Ricardo Peixoto "Inverse Universe" (Adventure Music, 2003)
Vocalist Claudia Villela scats and croons her way through a fine set of glossy, '70s-fusion tinged tunes, very reminiscent of Flora Purim's work with Airto Moreira and their modern jazz clique. Multi-instrumentalist Ricardo Peixoto guides an able, retro-oriented band. Jazz elder Toots Thielemans plays his harmonica on a couple of tunes, lending an air of utter authenticity to the proceedings. This style isn't for everyone (I'm not fond of it), although the musicianship is of a high calibre; Villela is most striking on more focused, conventional melodies, although her uptempo scatting produces several dazzling passages, with lightning-fast phrasing that puts her at the top of the game. Several tunes are a bit meandering and tinny, but others have real lyrical depth. Fans of old-school fusion will be dazzled to hear the music alive and well in the new century; other listeners may want to tread more lightly. (For more information on these San Francisco-based Brazilian expatriates, check out their websites,
www.claudiavillela.com and www.ricardopeixoto.com.)
Claudia Villela & Kenny Werner "Dreamtales" (Adventure Music, 2004)
A strong set of rather challenging jazz vocal-piano duets, suffused with varying degrees of Brazilian-ness. It's a remarkably uncommercial set, with Brazilian expatriate going through some wide-ranging, wildly dynamic vocal explorations... It's certainly not for everyone, but for those who like their jazz hard, I imagine this is a set worth checking out.
Vinicius (de Moraes) - see artist discography
Os Vips "Os Vips" (Continental, 1965)
Os Vips "Os Vips" (Continental, 1966)
Os Vips "Os Vips" (Continental, 1967)
Vitto "Ritual Carioca" (Erato Detour, 2000)
Vitto Meirelles' homage to Brazilian classical composer Heitor Villa-Lobos features sleek modern pop, modeled after the styles of Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil... A little cluttered and manic, but not icky. Worth checking out.
Vitto Meirelles "Da Fonte" (Nocturne, 2005)
Viva Voz "Viva Voz" (EMI-Odeon, 1979)
(Arrangements by Oscar Castro-Neves)
Old-school traditional samba, given an spiffy, ultra-modern update. Viva Voz were a short-lived vocal group with a remarkably bright sound -- high, airy, with tight six-part harmonies and tinny orchestrations that accentuated their high pitch. It's a really distinctive, if irritating, sonic mix -- stylistically, I suppose you could peg this as the Brazilian samba equivalent of what Manhattan Transfer had done for American swing. There are a ton of high-level Brazilian jazz players guest-starring on here -- Antonio Adolfo, Djavan, Ivan Lins, Joyce, Wagner Tiso and others -- with Oscar Castro Neves providing arrangements, along with the group's leader, Ary Sperling. This album probably isn't for everyone, but there is something oddly compelling about it, at least when taken in small doses
Ronnie Von "Ronnie Von" (Polydor, 1966)
Ronnie Von "Ronnie Von" (Polydor, 1967)
Ronnie Von "Ronnie Von, No. 3" (Polydor, 1967)
Ronnie Von "Ronnie Von" (Polydor/Discos Mariposas, 1969/2006)
A goofy set of jovem guarda rock, gone sorta-psychedelic... There are those who will try and convince you that this is a lost acid-rock gem, really it's more like Herman's Hermits or Sonny Bono trying to keep up with the Beatles. Von worked with powerhouse backing bands, including Os Mutantes, folks who could play really wild electric freakout riffs, and this disc is peppered with psychedelic motifs, ranging from fuzzy guitars, spoken word interludes and plucked piano strings run through an echo chamber... But it's all completely derivative and without any internal, inherent creative spark, just a different kind of teensploitation album from his earlier albums. Indeed, the most fun stuff on the 2006 CD reissue is the handful of a half-dozen bonus tracks from '67, where he's still doing Portuguese-language covers of pop songs such as "Winchester Cathedral" and "If I Were A Carpenter..." The contrast with the would-be freakbeat stuff is interesting, and the songs are actually kinda fun. This is worth checking out, but only as a historical curio, not as a tropicalia Holy Grail.
Ronnie Von "A Misteriosa Luta Do Reino De Parassempre Contra O Imperio De Nuncamais" (Polydor, 1969)
Ronnie Von "Minha Maquina Voadora" (Polydor, 1970)
Ronnie Von "Grandes Sucessos" (BMG, 2000)
Yeesh. Rocker and TV personality Ronnie Von cut a moderate swath into the "jovem guarda" teenie-bopper pop scene of the 1960s, but this disc is a tepid set of his florid soft-pop recordings from 1977-78, full of overripe string arrangements, muskrat-loveish keyboards and ill-advised saxophone fills... Oh, and of course, some declarative, romantic, cheesoid vocals, too. It's pretty torturous and yucky. You can skip this and not miss much.
Andy Votel/Various Artists "Brazilika" (Far Out, 2008)
Vox Populi "Vox Populi" (Musidisc, 1969)
Cool stuff! Swinging samba-pop, very much in the same mode as Sergio Mendes and his various bands. And the connection isn't just stylistic: Vox Populi's female singer Gracinho Leporace, who used to be in Grupo Manifesto, later married Mendes, and lived with him in the States. This is bouncy, giddy, goofy, and pretty enjoyable pop, with big, bright vocal choruses and sweeping, lush melodies. Loungecore and MPB fans alike should enjoy this album. [Reissued on the Whatmusic label.]
(Conjunto) A Voz Do Morro "Os Sambistas" (RGE, 1966)
Holy. Cow. If you want to talk about Brazilian music rosetta stones, check this one out. An early samba revival group featuring Jair Do Cavaquinho, Ze Keti, Elton Medeiros, Nelson Sargento and an up-and-coming Paulinho Da Viola, along with the lesser-known Anescar, Oscar Bigode and Jose Cruz... It's a ton of talent in a tightly focussed, thoroughly joyful acoustic samba set with songs sung in praise of the samba schools and slums, with bright, melodic arrangements and a richer sonic texture than many albums of similar vintage. Moreover, it's a ringing proclamation heralding the entry of Da Viola into the Brazilian pop scene... the stuff that history is made of! Snap this up if you get a chance.
