Transa
Caetano Veloso
1972
Why This Album Matters
Transa, Caetano Veloso's sixth studio album, is a landmark due to its electrified sound, which blends rock with Brazilian rhythms and percussion, even incorporating berimbau sounds and the artist's own guitar. With lyrics in Portuguese and English, the album stands out for its organic and spontaneous approach, being Veloso's first work recorded as a group, with an energy the artist himself compared to a live show. This album is particularly notable for its innovation in pioneering the inclusion of reggae beats in Brazilian music with the track "Nine out of Ten", long before other international artists. This discovery of reggae by Caetano and Péricles Cavalcanti in Portobello Road in London was a watershed moment. Caetano Veloso himself considered "Nine out of Ten" his best song in English and Transa the album that gave him courage for future works, expressing immense pride in the sound achieved as a group.
Perhaps due to the distance, perhaps due to the lack of watchful eyes, Caetano had never been so Caetano.
Bruno Natal · Rolling Stone Brasil
Context
Recorded in 1971, Transa emerged from Caetano Veloso's period of exile in London, which began in 1969. His brief return to Brazil in January 1971, to celebrate his parents' 40th wedding anniversary, was marked by a military interrogation where he was 'suggested' to compose a song exalting the Trans-Amazonian Highway, something the artist refused. Back in the English capital, Veloso conceived and recorded the LP, which was to be released in Brazil in January 1972, coinciding with his definitive return to the country. The name Transa, although reminiscent of the military suggestion, acquires a new meaning in the context of the work, marking a period of transition and reinvention for the artist.
Recording
Transa was recorded in 1971 at Chappell's Recording Studios, in London. Caetano Veloso called upon friends for the recording, including Jards Macalé on guitar and arrangements, Tutty Moreno on drums, Moacyr Albuquerque on bass, and Áureo de Souza on percussion. Musical direction was also handled by Jards Macalé, while production was by Ralph Mace. The recording process was described by Veloso as 'organic, spontaneous' and 'almost like a live show', emphasising the collaborative nature and the group's energy. The album also stood out for its innovative packaging, an insert that, when opened alongside the triple cover, formed a triangle, christened 'discobjeto' by its creator, Álvaro Guimarães, who conceived it with Aldo Luiz.
Songs
The lyrics of Transa, presented in Portuguese and English, are notable for avoiding explicit political references, although critic Álvaro Neder observes that such criticisms are skilfully disguised in virtually all the songs. A striking example is the musicalisation of "Triste Bahia", a poem by the Baroque poet Gregório de Matos Guerra, which revives the critical theme of the poem to reflect on the Brazilian political situation of the time. Among the prominent tracks, "It's a Long Way" received considerable airplay during that period. The re-recording of "Mora na Filosofia", a classic samba by Monsueto Menezes, generated controversies at the time due to its rock-infused arrangement. The album is also celebrated for "Nine out of Ten", considered by Caetano to be his best song in English and a landmark for being the first Brazilian song to incorporate reggae sections.
A pillar of the Tropicalist spirit, alongside Gal Costa following the exile of the movement's leaders, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, Jards Macalé had unleashed "Os morcegos em Gotham City" (a partnership with Capinan), clad in a spectral nightshirt, at the Festival da Canção, at the end of 1969, plagued by boos.
Tárik de Souza · 300 Discos Importantes
Legacy
Transa established itself as a work of profound cultural and critical relevance. In 2007, the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone magazine elected it as the 10th best Brazilian album of all time, a recognition that was reinforced in 2022, when the Discoteca Básica podcast classified it as the 8th best Brazilian album of all time. Internationally, Transa's impact is also notable. "You Don't Know Me" was elected by the North American magazine Pitchfork as the 73rd best song of the 70s, described by Kevin Lozano as a 'masterpiece' that could only have been written from the perspective of an exile. The same publication included Transa in its guide 'A história da Tropicália em 20 álbuns', where Andy Beta highlighted how the incorporation of capoeira rhythms and reggae references suggest that resistance remained at the centre of Veloso's music, even without overt political references.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Ralph Mace
Gal Costa
Aureo de Souza, Tutty Moreno
Jards Macalé
Colin McLeish, John Iles
Álvaro Guimarães
Aldo Luiz
Podcasts
Brazuca Sounds · Leandro Vignoli
In episode #25 we discuss the making of Caetano Veloso's album "Transa" released in January 1972. This is his second album recorded in London, while in exile following his prison by the military regime in Brazil. However, unlike the obvious sadness of Caetano's self-title LP of 1971 (Brazuca Sounds #17), Transa is the culmination of all his new influences living abroad. The reggae on Portobello Ro
Discoteca Básica Podcast · Parasol Storytelling
A LONGA E ESTRANHA TRIP DO EXÍLIO. Depois de dois anos assimilando a violência do exílio político, Caetano junta os cacos com uma banda brasileira em Londres e compõe, ensaia e grava um de seus discos mais ousados, um dos dez mais votados na lista dos “500 Maiores Álbuns Brasileiros de Todos os Tempos”. Convidado do episódio: Liminha Assinante do Clube Discoteca Básica tem conteúdo complementa
Videos
CAETANO VELOSO - TRANSA (1972) | ALBUM REVIEW
Vinilteca
Álbum " Transa"
Lê
The Cookie Collector | Transa ALBUM REVIEW (Caetano Veloso, 1972)
The Cookie Collector
3000 Best Albums [2254] Caetano Veloso - Transa (1972) Dan's Mini Album Review
Dan's Mini Album Reviews
"Transa" - Caetano Veloso | Os melhores discos da MPB nos anos 70 | Alta Fidelidade
Alta Fidelidade
50 ANOS DE TRANSA DE CAETANO VELOSO | ALBUM REVIEW
Som de Peso
Films
Books
The 500 Greatest Brazilian Albums of All Time
Ricardo Alexandre · 2022
The election was spearheaded by journalist Ricardo Alexandre, creator of the Discoteca Básica podcast. Ricardo consulted 162 specialists including journalists, YouTubers, podcasters, musicians, record-shop owners and producers. The result was published as a 200-page hardcover book, with graphic design by Fernando Pires.
