Braziliance

Description

Calling Marcos Valle a “legend” of Brazilian music is far more than simple hype. As a singer, writer, musician and record producer, Marcos has played an essential role in shaping the sound of the country’s music from the “golden era” of the 60s and 70s to the present day. Alongside his brother, Paulo Sergio Valle, they wrote an enormous catalog of classic songs, not only for themselves but for other greats like Elza Soares, Astrud Gilberto, Claudia, to name just a few. Braziliance! takes things back to the exhilarating early days of Marcos’ career with the bright and optimistic sound of Rio’s Bossa Nova scene. It includes an instrumental version of “Crickets Sing For Anamaria” or “Os Grilos” in Portuguese, which would also be re-recorded with vocals. But only in the early 20s at the time, Braziliance! portrays a very sophisticated production for such a young musician. Recorded in 1966, produced by Louis Oliveira and Ray Gilberts with arrangements by the very talented Emir Deodato, the album was released on Warner Bros. Records. The work presents a very sharp and healthy Marcos, but darker things were around the corner for Brazil. The “Tropicalica” movement was underway and about to shake things up musically and politically. Unlike some of his Bossa Nova contemporaries, Marcos continued to stay relevant, riding the changes and adapting to the musical developments that culture and society projected and needed, without compromising his art.