Baiāo De Viramundo - Tribute to Luiz Gonzaga

They Say...

Review by Don Snowden, All Music Guide

Bad oversight in not including any biographical or historical information about Luiz Gonzaga for context here, even if it's likely that only Brazil music-savvy fans are going to be interested in this tribute disc. Gonzaga developed a huge following in the '40s and '50s by popularizing the music traditions of northeastern Brazil, writing and performing a couple of enduring classics in "Baiao" and "Asa Branca." The accordion-driven forro style Gonzaga favored went out of style with the samba, rock, and soul of the '60s, but the tropicalia generation reclaimed his songs as part of the Brazilian pop heritage and restored his popularity in the '70s. With Baiao de Viramundo, it's the new generation's turn to pay homage with a tribute disc largely driven by the Recife renaissance crew currently reimagining and reinventing the regional music of northeast Brazil. The closest to Gonzaga's own sound are the roots revitalization crews (kingpins Mestre Ambrosio, Chao e Chinelo, and Cascabuhlo). The opening "Vozes de Seca" takes Gonzaga into radical jungle/drum'n'bass territory and DJ Dolores puts him in DJ mix culture with techno-ska flavored by machine noise. There are female MPB vocals, whether found with mutant dancefloor beats (Andrea Marquee), minimal percussion accompaniment (Comadre Florzinha), or Euro-cabaret flavor with accordion and almost surf guitar (Stela Campos). Nação Zumbi lets guitarist Jackson Bandeira slip in an underwater Hendrix fluid solo and Sheik Tosado kicks it with hard, edgy riff rock influenced by Chico Science with a drum machine instead of surdo drums. Otto goes from clever mainstream rock mode to percussion break and space bleep keyboard sounds ruled by electronica dub principles, while Mundo Livre S.A. is its usual quirky self with triangles and what sound like programmed tuba bass bleats. João Carlos' multi-tracked cello melodies with Nana Vasconcelos' ambient percussion are just flat-out whacked-out. For most, Baiao de Varaimundo will probably be more about the new generation of Recife artists than Luiz Gonzaga's songs, only because it's hard to tell without knowing the originals these versions are based on. But that's just fine, since Recife has been the great creative incubator for new Brazilian music since the early '90s. This tribute also has great value as an excellent sampler and introduction to both the flagship groups and artists previously undetected on musical radar screens beyond Recife and northeast Brazil.