Search - Jorge Ben :: A Tábua De Esmeralda

Jorge Ben, you truly are the master.

Jonathan Goldstein | New York, NY United States | 06/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my life, I've always been searching for the perfect sound much like a surfer attempts to find the perfect wave. I don't play music, but I listen, I listen with the best of them. My tastes are wide ranging, eclectic and discerning. I'm always open minded, and on the look out for anything I haven't heard but might like.



But even when I've found a sound that I really love, and that sounds like what I've always been looking for(such as Stereolab), a wanderlust always crops up again, and thats how it should be, if we only listened to the same thing we'd become stagnant. That said, even as I go on to other music, I'd always wanted to know that I wouldn't be going on to greater music, that the music I had found was for now the pinnacle of what I'd always wanted to hear.



Jorge Ben is that sound. To me, he is the single greatest musician songwriter in the world that ever was. His sound is utterly unique and majestic, rhythmic, soulfull, spiritual, poetic, perfect. Perfect. Nothing is perfect. Except his music. The only perfect thing in an imperfect universe.



This album is spectacular. I recommend it more highly than any other. Ben is a vocal vertuoso always. A master songwriter. A man who found his inner voice and sound and nailed it down and just couldn't fail to write a mesmerizing rhythmic masterpiece.



Another reviewer here really hit it on the head when he said that Ben went 10 yrs where every year he produced a masterpiece. I have many of those masterpieces. I recommend them all.



Its quite amazing that a musician of this caliber can't even get his albums sold on Amazon. Its really a travesty that I had to go to another rare cd site for Negro E Lindo, Ben, and his collaboration with Gilberto Gil. If you're even reading this and you're American, you've traveled quite a long way off the beaten path and really discovered a musical Shangri-la. Enjoy it. You're in a special place."

Salve Jorge!

Felipe Boreli Filho | Rio de Janeiro, RJ BRAZIL | 06/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply, this CD transcend the frontiers of music. Perfect in musical content and in spiritual force, Tábua De Esmeralda is just a master piece!"

Nifty Brazillian pop artifact

Zachary Gamble | Jonesborough, TN USA | 07/05/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Outside of Os Mutantes, I don't know a great deal about Brazilian music. Forgive me if you, having more expertise in the genre, find anything outright absurd in my commentary. However, I do know what I like, and after acquiring "A Tabua de Esmeralda" based on a friend's recommendation, I must say, this is charming, fun stuff, even if well outside my musical comfort zone. Ben's funky guitar and airy vocals, backed with some stellar string arrangements, are melodic without being sugary, and free-flowing without being "easy listening." Much like the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," this is a summery album with depth. "A Tabua de Esmeralda" is layered and textured in a way that few pop music albums are--there's more going on than just a guy with a guitar and some tasteful backing. The record as whole has the vibe of a samba pop/soul album with borderline classical appointments, almost like a Brazilian Serge Gainsbourg. It's not samba, folk, pop, soul, or rock; it's an unique combination of all those genres and more. I can't comment on the lyrical content, but I can say that this music is delightful and definitely worth a spin in the warmer months. Cheers."