Great Brazilian Music performed in Italian
David Land | Rockville, MD United States | 03/28/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This was the first album in Italian I ever bought and I bought it because I'm a huge fan of Vinicius and Toquinho. I was not disappointed, and was particularly pleased with Ornella Vanoni's vocals. I'm actually interested in acquiring more of her material, but unfortunately what I've got so far beyond this album is great singing accompanied by cheezy production (kind of like what you get with a Fafa de Belem or Elba Ramalho album). Vanoni sounds alot like Elis Regina, if you're familiar with her work (widely considered to be the greatest Brazilian singer). Even though the songs are all sung in Italian, I agree with the previous reviewer that "La Voglia La Pazzia" is very much a Brazilian undertaking, with the sort of subdued samba beats you find throughout Vinicius & Toquinho's work. I should add that as far as I can tell, none of the songs were new compositions, rather familiar material mostly written by Vinicius and Toquinho. There are alot of good songs on this album, but to me "Samba della Rosa" (Samba da Rosa) stands out, with "Semiforro Rosso" (Sinal Fechado), "Senza Paura" (Sem Medo), "Un Altro Addrio" (Mais um Adeus), and "Samba per Vinicius" also being personal favorites."
Brazilian music for Italian Speakers
Claudia Castro | New York, NY USA | 07/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This record is a favourite of those who are fans of the partnership between the Brazilian poet and lyricist, Vinicius de Moraes, and the musician Toquinho, with his Brazilian agoustic guitar. The songs have been literally translated from the Portuguese into Italian. Ornela Vanoni's intrpretation is that of a true Brazilian singer. The placement of her voice produces a velvet texture, usually a natural characteristic of Brazilians."La Voglia, La Pazzia" is a display of Brazilian culture in words and music and its resemblance to its Italian counterpart. There is a bit of everything: happiness, samba, melancholy and light-heartedness. A special note should be made to track number 9, where Vinicius, the poet, the lyricist is reciting his poem in "Eu sei que vou te amar". Also, worthy of mention is a homage to Vinicius, the famous Italian song "Anima e cuore", a surprise that Ornela Vanoni and Toquinho sweetly call the "Samba di Napoli"."