There is a particular word in Portuguese, famously untranslatable into English, used to describe a particularly Lusophone feeling of loss, joy and elegance.
Saudade.
Some have described it simply (and inadequately) as “sadness” or “nostalgia”… More sophisticated thinkers have noted that it is closer to “happy-to-be-sadness,” and the brand of nostalgia it describes is as much for the present moment as for the lost past.
One thing for sure is that it is a feeling that permeates the vast majority of Brazilian popular music, and the 1972 self-titled LP from composer, arranger and producer Arthur Verocai is awash in it. Elements of jazz, soul, psychedelic rock, funk and Música Popular Brasiliera intertwine amidst waves of exquisite yearning. It’s the kind of feeling of sadness that makes you glad to be alive with a heart capable of feeling.
UCI
2 comments:
This album is very interesting... I've grown to really have an appreciation for shorter tracks, as a lot of more modern albums really draw things out.
I definitely need to give this a 2nd playthrough in order to fully gather all of what's going on here.
I agree that there is a lot going on. I can totally see getting into it more with the right mood.
Perhaps more importantly, just as the post refers to an untranslatable Portuguese word, there are certain cultural elements that do not translate in the music for me...yet. I think if I really wanted to understand this best, I'd have to try to get a significantly better sense of Brasilian culture during that time. And this is what is great about this post, so thank you for the variety.
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