300 Important Albums of Brazilian Music
Charles Gavin, Tárik de Souza, Carlos Calado, Arthur Dapieve · 2008
Conceived by Titãs drummer and musical researcher Charles Gavin, the 434-page book brings together covers and reviews of albums released between 1929 and 2007. The texts were written by journalists Tárik de Souza, Arthur Dapieve and Carlos Calado.
Verdade tropical
Caetano Veloso · 1997
Verdade Tropical é a autobiografia de Caetano Veloso, onde ele narra sua trajetória pessoal e artística, com foco especial no movimento tropicalista, seu exílio em Londres e a criação de obras seminais da MPB. O livro oferece um panorama detalhado do contexto político e cultural que moldou sua música na época, incluindo o período em que o álbum 'Transa' foi concebido e gravado, tornando-se uma fonte primária indispensável para entender o álbum.
Caetano Veloso: Transa - Editora Cobogó
Considerado um dos grandes discos da carreira de Caetano Veloso, Transa — quarto álbum solo do músico e o segundo gravado durante seu exílio londrino — transforma a experiência do desenraizamento e...
Analyses
Transa – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Transa – The 100 Greatest Albums of Brazilian Music
Bruno Natal · Rolling Stone Brasil
Gravado em Londres em 1971 e lançado por aqui em 1972,Transafoi o segundo e último disco de Caetano Veloso produzido durante os quase três anos em que esteve exilado na capital inglesa – e o primeiro a ser lançado no Brasil após o seu retorno para casa. Se existe algo de bom a ser extraído de um exílio involuntário, o encontro de um tropicalista com uma cultura estrangeira, in loco, é um bom exemplo. Intercalando letras em inglês (cinco no total) com versos do poeta Gregorio de Mattos (“Triste Bahia") e um samba de Monsueto de Arnaldo Passos (“Mora na Filosofia"),Transaé autobiográfico até o osso. Fala sobre a sensação de estar sozinho e longe de casa (“You Don't Know Me"), e de como incorporar o choque cultural com o mínimo de sofrimento, como a citação ao reggae na Portobello Road, em “Nine Out of Ten", que Caetano já afirmou ser a primeira gravação brasileira a citar os compassos do ritmo caribenho. Talvez pela distância, talvez pela falta de olhares vigilantes, Caetano nunca tenha sido tão Caetano.
Transa, de Caetano Veloso: a história por trás do melhor disco do ...
revistaforum.com.br
Caetano Veloso compôs o álbum "Transa" em Londres, durante seu exílio (1969-1971) motivado pela Ditadura Militar no Brasil. "Transa", gravado em 1971 e lançado em 1972, reflete a experiência de Caetano no exílio e sua visão sobre o Brasil, incorporando influências diversas.
Os 52 anos de Transa: um disco genial movido a saudade - Jornal GGN
jornalggn.com.br
Há 52 anos, em janeiro de 1972, era lançado pela gravadora Philips o sexto álbum de estúdio de Caetano Veloso, Transa, gravado em 1971 no Chappell's Recording Studios, em Londres.
Caetano Veloso: "Transa" ainda é visto como um ponto de virada
metropoles.com
Lançado em 1972, o álbum "Transa" é amplamente considerado uma "obra-prima" e, para muitos, "o melhor álbum da carreira" de Caetano Veloso, além de ser um dos maiores discos da história da música brasileira. Ele representa o exemplo mais refinado da ampliação da proposta tropicalista.
Discogs
Transa – Discogs
discogs.com