Casuarina Downloads

Samba´s revitalization goes hand in hand with the effervescence in the new musical scenario of Lapa. Among the several young samba groups that help to perpetuate that type of music in old two-story houses and renovated dwellings of Rio´s most festive district – gathering youths who feel perfectly at ease with cavacos, timbrels, or tambourines – is Casuarina, who launches its first CD through...
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Samba´s revitalization goes hand in hand with the effervescence in the new musical scenario of Lapa. Among the several young samba groups that help to perpetuate that type of music in old two-story houses and renovated dwellings of Rio´s most festive district – gathering youths who feel perfectly at ease with cavacos, timbrels, or tambourines – is Casuarina, who launches its first CD through Biscoito Fino. Integrated by Gabriel Azevedo (voice and percussion), Daniel Montes (guitar and vocals), João Fernando (mandolin and vocals), João Cavalcanti (voice and percussion), and Rafael Freire (cavaquinho and vocals), Casuarina makes its debut in records, recreating classic sambas from several generations, including some composed under a nordestino (typical of NE Brazil) atmosphere. Its repertory encompasses sambas made in many parts of Brazil and includes authors from Rio de Janeiro (Nelson Cavaquinho, Zé Kéti, Nelson Sargento, Wilson Moreira, Nei Lopes), São Paulo ( Adoniran Barbosa), Bahia (Gordurinha and Novos Baianos), Paraíba and Pernambuco ( a vast potpourri with songs by Jackson do Pandeiro, Antonio Barros, Rosil Cavalcanti), counting also with the participation of Teresa Cristina (in Swing do Campo Grande), and Pedro Miranda ( in 400 Anos de Favela). Casuarina injects youth to samba where Brazil is more Carioca, beyond the Lapa frontiers. This CD starts with a Mangueirense (from the Mangueira Samba School) token song, Pranto de Poeta (The weeping of a poet), by Nelson Cavaquinho and Guilherme de Brito. From “pranto sem lenço que alegra a gente” (weeping without a handkerchief makes one happy), until 400 Anos de Favela (400 years in a favela) by the portelense (member of the Portela Samba school) Zé Kéti, Casuarina rediscovers along the way, Súplica Cearense (Cearense supplication), with vocals by Pedro Miranda and composed by the talented Gordurinha. The latter replaces backwoods for urban hills, migrant for rascal, and the nordestino Incelença (sufferance) for the Carioca kind of prayer. Still among the classics is Já fui uma brasa (I was once fiery), by Adoniran Barbosa, from a time when samba was not very often played in radios (any resemblance with what occurs nowadays?) in contrast to the naïve timbres of the Jovem-Guarda (New Wave) guitars. Presently, with groups such as Casuarina, samba is encompassing new and old trends in a single timeless vein, in which there is room for the rhythmic and ethnic rigor of Nei Lopes (Intimately with my Black), together with hippie inspired sambas of the 70ies, like Swing de Campo Grande – by Morais, Galvão, and Paulinho Boca de Cantor – here with participation of Teresa Cristina. After all, all sambistas have similar hearts and their flesh is made of Carnival. As a matter of principle, sambistas never have any problem with their feet, as is confirmed in Laranja madura (Ripe orange), one of the not very well known works by Ataúlfo Alves, which reads: “Laranja madura / na beira da estrada / tá bichada Zé / ou tem marimbondo no pé”. (Ripe orange / lying on the roadside / either is worm-eaten, Zé / or ther are hornets around its tree). Other work covering this same subject is Wilson Moreira’s “Formiga miúda” (Small ant), that reads: “Lua que não muda, não muda a maré (…) formiga miúda / não morde o meu pé” (Moon that does not revolve, will not change the tides (…) small ant / will not bite my foot). From flora and fauna to samba´s philosophy in Minha filosofia, by Imperio Serrano Samba School´s composer Aluisio Machado. It reads, “A terra fertil um dia se cansa / relógio que atrasa não adianta / o remédio que cura também pode matar” – The fertile land / gets exhausted one day / a watch that is always late will not get fast / the drug that heals may also kill. Another good example is Nelson Sargento´s “Falso moralista” (False moralist), that reads: “Você se julga um tanto bom e até perfeito / por qualquer coisa deita logo falação / mas eu conheço bem o seu defeito / e não vou fazer segredo não” – You consider yourself to be quite good, even perfect / you start a brawl for anything / but I know your flaws quite well / and will not keep them secret. The above repertory makes explicit the ethics prevailing in this type of music. Confirming Jackson do Pandeiro´s theory – that both, samba and baião, originated directly from coco – this album dedicates a nine minute long potpourri to hits from that Paraiba born composer. It contains five songs strung together, like for example, Cabo Tenório (Corporal Tenório), Babá de cachorro (Babysitter for dogs), and Rosa, which describes how loving was a few decades ago ( “Eu comprei um papel florado e um envelope pra mandar dizer / numa carta bem escrita o que sinto por você / a carta está demorando porque não se escrever” – I bought a paper with flower prints and an envelope to tell you / in a well written letter my feelings for you / this letter is taking so long because I can´t write). Taking the example of the experts in Brazilian music, Casuarina sings romance, irony, and roguery as if they were all one thing. They sing what samba, baião and coco contain of popular lore, even when it becomes necessary to be hard – in the lyrics, never in the rhythm – keeping always the good temper.
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