Customer Reviews

Pretaluz

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Waldemar Bastos is from Angola, he sings in Portuguese, he plays the acoustic guitar 'Spanish style', and his music is sprinkled with latin musical phrases.
Whilst it is very common in Africa to hear African music with influences from South America (e.g. La Rumba Congolaise from the Congo and Mbalax from Senegal), it is quite rare to hear Latin influences direct from the former Latin colonial powers, not leastly as there were very few Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Africa. This is why this CD is particularly fascinating.
Although many of the tracks reflect much of the grief and sorrow experienced by Angola over the last 20 years, there are also some very joyful and uplifting tracks.(e.g. tracks 5 & 9)
After hearing this CD, one can't help thinking that notwithstanding the severe ecomomic barriers that restrict the creation & development of African musicians, how many brilliant African musicians have been denied us due to war and social turmoil ?
Great production that does justice to the beauty of the music, by David Byrne (Talking Heads).
This CD is a unique musical experience, treasure it!

I came across Waldemar Bastos when he played at the EXPO World Exhibition in Hanover, Germany in July. I was fascinated by his unique blend of african music and latin american/portuguese music.For example he uses a rhythm which is considered to be the african root of the samba. He sings in portuguese, plays a classical acoustic guitar, but the music is truly african, very sad but never heavy and at the gig he sent the entire crowd dancing! This CD might well be his only one generally available and it captures the spirit of the show quite truly. Just listen to the samples and you'll hear!

When will this man do another CD? I love this CD. It is my favorite among all of my international collection. If you love beautiful African melodies, pleasant emotional singing voices, and the Portuguese language, you must own this CD. Waldemar is a wonderful talent. I hope he comes out with another CD very soon.

This album is truly beautiful. It is a real gem for anyone who can hear the pain and strength in the music and his voice. It taught me to love portuguese and after many years (4) of listening to it I have cycled in and out of a ridiculous amount of periods of obsession with this cd. I cant find it this time around and I am about to buy myself a second copy of it in case I really did lose the first. I can't say enough about how beautiful this album is, so I will just stop here.

There are few African artists that are as talented as Bastos. His songs convey his genious along with his patriotism for Angola. Even though the songs are sung solely in Portuguese, it is completely unecessary to know the language to understand their meanings; they are fantastic. The rhythms are very catchy with a Latin American, almost salsa-esque feel to them. One of his gifts is that his messages and emotions are conveyed without any knowledge of his language, which is likely one of the reasons for his success. As a plus for those who are beginning to learn Portuguese, this is music that you will be able to understand after a few tries. Ever since I received the album, I listen to it often and recommend it at every opportunity. As a huge fan of international, and especially African, music, I would highly recommend Bastos' magic. In the meantime, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for another US release.

When David Byrne decided he would turn a few (hundreds of) thousand people on to the music he'd been getting into in the form of "Beleza Tropical" in 1989, legend has it he had no idea how successful the vehicle for it, his record label Luakabop (www.luakabop.com) would become.

Since then, the label has grown into much more than a label for "world music" (a term Byrne loathes). The roster now reflects an almost impeccable taste in music that goes far beyond any genre.

One of the most beautiful albums the label has released is unquestionably 'Pretaluz'. The music here embodies the sadness and violence that Angola has seen through its torn history pre, during, and post imperialism. An incredible sense of joy and hope also emanates from the interplay of guitars and African percussion. Speaking of the guitars, I've always suspected, but not yet confirmed, that David Byrne lends a hand on several tracks. Some of the stylings and effects seem to have his unmistakable signature sound.

Bastos, who now lives in Portugal, variously sings in Portuguese, and at times in a dialect that may be unique to Angola. There really isn't a bad song on this album, but the centerpiece may be "Muxima". This is the story of Our Lady of Muxima. In the story, the pilgrim who returns from visiting Our Lady of Muxima, but hasn't repented or become pure of sin, will drown as he crosses the river.

This is a great record that still sounds fresh almost a decade after its release and countless spins through the CD players. If you're reading this, you may have at least some understanding of how the African diaspora has influenced American culture in ways most people don't recognize or acknowledge. Assuming you do, this is an essential piece to add to that mosaic.

What a lovely CD. Bastos is a wonderful vocalist. The arrangements are sparse, but the sound is full and the rhythms catchy. I tracked down two other CDs by him and they are very good as well. I had never heard of him, but then a friend of mine invited me to see him and Cesaria Evora at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Evora was, of course, sensational, but so was Bastos. I ordered Pretaluz as soon as I got home.

I came across this CD completely by accident in Camden Market, London. I was looking for Cesaria Evora's Miss Perfumado, which was not available and the guy suggested I try Waldemar's CD. He played it for me and from the first bar of the first song, I was hooked. Waldemar was born in war torn Angola and sings of his love for his homeland and it's people despite all the killing. The songs are infused with his love and passion for his country and his longing for peace and brotherhood in Angola. I would heartily recommend this CD to anyone who is looking for something different - not only to listen to music but to be touched by it.

Heard of Waldermar Bastos on Marc Reed's program on BBC World news at 1am central time. I had a 103 fever and somewhat delirious. Hearing Querida Angola was a revelation as catching as my fever .. I went straight to Amazon.com (where one can find anything that exists) and asked my husband to order it for me. Things that are very special to one's heart have to be given, so I received 3 days later a CD that has not stopped playing for me and have several friends ordering it and I will buy it again for a friend's birthday. Anymore of Waldemar Bastos? He reminds me of an Angolan Male Piaf and also of Cesaria Evora... Such warm tones and heartfelt moods so happy and yet so reflective. One must also compliment the guitarist for his excellent handling of the classical guitar. For me, it was just what the doctor ordered. Thank you Amazon.com for just being, there on the line at our finger tips. DJB

For me the sum total of David Byrne's contribution to music is the undeniable fact that he has good taste. His blurb on the cover of Pretaluz is accurate and to the point. This is wonderful stuff. I had the opportunity to hear Bastos and his terrific band last week at WOMAD and the performance was extraordinary. A singer gifted with a great range he also brings an immediate emotional component to the music which is very compelling. Sung in Portuguese, the tunes evoke a variety of moods by turns subtle, sorrowful and jubilant. Recommended.