Djavan ‎– A Voz, O Violão, A Música De Djavan

If Djavan was even a bit more talented of a soccer player, it’s possible he may have never become the iconic Brazilian singer-songwriter that we know today. He loved soccer as much as his guitar, but thankfully for us and the rest of the music world, the guitar won out. A Voz, O Violão, A Música De Djavan, Djavan’s first debut album after a successful career soundtracking popular Brazilian soap operas, was an instant hit. The record fits comfortably within the genre música popular Brasileira, a musical movement in the ’80s following popular national genres like bossa nova and tropicalia. What made MPB different though, is that it also brought in the sounds of rock and jazz from the global north.

The first track on the record, ‘Flor de Lis’, was the song radio stations in Rio had on regular rotation. It’s romantic phrasing and use of soft percussive rhythms are distinctive to bossa nova. ‘Maçã Do Rosto’, is the best example of MPB styling on the record, with a samba beat and guitar solos that are jazzy and experimental. Throughout the record, Djavan’s lyrics are nothing short of poetry, and his voice delivers each verse with a calm collectedness that makes this album just as playable today as it was when it was first released in 1976. Recommended for fans of other MPB classics like the later works of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Quarteto Em Cy.

– Tana Yonas

Recommended – A3 Maçã Do Rosto, A6 Quantas Voltas Dá Meu Mundo, B1 Maria Das Mercedes