(I did not post the column yesterday so as not to distract readers and myself from the recent developments in the Synthese affair. But I take it that a bit of music now won’t hurt, or so I hope...)
In my late teens and early twenties, my very favorite singer was without a doubt Djavan. I played his records incessantly, and went to every single one of his concerts in São Paulo (which luckily happened quite often). I guess I would have qualified as a groupie at that point… Djavan started his career in the 1970s, when he left home, the small state of Alagoas in the north-east, to try his luck in Rio de Janeiro; his very first record (1976) is a real gem, with the classics ‘Flor de Lis’ and ‘Fato Consumado’, among others. He has never been as influential as the singers of the previous generation (Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque etc.), but he’s been a constant and highly respected presence in the Brazilian scene since (also having booked some huge hits at music charts, ‘Oceano’ in particular, which I actually don’t like much). He’s an autodidact musician, but his sophisticated compositions and the complexity of his arrangements are impressive. He has been through different phases, including some overly popish records in the 1980s which aren’t that memorable. His best records are those where he leans more heavily towards his jazz penchant; I very much like Novena (1994) in particular. I haven’t been following his career much since his Bicho Solto album of 1998, but the latter features a particularly cool song, ‘Te devoro’.
One of his most successful records is Luz (1982), and the song I will post here is taken from this album, ‘Samurai’. As an ex-groupie, it is very hard for me to choose just one song by Djavan, and ‘Samurai’ is probably not even in my Top 5 of his songs; but it illustrates particularly well Djavan’s characteristic style. The rhythm, Djavan’s hallmark, is a mix of jazz and funky soul, but with a distinctive Brazilian feel to it (while not being any of the traditional Brazilian rhythms either). This song has the added bonus of Stevie Wonder playing the harmonica, and the overall effect is brilliant. Enjoy!
Recent Comments