BEBEL GILBERTO
Bebel Gilberto and Bebel Gilberto (Remixed)
Bebel Gilberto |
Bebel Gilberto Remixed |
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I’ve been hearing that Bebel Gilberto’s
eponymous second CD is a departure from her previous disc,
Tanto Tempo, in that is is simpler, more acoustic,
and less reliant of electronica. Nonsense. Gilberto has
never been overly reliant on the electronic aspect of her
work, but is there on Bebel Gilberto just as it
was on Tanto Tempo, as another flavor. The electronic
loops and flourishes certainly make themselves felt on tracks
like “Aganju” and “River Song.”
True, at times they seem to fade far into the background
while percussion and acoustic guitar take over, but make
no mistake: the current disc is as much a triumph of the
art of the studio as its predecessor.
Which is not to say that Bebel doesn’t
have the goods. In fact, she does have the authority to
perform these songs with only acoustic musicians backing
her and make it stick. But what makes her work so sharp,
so modern even as it evokes the legend of the bossa nova
craze is that first, the songs are good, and second, the
mixture of atmospheric electronic elements and the more
traditional Brazilian bossa musical accompaniment are melded
perfectly, so that each enhances the other without intruding
on it. Listen to the deeply exotic track “Cada Beijo.”
An ambient jungle, full of breathing animals, reptiles,
water, and wind, floats over an undulating electronic bass
line that slithers like a snake. Gilberto is the sumptuous
bruja bringing this brew together to transport
the listener to an aural landscape that takes them completely
out of this world.
When Gilberto strips down the sound, as on
“O Caminho,” she is still perfectly capable
of beguiling the listener. The same can be said of the track
“Winter” with its touch of harmonica and its
gliding electro-beat. Gilberto seemingly found a complimentary
partner in producer Marius de Vries, who has worked with
Madonna, Robbie Robertson, and Annie Lennox. Much of the
sound of Tanto Tempo was crafted by Suba, the talented
Brazilian producer who was killed in a fire in 1999, and
many wondered where Gilberto would find such an inspiring
and sympathetic collaborator. De Vries certainly fills the
bill, offering a lush tropicalia ambience that serves Gilberto’s
original songs well.
For those who enjoy hearing some additional
touches, Bebel Gilberto Remixed is also available,
offering some nice takes by artists like Thievery Corporation
and Spiritual South. Many of these tracks reverse the original
album’s equation, appealing to the hips rather than
the ear and mind. Most of the remixes are pretty enjoyable
in their own right, and demonstrate that the yin and yang
of listening and dancing is a necessary balance. It seems
very likely that most listeners who liked Tanto Tempo
will like Bebel Gilberto as well. That puts Bebel
indisputably at the top of the list of recent Brazilian
exports.
Tanto
Tempo