CD of the Day - "Cafuzo"

CD of the Day
Cafuzo: "O Negro Mulato Cafuzo Confuso" (World Village Music) 2009

Distributed in Europe through Harmonia Mundi Ibérica, this collective project was conceived & produced by the Barcelona-based Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Danilo Pinheiro (arrangements, electric bass, electric & acoustic guitars, percussion, music director) and his faithful partner Edi Barceló (lead vocalist and composer of most of the songs, besides having written the liner notes in the 20-page booklet).
They're joined by the voluptuous "mineira" bassist Anna Ly (this time only on vocals), Ed Moreira (drums), Miguel Angel (keyboards), William Azevedo (percussion & congas), Mustapha Bouchou (electric bass), Renato Barcelos (berimbau), Livia Lucas (vocals), Willy Noia (trombone), Hamilton Faria (saxophones), Estaban Matuke (vocals), Anderson Almeida (cavaquinho), Jaime Torne (trumpet), plus Victor Pavia Guardia (programming, arranger) and João Balão (vocals, arranger) on the opening track, "Homenagem A Zumbi de Palmares."
The rich and creative musical content is packaged by the beautiful artwork developed by Pamela Martínez (photography, art director) and Mathilde Benedetto (album design).
Besides the nice bunch of original songs, which includes the hilarious "O Bode", the album also features an excellent remake of "Maior É Deus" (Eduardo Gudin & Paulo Cesar Pinheiro) and, as a surprising closing theme, "Vou Recomeçar," from the early rock 'n' roll days of Roberto Carlos & Erasmo Carlos, a song originally cut by Gal Costa on her debut solo album, recorded in 1968 but only released in 1969.
An excerpt from the CD liner notes:
"This work is dedicated to the memory of Maria Beatriz Nascimento (historian, poet and black activist intellectual) who enabled me to discover the richness of my black, mestizo and Brazilian culture. The cafuzo, of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry, represents the union of two marginalized cultures of colonial society that influenced the religious and artistic manifestations that developed over time into the umbanda, the candomblé, the samba and the capoeira, amongst others. The miscegenation of indigenous, African and European peoples was decisive in forming the multicultural richness that shapes Brazil's identity today. This project is motivated by a desire to affirm the richness of the mestizo peoples and their peaceful conquest of popular culture."