Search - Caetano Veloso :: Araca Azul

Caetano meets John Cage and Co.

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 12/25/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brazilian difficult listening. A frivolous, meandering psychedelic/found noise album with disjointed versions of tropicalia songs interspersed with African drums, acid rock guitars and blaring James Bondian themes. Intriguingly nutty, though not melodically satisfying, and apparently one of the worst selling Brazilian pop albums of all time. However, this album shows Veloso's breadth as an experimental pop artist. For starters, check out the difference between his radically deconstructed version of "De Conversa" and Milton Nascimento's super-melodic original... woah! That kinda wacked-out avant-pop don't come easy. Definitely recommended for the artsy crowd, though not for the casual listener."

Tropicalismo's last stand

carioca8 | New York, NY | 05/21/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Caetano readily admits in his quasi-autobiography, "Tropical Truth," that this album was a "bold move to break free from professional bounds...to test limits, and extend horizons" that was only partially sucessful, for reasons having largely to do with his extended exile in London. At first listen, even to ears that are well accustomed to his long-standing fascination with unconventional sounds and the flexibility of language, "Araca azul" will take you aback. But don't give up so easily on this intellectual exercise. With an appreciation for the larger artistic and social context (and some knowledge of portuguese will help), there are many extraordinary moments that welcome repeated listening. For me, the brief title song, "Araca azul," when put on looping repeat, becomes an austerely mysterious mantra--"...blue guava remains the most beautiful name for pain. With faith in God, I won't die too soon..." Likewise, I can listen to the masterful "Sugarcane Fields Forever" for hours and still not unravel the sonic threads and their cultural implications ("I'm a native mulatto, in the broad sense, a democratic mulatto from the coast"). An extended voyage across a vast sonic landscape, the piece is also, in part, a response to the Beatles' powerful influence on the tropicalia movement. "Sugarcane" begins with only Caetano's haunting voice and flute, which wash into an intense afro-bahian samba led by Edith Oliveira (a return to the feel of the opening track, "Viola, meu bem") that runs as a powerful undercurrent beneath sophisticated orchestral passages, coy bossa-nova phrases, and off-kilter avant-garde atonality and collaged lyrics. The following track, "Julia/Moreno," is among the most conventional songs on the album--a sweet ode to his unborn (gender unknown) child and a charming mutation of the lyrical conceit of Gilberto Gil's groovy "Batmacumba" and the concrete poetry popular among brasilian intellectuals. Despite its many difficulties, "Araca Azul" reveals a tremendous amount about the musical choices evident in Caetano's other albums and deserves more respect that it has been given by many listeners."

The dark side of Caetano

Marcos Henrique | Piraju, SP Brazil | 05/04/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you only know Caetano Veloso's recent phase, this record is pretty different than his lasts works. It's a very experimental album, full of odd noises, folk music, excellent guitar work (made by Lanny Gordin, an american resident in Brazil and the Tropicalia's guitar hero) and concrete music. You must know the other side of this great artist."