Y'Y
Amaro Freitas
2024
Rankings
Why This Album Matters
Y'Y, released on 1st March 2024 by the Psychic Hotline label, represents the fourth studio album from acclaimed Brazilian pianist and composer Amaro Freitas. The album's title, pronounced "eey-eh, eey-eh", carries deep meaning, translating as "water" or "river" in the dialect of the Sateré Mawé indigenous people, located in the Amazon. This work is a direct homage to the Amazon Rainforest and the rivers of Northern Brazil, serving as a powerful call to live, feel, respect, and care for nature, recognising it as ancestral and essential for the planet's balance. Distancing itself from the more frenetic and percussive Brazilian jazz of his previous works, Y'Y marks a more pastoral and meditative exploration, without losing Freitas's characteristic intensity. He continues to use the piano expansively, not only as a melodic instrument but also as a sound generator and a drum kit, with a complex and percussive rhythmic style that incorporates the polyrhythms of maracatu, frevo, and baião, but now with a renewed focus on forest sounds and indigenous spirituality.
Context
The genesis of Y'Y lies in the artist's deep cultural and environmental immersion. In 2020, Amaro Freitas embarked on a 4,600-kilometre journey from his hometown, Recife, to Manaus, in the Amazon basin. This experience in the lush Amazon rainforest was transformative, guiding him to a new domain of musical creation. During his stay, Freitas established a profound connection with the Sateré Mawé indigenous community, engaging in an exchange of knowledge that enriched his perception of the magic, possibilities, and necessity of preserving nature and its ancestral traditions. His previous albums, such as Sangue Negro (2016), Rasif (2018), and Sankofa (2021), already demonstrated his dedication to exploring popular rhythms and Afro-Brazilian culture, with a muscular and complex rhythmic approach. However, Y'Y channels this sensibility into an environmental and spiritual narrative, reinforcing his commitment to the decolonisation of Brazilian music.
Recording
The musical production of Y'Y was a collaborative effort, led by Amaro Freitas in partnership with Laercio Costa and Vinicius Aquino. The latter also took responsibility for mixing the album. Recording sessions were held in strategic locations, spanning Carranca Studio in Recife, Brazil, and Maxine Studio in Milan, Italy. To enhance the sound, additional recordings were made in Los Angeles, California, and Brooklyn, New York. Mastering was entrusted to Kevin Reeves, and the lacquers were cut by Kevin Gray, ensuring high sound quality for the release. The recording process made extensive use of techniques such as prepared piano, the incorporation of noises that emulate forest sounds, and a variety of percussions to create the organic and immersive atmosphere that permeates the album.
Songs
The nine tracks of Y'Y are a sonic journey that evokes the atmosphere of the rainforest and the rich mythology of enchanted beings. The opener, "Mapinguari (Encantado da Mata)", invokes a forest deity with the use of vibes, bells, and keys in the upper register, simulating the rustling of leaves and establishing a mystical tone. Following this, "Uiara (Encantada da Água) – Vida e Cura" is an homage to the "mother of water", developing a cascading rhythm through muffled piano strings, recreating the flow of water. "Viva Naná" is a touching tribute to the legendary percussionist Naná Vasconcelos, with percussions that echo forest sounds. One of the album's central pieces, "Dança dos Martelos", is an eight-minute odyssey that transforms into an explosion of deep dissonances and frenetic right-hand phrases, evoking the chaos of a storm, where Freitas employs the piano as an 88-key drum, enriched by Amazonian seeds and clothes pegs. The title track "Y'Y" features Shabaka Hutchings on flute, inspired by the confluence of the Solimões and Negro rivers, exploring opposing movements that represent agitated and more serene waters. The album also presents notable collaborations: "Mar de Cirandeiras" highlights Jeff Parker's guitar, while "Gloriosa" is adorned by Brandee Younger's harp, which contributes to a celestial and dreamlike aura. The closing track, "Encantados", is a highlight, uniting Amaro Freitas with Hamid Drake on drums, Shabaka Hutchings on flute, and Aniel Someillan on bass. This final piece serves as an urgent summary of the album, reminding us of the importance of conservation and the danger of losing the spiritual refuges celebrated throughout the work.
Legacy
Since its release, Y'Y has been widely acclaimed by specialist critics, consolidating Amaro Freitas's position on the international jazz scene. The album achieved a score of 85/100 on Metacritic, based on six positive and one mixed review, an indication of the enthusiastic reception. Critics described it as a work that “leaves the listener moved and refreshed” and Freitas's “most explosive and exploratory LP” to date. Recognised for its intricate complexity and captivating ability, the album was praised for its power to provide “unexpected little jolts” that lead the listener to total surrender. Y'Y also highlights the rich connections within the global Black avant-garde jazz community, with contributions from renowned musicians such as Jeff Parker, Hamid Drake, Aniel Someillan, and Brandee Younger. The work further solidifies Amaro Freitas's "decolonised" interpretation of Brazilian jazz, which, according to critics, “may very well break preconceived notions of what jazz can be”. The album's success was accompanied by an extensive European tour, where Amaro Freitas was met with standing ovations and multiple encores, demonstrating the global impact and the acceptance of his innovative artistic proposal, especially in France.