CONTOS DA BARBEARIA

Looks like there’d been a few lineup changes in the band since their first album a few years prior, the most noticeable being the absence of female vocalists Judi Brennan and Helena Afonso. There’s still a woman singing (Rita Rodrigues) but she’s listed as a guest musician.

The sound is mostly the same, although there are several ethnic inflections that are more prominent than on the band’s debut. There is what appears to be a bit of a Moroccan or Algerian leaning with some of the acoustic percussion, particularly on the opening track and the oddly-formed rhythms of “A Noite Passada em Caminha”. The Celtic influence is quite strong throughout with multiple flautists, and the alternating irregular tempos and chanting that is often heard in ethnic Asturian music of the Iberian peninsula’s folk musicians. Not sure if that’s where these guys hail from, but the indications are there in the music. The more notable representative works of this sound include the idyllic “La Pastorica”; the more upbeat “O Enterro do Tostão”; and the surprisingly peppy “Zás Pás”, which could have passed for a pop tune in the early eighties.

The almost lumbering cadences of heavier folk bands like Jethro Tull and even Amazing Blondel surface at times, especially in the almost martial beat of “O Diabo da Velha”, and on the medieval-sounding “Godofredo Cheio de Medo”. That last one also has the only overt use of horns, although they can be heard faintly on several other tracks.

The only time this really manages to sound like a Latin album is with the intricate and beautiful Spanish guitar solo on “Amo Tracinho te”, a short that also makes great use of the cello to cement the mournful and languid mood of the piece.

This is clearly a folk work of the highest order, and frankly could be considered a world music piece for all the ethnic influences it showcases. The vocals are pretty much all Portuguese, so the meaning of most of the songs is left to the imagination of non native speakers. But overall this is a very pleasant albeit rather short album (barely over half an hour). I can’t say that it is essential, and perhaps it doesn’t quite qualify as excellent either. But there are no filler tracks and the musicianship is top-notch. So as a prog-folk work I think four stars is a fair assessment. Well recommended to prog-folk fans as well as those who are interested in Celtic flavored music of the Iberian variety.

peace

Review Nº 501

Banda Do Casaco is a Portuguese Prog Folk band that was active from 1974 to 1984. It was considered by many as one of the best and greatest Portuguese progressive bands. With constantly changing, here is a band of variable geometry with a consistent and talented core, Nuno Rodrigues, António Pinho and Celso de Carvalho. Cellist Celso de Carvalho was the only member to remain from the beginning to the end of the group. Some of the best Portuguese female voices such as Cândida Branca-Flor, Gabriela Schaaf, Né Ladeiras and Concha passed through the band all over the years.

Formed in 1973, Banda do Casaco combined the talents of Nuno Rodrigues (interpreter and composer, ex-Música Novarum) and António Avelar Pinho (lyricist, ex-Philharmonic Fraude), with a panoply of many other great musicians. The surrealist lyrics very deeply rooted in the traditional Portuguese themes and the sinuous melodies, also based on the traditional Portuguese songbook, ensured to Banda Do Casaco a separated and unique place in the history of the Portuguese music. Difficult to classify in the panorama of the Portuguese music of the 70's and 80's, we can say that Banda Do Casaco is in the same lineage of bands like Steeleye Span, The Pentangle or even Fairport Convention.

The debut album of Banda Do Casaco 'Dos Benefícios Dum Vendido No Reino Dos Bonifácios' was released in 1974. The name of the album already showed the surrealistic tone that will accompany the whole group's work, surrealism accentuated by Carlos Zíngaro's drawings on the cover of the LP. Their second album 'Coisas Do Arco Da Velha' was released in 1976. The satirical talent of Pinho's great puns was combined with some innovative musical solutions. If in 'Coisas Do Arco Da Velha' the ethnographic collection, later freely worked and adapted, is still decisive for the final result, their third album 'Hoje Há Conquilhas Amanhã Não Sabemos' of 1977 leans towards experimentation and avant-garde. It was intended to be a satire on the country's economic instability and social precariousness. In the following year, 'Contos Da Barbearia' synthesizes the previous works and made a strong impression in the public and critics.

The line up on the album is Mena Amaro (vocals), António Pinho (vocals), Nuno Rodrigues (vocals, guitar and flute), António Pinheiro da Silva (guitar and flute) and Celso de Carvalho (cello and zither). The album had the participation of Rita Rodrigues (vocals), Armindo Neves (guitar), José Eduardo (bass guitar and cello), Carlos Zíngaro (violin), Rui Reis (keyboards), José Barrocas (flute), Adácio Pestana (horn), António Reis Gomes (trumpet) and Vitor Mamede (drums).

'Contos Da Barbearia' has ten tracks. 'Na Cadeira Do Barbeiro' and 'O Diabo Da Velha' are two traditional Portuguese songs arranged by Nuno Rodrigues with lyrics by António Pinho. The first is a great song, one of the best songs on the album. It's a very varied song with a rich instrumentation and a great vocal work. The second is another great song with an amazing profusion of several traditional and acoustic instruments with a strong Celtic influence. Vocally it's also great. 'A Noite Passada Em Caminha' has music by Nuno Rodrigues and lyrics by António Pinho. This is a more adventurous song with a very complex vocal work very well served by several acoustic elements, mainly the flute. 'O Enterro Do Tostão' is a traditional song arranged by Nuno Rodrigues with traditional lyrics adapted by António Pinho. This is a song with a nice upbeat and a great vocal work. The lyrics are very satirical and full of puns. The final result is another great song. 'La Pastorica' has traditional music and lyrics. This is a very simple song, very idilic, sung in a traditional way. It's one of the most beautiful songs on the album. It's, for me, an emotional song with a great tune. 'Malfamagrifada' has music by Nuno Rodrigues and traditional lyrics adapted by António Pinho. It's a very short and funny song with beautiful lyrics. The female child voice heard on the song is from Rita Rodrigues, the daughter of Nuno Rodrigues. 'Zás! Pás! (O Casório Do Trolha)', 'Retrato D'Homenzinho Pequenino Com Frasco', 'Amo Tracinho Te' and 'Godofredo Cheio De Medo' have music by Nuno Rodrigues with traditional lyrics adapted by António Pinho. The first has a very beautiful melody with a beautiful vocal work provided by great satirical lyrics. The second has surprisingly a medieval tune. It's another nice song provided by great lyrics and a great vocal work, female and male, as usual. The third is a mournful and languid piece. It has the more traditional sound of the band with a beautiful intricate Spanish guitar solo. The fourth has a medieval style in the same vein of Baroque music. It closes the album beautifully.

Conclusion: 'Contos Da Barbearia' is another good album of Banda Do Casaco, which continues to reinvent the traditional Portuguese music and presents excellent moments of progressive musicality. It shows the ethnic folk from Portugal, with male and female vocals, flutes, and plenty of traditional instruments. Maybe not as progressive as their previous efforts, but still is an enjoyable listening. This is clearly a folk work of the highest quality with an excellent musicianship and some amazing vocal work. It's highly recommended for all Prog Folk, Celtic and Ethnic music fans.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)