GAUDÊNCIO SETE LUAS

The only known compliation of songs from this important folk from the deep south of Brazil. The group was the first act from Rio Grande Do Sul to actually won over the country´s mainstream audience with their mix of traditional folk of that region and rock. Playing mostly acoustic instruments those young musicians helped to give the south some national atention for their unique, rich sound and tradition.

Gaudêncio Sete Luas was released in 1977, so it is no surprise it does not include any tracks from their fourth and final album Circo De Marionetes, which was released two years later (but that should be fixed when they re-released it on CD). What surprises me a lot is the fact that Canção Da Meia Noite, their only sizeable national hit, was not featured here. there is no explanation for its absence on any compliation, much less the only one available. On the other side it contains a pretty decent collection of songs that represent well the sound of this interesting band. The title track is one of the most appealing, being a remake of a traditional south folk song telling about the life of the country man. Another highlight is Haragana, one of their most popular songs ever. Mi Triste Santiago with words sung in portuguese and spanish is their homage to the late chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

If you want to know about this folk group, this is a good starting point, even if it lacks some important tunes as mentioned above.