DO ROMANCE AO GALOPE NORDESTINO

Ok. How to introduce this genre and convince that this album is a masterpiece?

We have to beggin withthe beginning:

In the early seventies, a brazilian writter, Ariano Suassuna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariano_Suassuna) begun an artistic movement: Movimento Armorial. The proposal was, basically, link the northeastern brazilian popular culture, in all aspects, in a cultural movement of self valorization. The cordel literature (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordel_literature), the xylography and the music of the popular "rabeca" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabeca) and fifes. What happened was, in this effort to bring the brazilian roots of popular culture to a solified movement, the musical expression must also be born. Then, several musical groups appear. Among them: QUINTETO ARMORIAL.

The interesting about ther music is that much of it came from europe. Obviously the music is not european anymore, but much of the chords and melodies date back from Portugal Medieval times. You should not be surprised when "Romance da Bela Infanta", remind you some moments of GENTLE GIANT. The title of the album already suggests this (because nothing is random, everything is picked up cautiously), "From romance to the northeastern scamper". Its the movement: from classic and medieval times, to our own cultural background and composition, re-thinking and re-composing music, figures and even the medieval imaginarium. "Repente" is a good reminder of this, "Toada e dobrada de cavalhada" even more. In tracks as "Bela Infanta" e "Excelência" not only the music is oriented in this concept as the title evoque medieval past. The high court in the brazilian "sertão".

I've tried to summarize everythin here, but this is not a easy effort. There are books and articles studying the movement and I probably will read them and came back here to improve this review.

For now, let the music alone speak.

QUINTETO ARMORIAL were a five piece folk band from Brazil playing all acoustic music. It's just so impressive the way these guys play using traditional Brazilian instruments along with flute, guitar and violin. Just a unique sound at times, and Chamber Folk might be the best description of what's going on here. The interplay is mind boggling at times. I'm speculating, but I would imagine some of these songs, if not all were played live and practiced a ton. So when they went into the studio to record this, it was magic. They own these songs.

Released in1974 with traditional Brazilian cover art, this does impress me at times and there's some "wow" factors as well but there's no bass, drums or electricity. It just doesn't seem to matter here. Okay there's a snare drum, a marimbau drum and a zambumba drum and all used like percussion really. The rhythm is created usually by the violin and strummed guitar. I do like the way they layer the music and the way themes are repeated. I did write my usual review describing what I was hearing but there's too many unique sounds with these traditional instruments to know what I'm hearing at times.

Well worth investigating of course, and despite not being into folk, I do like most of this. These guys can play!