Canções Praieiras

Orpheus Listening Challenge 2023: #39 An album from the 1950s (30th Album)

So glad I chose this deep cut over a jazz or pop album from the 50s.

It's like an amalgam of old (old even for the 50s) vocal jazz with the soul of the Atlantic brushing itself on the shores of Brazil. Caymmi's deep and lush voice complements the sparse and empty instrumentation just like a sprinkle of salt goes well on some cakes.

The overall sound is melancholic, but unlike the English-speaking melancholy, this type of Southern American melancholy has a dose of abstract beauty to it. I'm not familliar with the Portuguese language, but reading the translations of some of the songs, it's clear this guy has a way of twisting and turning ideas like a piece of paper, making origami of different animals, but staying in the same lane.

And also, the album is some 27 minutes long, so you have no reason not to listen to this soft, melancholic singing of a man who clearly has a lot on his plate.