CLARA CROCODILO

3.5 stars. I was listening to this today and thought I'd offer up some thoughts on this one. I spent a week with this back in the spring 2020. Arrigo Barnabe is an actor, composer and musician who released this his debut back in 1980. This album is very much a protest album against the military regime in his home county of Brazil at the time. The focus is on the lyrics for the most part as we get Arrigo and a couple of female vocalist trading off words throughout.

Very much Zappa inspired it feels like, but surely Hermeto Pascoal who is the main man when it comes to avant in Brazil inspired him more than anyone. Especially with the horns and that jazz vibe. We get around 18 artists involved in the making of this album. And unfortunately with everything sung in Portuguese I'm missing out. Arrigo's vocals are pretty much spoken and are rough and theatrical, I'm not into them at all. These are contrasted with mainly soprano female vocals. A fairly rhythmic album(hey it's Brazil) with plenty of horns leading the way along with the vocals of course.

Top three tracks for me include the back to back "Orgasmo Total" and "Diversoes Electronicas" both for the vocal arrangements more than anything. Along with the closing title track which is catchy and Arrigo is singing here after some spoken words. A very entertaining and rhythmic album where after many listens I get accustomed to Arrigo's vocals in which case I'm thinking 4 stars, but like today, when it's been a while between listens all I can hear are those spoken rough vocals I don't understand.

Perhaps a landmark album in the avant for this country but I feel there are many avant albums that came out of Brazil that are much better. Arrigo would go on to create some soundtracks, but this debut album along with the followup "Tubaroes Voadores" are his legacy. An acquired taste for sure.