Tropicália 2

Performer: Caetano Veloso
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel includes: Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil (vocals, guitar); Nara Gil (vocals); Liminha (guitar, bass, samples, programming); Pedro Sa (electric guitar); Moreno Veloso (cello); Ze Carlos (alto saxophone); Raul Mascarenhas (tenor saxophone); Leo Gandleman (baritone saxophone); Daniel Jobim (keyboards); Dadi (bass); Carlinhos Brown (percussion). Producers: Liminha, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso. Engineers include: Vitor Farias, Paulo Junqueiro, Liminha. Recorded at Nas Nuevas and Polygram, Rio De Janiero, Brazil, and WR, Salvador, from March to May, 1993. Includes liner notes by Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Arto Lindsay. Personnel: Caetano Veloso (vocals); Gilberto Gil (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Nara Gil (vocals); Liminha (guitar, keyboards, drum programming, percussion programming); Raphael Rabello (guitar); Pedro S� (electric guitar); Celso Fonseca (steel guitar); Luciana Rabello (cavaquinho); Marcelo, Ras Bernardo, Perrota, Joao Daltro, Michel, Aizik, Jose Alves, Vidal (violin); Stephany, Jesuina, Arlindo Penteado (viola); Alceu Reis, Lui Coimbra, Marcio Mallard, Zamith, Moreno Veloso (cello); Lucas Santtana (flute); Jose Carlos Ramos (alto saxophone); Raul Mascarenhas (tenor saxophone); Leo Gandelman (baritone saxophone); Bidinho, Marcio Montarroyos (trumpet, flugelhorn); Serginho (trombone); Daniel Jobim, William Magalhaes (keyboards); Nico Assump�ao (6-string bass); Wilson Neves, Carlinhos Bala (drums); Beterlau (agogo); Everaldo (castanets); Nito (claves); Zeca DaCuica (cuica); Carlinhos Brown (djembe, pandeiro, surdo, timbales, snake); Canegal (ganza); Zizinho (pandeiro); Luna (surdo); Marcelo Costa, Firmino (percussion); Ramiro Mussoto (drum programming). Recording information: Nas Nuvens (03/1993-05/1993); PolyGram, Rio De Janiero (03/1993-05/1993); WR, Salvador (03/1993-05/1993). Photographer: Flavio Colker. Unknown Contributor Roles: Jorge; Ramiro Mussoto; Liminha; Raphael Rabello; Armando Marcal; Caetano Veloso; Carlinhos Brown; Celso Fonseca. Between harsh criticism (due to the retro opportunistic use of Tropic�lia), and sectarian defense, Tropic�lia 2 yielded a Caetano Veloso/Gilberto Gil tour through E.U.A. and Europe one year after this release. The reference to Tropic�lia was used as a safe-conduct for the duo's incursions in electronics, ax� music (the contemporary and pragmatic sound of Bahia) and other commercial exploitation -- since under Tropic�lia everything goes (or used to go, some 30 years ago). The album opens with "Haiti," a dry percussive electronic pattern over which Caetano and Gil speak verses dealing with racism; "Cinema Novo" is a beautiful samba, whose lyrics "explain" and greet the Brazilian cinema movement which gained the world. "Nossa Gente" brings the percussive sounds of ax� music together with funk brass attacks. "Rap Popconcreto" is a musical concrete poem which echoes as a synthesis of the old concept of Tropic�lia -- utilizing samplers in an improbable atmosphere, piling several old recordings from various artists singing the word "Quem?" ("Who?"). The Jimi Hendrix song "Wait Until Tomorrow" receives a Brazilian percussion treatment, and "Cada Macaco No Seu Galho" is a Novos Baianos hit which received an old baiao groove treatment in the drum-machine programming, mixed with modern Bahian percussion. "Baiao Atemporal" is a beautiful baiao with a very modern and haunting melody and arrangement. The album, in philosophical terms, expresses fragile concepts. Poetically and musically, represents good entertainment, and, in its best moments, good Art. ~ Alvaro Neder TROPICALIA 2 demonstrates both that Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil bring out the best in each other, and that popular music--at least in Brazil--can be highly politicized and still beautiful and entertaining. The English translations of Gil and Veloso's lyrics provide excellent insight into their political views, albeit tempered with a slightly surrealistic hue. The music on TROPICALIA 2 features sparser arrangements than that of later Gil albums such as QUANTA. On "Dada," Veloso and Gil sing together accompanied only by cello, acoustic guitars, bass and percussion; the result is haunting and gorgeous. "Cada Macao no seu Galho (Cho Chup)" is a lively and playful romp incorporating an abundance of Brazilian percussion. While TROPICALIA 2 doesn't incorporate many of the fuzzed-out acid-rock touches of Gil and Veloso's work from the late '60s, it does show that these two giants of Brazilian music are still as inventive, vibrant, and radical as they ever were.

Rolling Stone (8/11/94, p.69) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...they've spit out a rock & roll samba that anyone who wants to know what's going to happen to pop music in the new global culture should be sinking their teeth into..." New York Times (Publisher) (1/5/95, p.C15) - Included on Stephen Holden's list of the Top 10 Albums Of '94 - "...The songs run from the playful to the poetic."

Caetano Veloso is a giant of Brazilian pop, often compared to figures such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon--even if the comparison doesn't quite translate. Veloso began in the late 1960s as one of the primary instigators of the "tropicalia" movement--an intentionally provocative collision of musical and cultural influences--for which he rapidly ascended to fame and notoriety. For years he was hardly known outside Brazil, but in time he became an international star renowned for his musical creativity and poetic soul.

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