Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Vocal CD Reissue of the Month - "Maria de Fátima Fattoruso: Bahia Com H"

Vocal CD Reissue of the Month
Maria de Fátima Fattoruso: "Bahia Com H" (Sondor/Think! Records THCD-420) 1981/2017

Rating: **** (musical performance & sonic quality) 

Featuring: Maria de Fátima (vocals, Ovation guitar), Hugo Fattoruso (piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Arp Odyssey and Arp Quadra synthesizers, arrangements, vocals), Osvaldo Fattoruso aka George Fattoruso (drums), Eduardo Marquez (electric bass), Pippo Spera and Marcos Szpiro (guitar), Chango Castro, Jorge Graf, Roberto Galletti (percussion) etc.

One of Brazil's best kept secrets, Maria de Fátima Fattoruso lived in Los Angeles during the second half of the 70s, having worked and recorded with Manolo Badrena, Jon Lucien, Airto Moreira, Milton Nascimento and many others. She married keyboard wiz Hugo Fattoruso (founder of the legendary OPA trio) and traveled with him to Uruguay to record this album in 1981 for the Sondor label. Soon after, both relocated to Brazil and became a fixture of Rio de Janeiro's busy studio scene; Hugo joined bands led by Djavan, Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Marcio Montarroyos and Geraldo Azevedo, while Maria kept working as backing vocalist on albums by Milton, Gilberto Gil, Arthur Verocai and Dom Um Romão.

This is the second CD release of "Bahia Com H," but the first one with a paper sleeve Mini-LP gatefold cover. The musical content is magical, including many intriguing original songs by Maria and beautiful renditions of Jards Macalé/Capinam's "Movimento dos Barcos" (maybe the album highlight), Milton Nascimento/Ronaldo Bastos' "Três Pontas" and two songs that had been rediscovered one year earlier by João Gilberto on his "Brasil" album: Dennis Brian's title track "Bahia Com H" (graced by gorgeous synthesized strings in a fabulous arrangement) and Ary Barroso's "O Tabuleiro da Baiana," sung in duet with Hugo (Gilberto had recorded it in duo with Maria Bethania.)

There are also funkyfied versions of Gilberto Gil's "Toda Menina Baiana" and Gil/Caetano Veloso's "São João Xangô Menino," the track chosen by Sondor to be released as a single back in '81, with "No Tabuleiro da Baiana" on Side B. Thirty six years later, it remains a timeless album, and its charm is intact. Sadly, it has never been released in Brazil neither in the USA.

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ブラジル音楽の大家Arthur Verocai、Gilberto Gilの作品への参加や ウルグアイ音楽史に大いなる足跡を残すバンド、Barcarola、OPAでの活動で知られるブラジル人女性シンガー“Maria de Fatima”唯一のソロ・アルバムが初の紙ジャケットCD化。中古レコード市場で常に高額で取引される本作品は、公私を共にしたHugo Fattorusoとの共作を含めたオリジナル3曲、Ary Barroso、Caetano Veloso、親交の深いGilberto Gil、Milton Nascimentoらのカヴァー6曲、全9曲で構成。先述の当時夫であったHugo Fattorusoを中心にウルグアイ名うてのミュージシャンに囲まれ残した、81年発表ブラジリアン美しき傑作。

◆解説:ケペル木村(Música LocoMundo)
◆原盤:Sondor 1981年
◆オリジナルを忠実に再現したセミダブル紙ジャケット 
メーカー・インフォメーションより)

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