Chico César

• Artist: Chico César
• Rating:
• Release Date: June 27, 2000
• Genre: Latin

Review

His melodies and lyrics reflect the centuries of European-African-Indian intercultural strife and matings that provide the essence of modern northeastern Brazilian music. César's style draws heavily on the region's signature off-center, chugging forro rhythms and breathlessly fast, unrelenting frevo beats, but hearty helpings of Carioca samba and African-based imports like reggae, R&B, and rock are also grist for his busy mill. His songwriting is influenced by the rebellious art-song esthetic of the Tropicalismo crowd, but also reaches further back to the chilled-out, boozy intellectualism of '60s bossa nova. He surrounds his high, reedy vocals with undulating vocal chorales, mellow guitars, blithe squeezeboxes, and percolating drums and shakers, and occasional lush overlays of brass, violins, and flutes. Despite his obvious taste and aplomb, César's compositions tend to come across as pleasing, graceful exercises that don't aspire to touch a deeper chord. Nonetheless, despite the fact that he seldom approaches the complexity and passion so often exhibited by, let's say, Caetano Veloso or Milton Nascimento, his work has considerable charm. His melodies are easy to fall into, they are catchy enough to augment the pleasure of an idle hour but barely avoid being facile. This confection is would add a festive, relaxed ambiance to al fresco pursuits like picnics, cocktails on the patio, and beach parties. Detailed liner notes and English lyric translations are included. ~ Christina Roden, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Papo Cabeca	Chico César	Chico César	(4:24)
Paraiba Meu Amor	Chico César	Chico César	(4:03)
Pedra de Responsa	Chico César, Zeca Baleiro	Chico César	(3:55)
A Primeira Vista	Chico César	Chico César	(4:10)
You, Yuri	Chico César	Chico César	(3:43)
Se Voce Viajar	Chico César	Chico César	(3:38)
Parentes	Chico César, Tata Fernandes	Chico César	(3:50)
FILA	Chico César	Chico César	(2:55)
Onde Estará O Meu Amor	Chico César	Chico César	(2:56)
Mama Africa	Chico César	Chico César	(3:47)
Beleza Mano	Chico César	Chico César	(4:09)
Mand'ela	Chico César, Zeca Baleiro	Chico César	(3:29)

Credits

Toquinho (Trombone), Mingo Araujo (Conga), Walmir Gil (Trumpet), Bakithi Khumalo (Bass), Ramiro Musotto (Percussion), Ramiro Musotto (Conga), Ramiro Musotto (Programming), Jose (Bigorna) Carlos (Production Assistant), Chico César (Guitar), Chico César (Horn), Chico César (Main Performer), Chico César (Musical Director), Gal Oppido (Photography), Geraldo Tavares (Technician), Marco Hoffer (Technician), Jacob Edgar (Project Coordinator), Jacob Edgar (Introduction), Richard Romero (Photography), Luis Carlos (Engineer)

• Active: '90s, 2000s
• Genres: Latin
• Instrument: Vocals, Guitar, Producer
• Representative Albums: "Beleza Mano," "Brazilian Collection: From A to Z," "Mama Mundi"

Biography

Chico César is a new composer/interpreter revealed in 1995. His compositions are a mix of social criticism and humor, with strong musical influences of the folklore of the northeast, having been recorded by artists like Elba Ramalho, Daniela Mercury, Zizi Possi, Emílio Santiago, and the Argentinean Pedro Aznar. Maria Bethânia chose his song "A Força que Nunca Seca" as the title track of one of her CDs. César has recorded four CDs so far and has been touring internationally since 1995.

He began to work at a record shop at eight. In the following year, he began to play in the band Super Som Mirim. At 16, he moved to João Pessoa for his high school studies, focusing on journalism and, at the same time, playing in the group Jaguaribe Carne, which worked with vanguard poetry. At 21, he moved to São Paulo, soon becoming acquainted with members of the vanguarda paulista (São Paulo's vanguard) musicians like Arrigo Barnabé and Itamar Assumpção. While working at a daily gig as a journalist, he continued to improve his violão playing and compositions, realizing live performances and beginning to gather a faithful fan audience. In 1991, he went to Europe where performed with success in Germany. Upon returning, he decided to abandon journalism and dedicate himself exclusively to music. Forming the band Cuscuz Clã (a pun with the hated anti-Negro organization), he recorded the CD Aos Vivos in 1995, produced independently, and later sold to Velas, where he accompanied himself on the violão at a live recorded show. The album had as guest stars Lenine and Larry Goldin (recovered from ostracism, after an important contribution to Tropicalia). "Mama África" and "À Primeira Vista" became hits, and when Daniela Mercury recorded the latter in an interpretation that was included in the major soap opera Rei do Gado, his fame was solidified. The success of critique came in 1996, with Cuscuz Clã (MZA/Polygram), which granted him the Prêmio Sharp as Revelation (1995) and APCA's as Best Composer. The clip "Mama África" received the Prêmio MTV Music Awards as Best 1996 MPB VideoClip como Melhor VideoClip. "À Primeira Vista" won the Best Song prize of the Troféu Imprensa (SBT) and was included in a CD by Argentinean star Pedro Aznar. Lokua Kanza, Dominguinhos, Arrigo Barnabé, and Paulo Moura, among others, participated on his third album, Beleza Mano, and in 2000, he released a fourth, Mama Mundi. Having new partnerships in songs with his old idolLokua Kanza, César toured Europe six times in 2000, performing for the second time at the Montreux Festival (Switzerland). ~ Alvaro Neder, All Music Guide

Cuscuz cla Buy this CD	Millennium Buy this CD	Beleza Mano Buy this CD	Chico Cesar Para Menores Buy this CD	Chico César Buy this CD
Francisco Forro y Frevo Buy this CD	De Uns Tempos Pra Ca Buy this CD	Aos Vivos Buy this CD	Aos Vivos Buy this CD	Novo Millennium Buy this CD

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