Description

2LP Vinyl – FARO215DLP

Maria Maria is a saga about the legacy of slavery in Brazil, first performed in 1976, a few years after Nascimento’s breakthrough disc Clube da Esquina. The title song is structured as a classic folk tune, with Nascimento leading rich vocal harmonies over the guitar of Toninho Horta, one of the many young musicians on the two soundtracks who would go on to be national stars. (Others include percussionist Naná Vasconcelos and saxophonist Paulo Moura.) But the persistently gentle backdrop is soon overrun by the depiction of Brazil’s harrowing history, as anguished voices sob over the sound of whips on skin, simulated with an unamplified dullness that provides “Trabalhos” and “Lilia” with raw emotional power. This leads into “A Chamada,” which thrives on the tension between beatific vocals and the heated cries and tumult of jungle birds and African percussion. Like a handful of songs on both ballets, “A Chamada” became part of Nascimento’s repertoire.