Latin Notes: Brazilian Gil carries on Marley's reggae style
news.mysanantonio.com
San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted : 01/19/2003 12:00 AM
Reggae legend Bob Marley would be pleased to see his legacy being carried on so ably by his old dissident friend, Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil.
A Green Party activist, Gil made the leap from outsider to establishment in January when Brazil's new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, appointed him culture minister.
Though he's a cabinet official now, Gil said he plans to continue touring on weekends. His latest album is the Marley tribute "Kaya N'Gan Daya," which includes "Buffalo Soldier," "One Drop" and "Could You Be Loved."
Recorded at Marley's Tuff Gong studios in Jamaica, "Kaya N'Gan Daya" features backing vocals by Marley's I Threes (Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt). Gil and the Marley family maintain close ties.
"I have a great deal of affection for his work," Gil said. "Since the beginning, I've followed everything he did. I have a big interest in reggae because of the freshness and novelty it represented. I've followed many other reggae artists, but I think Bob was the most inspired in musical and political terms."
Contemporaries in 1970s musical explorations and socialist politics, Gil and Marley were among the best-known world music artists of their day.
Gil recorded a hit Portuguese cover of Marley's "No Woman, No Cry," titled "Não Chore Mais," in 1977. "Kaya N'Gan Daya" contains a new version of the track, with backing band Paralamas do Sucesso providing Brazilian flavor.
"In English, it's about poverty, police harassment and the struggle for integration into society," Gil said. "When I translated it into Portuguese, we were in the last years of a dictatorship in Brazil. We also had difficult times with the police and people being tortured and killed. I used this song to address what was happening in society and our need for freedom, but in a different context."
Both suffered for their convictions. Marley, who died of cancer in 1981, was nearly killed in a 1976 assassination attempt. Gil, 60, lived in exile in England from 1969 to 1972.
Eliades Ochoa Music that makes people dance, that's evocative of place and performed by real people will always delight, says Santiago, Cuba-born singer and guitarist Eliades Ochoa.
Traditional acoustic Cuban music satisfies on all three counts.
"I've always liked that type of music," Ochoa said. "I feel it more. It transmits a more direct message and says more things. If you need to seduce a girl, a bolero will say everything you want to, and at the end she'll tell you yes or no. If you want to liven up a party, you just break out the guitar and play a son."
Ochoa, 54, recently released "Estoy Como Nunca," which revives old Cuban chestnuts, much like the 1998 "Buena Vista Social Club" project with which he was involved.
Cuban roots have captured the attention of American artists — recent releases by Los Super Seven ("Canto") and Rick Treviño ("Mi Son") reflect the influence and include Cuban musicians and arrangers.
Now, Super Seven members David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos) and Raul Malo (The Mavericks) return the favor. Hidalgo plays guitar on the album's title track and Malo singing lead vocals on "No Me Preguntes Tanto," which he co-wrote with Dennis Britt.
"Traditional Cuban son has boomed since the 'Buena Vista Social Club' movie came out," Ochoa said. "So that music is better than ever, and so am I, thus the title 'Estoy Como Nunca.' ('I'm Better Than Ever')
"I love the rhythm and harmony on the title track. Its style and body really get my attention. It's a song that was popular in Cuba in the early 1960s, but since then has practically been forgotten. So I decided to rescue it. Almost all the songs I recorded are from the 1950s and 1960s and even the late 19th century."
With his four-piece band, Cuarteto Patria, Ochoa carves out an earthy, rhythmic soundscape comprising double bass, acoustic guitar, hand percussion and two trumpets.
The final track, "Sus Ojos Se Cerraron," poignantly describes the death of a loved one. Originally written as a tango by Alfredo Le Pera and Carlos Gardel, the early 20th century Argentine star, the touching song is recast by Ochoa as a bolero, with his guitar the only accompaniment.
"Tangos have a certain melancholy feel and they have such lovely lyrics," Ochoa said. "'Sus Ojos Se Cerraron' is incredible. Few people can write such great lyrics; it's as if they put you in their shoes."
Ramiro Burr's column appears on Fridays in Weekender and on Sundays in Culturas. For questions or comments, call him at (800) 555-1551, ext. 3429, or e-mail rburr@express-news.net.