Tribalistas - review

Listening to Os Tribalistas is a little like admiring someone right in front of you. That's how I feel like now anyway, listening to it lying down. Do you know the feeling? When you are witnessing someones great attributes flowing from them, their personality coming out of their mouths, the look in their eyes as their enthusiasm gushes out without them knowing it? My friend once painted on a huge canvas with a sort of knowledge and confidence that I could only admire, how special and rare is that? Listening to this music is just like that; watching someone or something beautiful, blossoming right in front of your eyes.

The beauty on this record is quite palpable. It is sweet music that you can almost feel, touch. The texture is created by that most effective of things, a man and woman singing together in harmony. This has always been something which appealed to me, and I've had many similar ideas using the formula myself, but when I heard the song 'Climb' on Mos Def's classic album, 'Black on Both Sides' I realised why this was such a great thing. A man and a woman singing exactly the same notes is so powerful because, if done properly, it brings out both of the unique qualities of man and woman, and shows that in spite of their obvious differences, they can co-exist and bring out something remarkable, be it music, or, taking the metaphor further (and more literally) children! Actually it is stricly because of their obvious differences that they create such wonderful vibes. Variation is good.

So let me put it into perspective, Os Tribalistas consists of the two main vocalists Marisa Monte and Arnaldo Antunes, as well as Carlinhos Brown working almost single-handedly on an astonishing variety of instruments such as guitar, piano, spoons, viola, conga, drums, organs, glockenspiels, harps and many more. However, what sticks out, not in spite of, but because of Brown's (and the other musicians involved) sparse and confident use of instruments, is the melodies which Monte and Antunes come up with. As you may have guessed from the names, it is all sung in Portuguese, but for me anyway, it proves delightfully different from any of the other Portuguese-language music which we have been inundated with here in Western Europe. Put simply; this style is not so connected to Bossa Nova, or anyone with the name Gilberto!

Categorising it is a brilliantly impossible thing to do, but needless to say, despite its occasional electronic leanings, it is still quite formulaic acoustic , organic music. What makes it special is the maturity with which is has been put together, and the apparent smarts of the producer, who doesn't put a foot wrong throughout the disc. The singing, as I said, is beautiful. Arnaldo Antunes has an insanely harsh, deep voice which still (perhaps because of it's deep, growling quality) manages to sound incredibly tender. Marisa Monte is excellent also, not quite as distinctive as her male opposite here, but she still shines on every track. Again though I must stress how amazing this record is, because any of the elements would not be able to sustain my interest were they to be used on their own. It is a perfect example of a perfect recipe of vocal-melody, production, recording techniques, and instrumentation all simmered to perfection. Take one out and it would not be special. How amazing, and what a fine line brilliance is balanced upon!

I first listened to this album in San Diego, California, in the month of August- not that the month ever matters in the eternally beautiful climate of Southern California. The music was perfect for that time and that place, but listening to it here in a slightly overcast Brighton, UK, I still manage to hear that exotic, yet peaceful sound, and feel that strong emotional fabric created by those voices. The melodies, much like Boards of Canada's music, have something innate in them that turn my mind back to childhood, and times when things were more simple. There is just that certain something about this album, beyond what I've said already that I think many reviewers will find equally hard to pin-down precisely.

Stand-out tracks include Velha infância, Lá de longe and Carnalismo for those of you that like the slower, more beautified songs, but the variation and quality of this album means that more up-tempo and typically playful Brasillian-style tracks like Mary Cristo, or Tribalistas and Carnavália also stand out just as brightly depending on what you feel like. Quite honestly, the perfect length of this album means that I can put it on, allow each different moment to wash over me, and take it all in without ever having that devilish and childish temptation to hit the fast-forward button. Sometimes there's nothing nicer than small moments of freshness in pop music, and this album has 12 such direct, unpretentious and sweet pieces of freshness just waiting for the opportunity to slide inside your ears and massage your heart.

Y.Misdaq aka Yoshi, 25th Sep 2004

PS- Here's a nice link to some Tribalistas web-page. I don't know what it says because I don't speak Portuguese, but it looks like they had fun making this album doesn't it? That's what real musicians look like!