Vagarosa (Dig)

CéU | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 7, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Six Degrees
• ASIN: B002BVUBR8
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,824 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than her first release, July 27, 2009

By 

William Jens Jensen (North America) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Vagarosa (Dig) (Audio CD)

"Vagarosa" far surpasses her self-titled first release, "CéU," which was a truly excellent CD itself. The arrangements on "Vagarosa" go well beyond what one generally associates with "Brazilian" music, giving the whole affair a fresh and universal flavor. Many of the rhythms seem more tango-influenced than samba-like, which also makes this album a bit multiculti and difficult to pigeon-hole. Moreover, it is unusual to hear so much organ playing in any Latin music, which gradually eliminated any expectation I had when I first put this CD into my player. The closest comparison I can come up with is the music of Julieta Venegas, especially her "MTV Unplugged" and one of my all-time favorite CDs, "Limon y Sal."

CéU is no dilettante or overnight wonder. Born Maria do Céu Whitaker Poças, her father is a composer and musicologist, and she studied the classic and popular music of Brazil and music theory before embarking on her own career as a musician. Her serious study of music shows in the complexity of the compositions, arrangement, and choices of instrumentation on "Vagarosa." While some would classify the music of CéU as "pop," it really deserves a bit more attention to the details than that. In fact, "Vagarosa" ranges from rock and jazz to Latin to a bit of experimentation and, in the end, offers an exciting musical journey. I generally don't go for hyperbole, but in my opinion this CD deserves more than the five stars allowed here.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Little Night Music in the Tropics, August 10, 2009

By 

Amaranth "music fan" (Northern California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Vagarosa (Dig) (Audio CD)

CeU's "Vagarosa" is an electrifying follow-up to her self-titled debut two years ago. She has honed her craft considerably, experimenting with a variety of sounds. Her debut was perfect coffee shop music--this one is more dreamlike, with the Moog and the Hammond organ. Imagine Bat for Lashes' "Two Suns" if it had a samba/reggae beat. "Vagarosa" is perfect for lounging and dreaming. Enjoy it with a cup of capirinha or Brazilian coffee.

"Vagarosa" opens with the simple "Sobre O Amor E Seu Trabalho Silencioso"--it's basically a duet between CeU and her guitarist. "Cangote" has a rippling reggae beat. The mellotron is featured in "Comadi." "Nascente" has a strong horn section,with a retro sound to it. CeU has rightly been equated with Gal Costa,the diva of Brazil's psychedelic Tropicalista movement. "Grains de Beaute" has a simple,acoustic beauty. "Ponteiro" evokes carnival music. "Rosa Menina Rosa" is lilting and dreamlike. The closing, "Espaconave" samples Amazon rainforest sounds. The riffs are reminiscent of Santana's jam sessions.

"Vagarosa" is hardly a sophomore slump. It's psychedelic samba! Venture into this colorful rainforest of music.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one's a doozy!, August 8, 2009

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Vagarosa (Dig) (Audio CD)

CeU
"Vagarosa"
(Six Degrees, 2009)
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Wow. This record floored me, starting with the second track, "Cangote", a heavy, spooky dub reggae tune, mixed with Brazilian harmonics and some tweaky outside elements, including an Arabic-flavored lead organ and mellotron riffs that bring to mind the Ethiopian groove of Mahmoud Ahmed. It's so totally cool. The track that follows, "Comadi," also shows a strong familiarity with the best classic Jamaican dub, although this time with a ska-like uptempo vibe. Maybe Sly & Robbie never got to cut a session with Gal Costa back in the day, but if they had, it might have been this good. The tracks that followed were equally rich and rewarding, blending samba, jazz, bossa nova, indie rock and more dub in an entirely satisfying, confident mix. Along for the ride are Sao Paulo scenesters such as Gui Amabis, Curumin and Beto Villares, as well as a number of guest performers, including old-time soul star Luiz Melodia, who is surprisingly good in his duet cameo. Although there's still some of the sexy, mellow electronica cool of Ceu's labelmate Bebel Gilberto in the mix, these guys have gone way past the chill-room club mix mentality, and they're making some of the most adventurous yet sensuous music modern music coming out of Brazil today. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Guide To Brazilian Music)