Customer Reviews

Orfeu (1999 Film)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an absolutely fantastic soundtrack, the perfect mixture of classics from Vinicius de Moraes' original play and the 1950's film, accompanied by great new material that captures the Brazil of today. In particular, Orfeu's "samba enredo"--the type of "story samba" that the carnival groups present each year in their parade--is a true work of genius. Shifting smoothly from the traditional rhythms of samba to rap and back again, Caetano and Gabriel O Pensador achieve a thoroughly modern, engaging, and DANCEABLE masterpiece. To me, this is no unnecessary remake. In general, Brazilians, though in love with the music from the first screen version, have never thought highly of the film itself, because of its fairy-tale misrepresentation of their reality. And for those who think that the rap is something "imported" just for the sake of appealing to an international audience, it's not so. That is the music listened to by many Brazilian youths, especially those in the favelas or shantytowns where Orfeu takes place. Just as in Carlos Diegues' TIETA, for which Veloso also composed the soundtrack, the music is an integral and deeply appealing part of the film...and enchanting on its own.

Who else but Caetano Veloso--the national treasure of Brazil--to record the soundtrack to the re-make of the film that introduced bossa nova to the world in 1959? Caetano's sense of phrasing, arrangement and placement is, as always, genius. Buy the new movie if you can, buy the original, buy this soundtrack, and buy the original soundtrack and own pieces of musical--and cinematic--history.

Lately I have not been able to stop reviewing Veloso albums, becuase I have not been able to stop listening to them. Orfeu was my first Veloso album, and this has led to many more. Brazilian music fan or not, hear Veloso and you know you are hearing a master. If I am gushing, straying from my tightly edited, no nonsense review style, you will have to forgive me; this happens when I know I am witness to someone special.

The miricle of Veloso is not even that he made wonderful music in the face of political repression in 1960s Brazil, although that is miraculous. The miricle is that this was not his best work, and forty years on, he just keeps getting better and better. He is like a wine that improves with consistancy. Even my beloved Sir Paul McCarteny can't boast that.

For firm evidence, look no further than 1999s Orfeu. Like most of the masters mature work, this soundtrack sticks to the diverse latin forms that Veloso has spun his career on. But the more he works, the more textured and layerd and sad and bouyent the music gets. The guitar work here is pristine, from master fingers, not digital production. The percussion booms--you could make a dance album from the rhythm tracks. The chords and melodies express emotion more clearly than Veloso's early work. He is not afraid, even, to use avant guarde effects during a death sequence, and yes; he can invoke fear as powerfully as he can love, grace or sadness.

Abstractions aside, this is a rich musical experiance for both a casual listener and a surgical critic.

I would say buy this CD but that would understate it. Don't deny yourself this experiance, these feelings. That is more like it.

This movie is about a brazilian musician, inside a carnaval school in Rio de Janeiro. The soundtrack is from Caetano Veloso and singed by the ORFEU in the movie (Tony Garrido). Awesome for love dinners, or just to stay in a beach in think about nothing.

I love this soundtrack, obrigadissimo Sir. Veloso!
But I also loved the hip hop and rap music in portuguese. Could anyone help me located those artists?

Just for fans of Caetano Veloso though he does not sing or play on all tracks. Good work, just that. But not the same impact as the original. There is better and more honest Brazilian material to offer from the Amazon wide catalog.

I am striving to own both, film and music, eu sou voce the most beautiful song in the world, this film puts the 1959 version in perspective, a little intense but considering the intense situation chages, not at all innacurate ... and thank god for the genius of the last of the great portuguese passion for music. Here is the last trace of the best in the world.