Céu’s Vagarosa

Posted on Saturday, July 31

Recommended New Music!
by Catalina Maria Johnson, Ph.D.

The musical languor of a heavenly Sao Paolo breeze: Céu’s Vagarosa

Cangote (Six Degrees)

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Beautifully cool in voice, demeanor and song, Sao Paulo singer/composer Céu – whose name means, “heaven” in Portuguese – continues creating in Vagarosa subtly seductive grooves not too distant from those of in her Grammy and Latin Grammy-nominated first album.

“Vagarosa” translates to “slowly” or “in a leisurely fashion” and the album certainly delivers a sonic hammock that sways the listener into relaxed rapture. Céu is fast becoming the standard-bearer within the venerable tradition of cool Brasileiras, and smoothly spreads her languorous alto over rap, reggae, R&B, gently psychedelic tropicalia, drum’n’bass,  left-field rock, and electronic beats –  but always referring back to a foundation of bossa nova so there is never any doubt as to the fact that her music is above all, do Brasil – from Brazil.

The opening song, a samba which layers Céu´s breezy voice over a cavaquinho (an instrument with similar roots to the ukulele (Brazil was conquered by Portugal, as was Hawaii, and the instrument they introduced became the ukulele in Hawaii and the cavaquinho in Brazil) announces where Céu begins her musical journey. And then this first song dissolves into crackles like a vinyl LP (she professes a fondness for vinyl) transitioning into “Cangote”, a gentle reggae beat accompanied by an organ and electronic embellishments.

So begin the assorted contrasts that define the CD´s sound. Like her city, Céu draws from a variety of world cultures quite easily – modern Sao Paolo´s population hails from Portugal, Japan, Korea, Italy, Germany as well as Brazil; its roots include Arab, African and indigenous influences, and the album´s varied elements create a similarly rich texture. “Ponteiro” juxtaposes the dueling notes of an organ and electric guitar. The one song in English, “Papa”, frames the electronica in a jazzy setting, reflecting perhaps North American influences Céu picked up when she lived in New York City as an eighteen year old  – she cites Ella Fitzgerald as well as Billie Holiday as important to her music. And Céu´s cover of Jorge Ben’s “Rosa Menina Rosa”, celebrates the birth of her daughter (named Rosa) in a tune swirling trippy between guitar, vibraphone and organ.

The album features the collaborations of a veritable roster of the finest of the Sao Paulo music scene, including other musically omnivore artists such as percussionist Curumin,  and Nacao Zumbi´s rhythm section (the musicians Pupillo and Dengue), as well as the Rio de Janeiran Luiz Melodía – a veteran composer from Rio de Janeiro within the genre MPB, or Música Popular Brasileira, a post-Bossa Nova trend in Brazilian music – whose rich voice is on the verge of overshadowing Céu in the marvelous samba “Vira Lata”.

Although occasionally one wonders what Céu´s formidable vocal talents would be like if she would deploy them outside of her trademark breathy, hushed tones – if she lost her cool just for a bit and sang fiercely – the thought doesn’t last long in the intimately sashaying breeze of this CD´s melodies, which always refresh and never, ever fade into the background.