Acústico MTV
Cássia Eller
2001
Why This Album Matters
Acústico MTV is the third live album and second video album by the iconic Cássia Eller, released on 5 May 2001 by Universal Music. This project, part of the celebrated MTV Brasil Acústico series, was recorded in March 2001 at the Cinemateca Brasileira, in São Paulo, before an intimate audience of approximately two hundred people. The album is a deep dive into the artist's musical universe, featuring a carefully selected repertoire that moves between her greatest hits, unreleased tracks, and significant reinterpretations, encompassing classics by Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, The Beatles, and Edith Piaf. The production, led by Luiz Brasil and Nando Reis, highlights Eller's versatility and the richness of her artistic choices. The special guest appearances by Nando Reis, rapper Xis, and the band Nação Zumbi add layers of innovation and sonic diversity, solidifying Acústico MTV as an essential record in MPB's discography. It not only revisits Cássia's work but redefines it in a format that highlights her vocal power and unique interpretation.
Context
Before embarking on the Acústico MTV project, Cássia Eller had released Com Você... Meu Mundo Ficaria Completo in 1999, an album that marked a phase of experimentation in her career, incorporating elements of baião and funk, as well as a lighter vocal style. This work also sealed the collaboration with producers Luiz Brasil and Nando Reis, a partnership that would prove fundamental to the success of Acústico. Although it received mixed reviews, with some outlets such as Folha de S.Paulo praising its production, the album generated the huge hit "O Segundo Sol", boosting sales and the singer's popularity, culminating in a controversial performance at Rock in Rio III in January 2001. The idea for Acústico came from MTV Brasil's director, Anna Butler, who, impressed by Cássia's previous album, extended the invitation. Despite initial resistance from network executives, who questioned the artist's fit for the acoustic format, Butler persisted and managed to realise the project. Cássia Eller, for her part, already harboured a desire to participate in the series, especially after watching Gilberto Gil's edition, seeing it as an opportunity to revisit her repertoire in a new way.
Recording
The production of Acústico MTV was a meticulous process, which began with a rehearsal period at a farm in Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, an isolated location which, according to Cássia, once housed a rehabilitation clinic. Nando Reis, co-producer, proposed this retreat so that the team could rehearse without the pressures of rigid studio schedules, allowing for a freer and more organic dynamic. Despite interruptions caused by power outages, which the team navigated with card games and drinks, Reis believed that this extroversion would contribute positively to the spirit of the work. The routine at the farm, which lasted from 12 February to 3 March 2001, involved two daily rehearsal sessions. The repertoire formation, a task Cássia considered the most complex, was handled by Brasil and Reis, with the latter contributing the unreleased tracks "Luz dos Olhos" and "Relicário". The songs from Eller's previous catalogue were all rearranged, prioritising instruments such as piano and acoustic guitar, in contrast to the accordion predominant in her earlier work. The choice of guests was selective, with Cássia, who disliked sharing vocals, inviting Nando Reis for "Relicário", rapper Xis after being charmed by the song "Da Esquina", and three percussionists from Nação Zumbi, with whom she already had a connection from Rock in Rio III. The set, conceived by Kiko Canepa, incorporated two enormous rosebuds on the ceiling, in reference to the song "Maluca", and the show was recorded in the warehouse of the Cinemateca Brasileira, in São Paulo, for an audience of two hundred people.
Songs
Cássia Eller's Acústico MTV unfolds a repertoire that is a true mosaic of influences and styles. The concert opens with the iconic "Non, je ne regrette rien", by Edith Piaf, immediately followed by "Malandragem" and "ECT", the latter rearranged to a xaxado rhythm, demonstrating the artist's versatility. The album moves through samba numbers, such as the unreleased "Vá Morar com o Diabo" and the reinvented "Partido Alto" by Chico Buarque, which receives a syncopated interpretation blending samba and rock. Among the standout tracks, "1º de Julho", composed by Renato Russo during Cássia's pregnancy, is a moment of particular emotion, featuring string and mandolin arrangements and a final declaration to her son. The unreleased ballad "Luz dos Olhos", by Nando Reis, and the bluesy reinterpretation of "Todo Amor Que Houver Nessa Vida", by Barão Vermelho, with jazz touches in the piano solo, also shine. The duet with Nando Reis on "Relicário" is a highlight, as is the flamenco atmosphere of "Nós" and the contagious energy of "De Esquina", featuring rapper Xis, which alternates hip hop and mangue beat rhythms. The album also offers a vibrant version of "Quando a Maré Encher" with Nação Zumbi and closes with the classic "Top Top" by Os Mutantes, solidifying the work as a rich and diverse panorama of Cássia Eller's art.
Legacy
Cássia Eller's Acústico MTV generated a polarised critical reception, with some specialists praising the artist's vocal power and the special guest appearances, while others argued that the acoustic format restricted her irreverent stage presence. However, the album garnered a series of nominations and awards, notably the Latin Grammy for Best Rock Album in Portuguese Language, and was included in lists of the best Brazilian recordings from the series by publications such as Vice and Rolling Stone Brasil. Commercially, the album achieved tremendous success, significantly boosted after the singer's passing. It topped the sales charts of IstoÉ Gente magazine and obtained diamond certifications from Pro-Música Brasil: 500,000 units sold for the video version and one million for the audio version. In 2002, it ranked as the thirteenth most purchased album nationwide. Although no new singles were released, songs such as "Malandragem", "Por Enquanto" and "O Segundo Sol" were sent to radio stations, with "Malandragem" qualifying among the five most played in 2001. Promotion included appearances on television programmes and at the MTV Video Music Awards Brasil. Cássia Eller even embarked on a tour supporting the project, which comprised 95 shows, but was tragically interrupted on 29 December 2001, with the artist's passing.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Nando Reis
Luiz Brasil
Felipe Casqueira, Ronaldo Villas
Luiz Brasil, Nando Reis
Cássia Eller, Fernando Nunes, Lan Lan, Luiz Brasil
Luiz Brasil
Fernando Nunes
Cássia Eller, Luiz Brasil, Walter Villaça
Walter Villaça
Cássia Eller, Luiz Brasil, Walter Villaça
Iura Ranevsky
Cristiano Siqueira Alves, Dirceu Leite
Dirceu Leite
Alberto Continentino
Max Pierre
João Viana
Dirceu Leite
Luiz Brasil
Paulo Calasans
Lan Lan
João Viana
Thamyma Brasil
Paulo Calasans
João Viana
Luiz Brasil
Bernardo Bessler
Ricardo Garcia
Flavio Senna
Gê Alves Pinto
Marcos Hermes
Podcasts
Discoteca Básica Podcast · Parasol Storytelling
Se nenhum álbum ou show dá conta de resumir Cássia Eller, o “Acústico MTV” é o projeto que mais se aproxima disso. Convidada do episódio: Sarah Oliveira. Assinantes do CLUBE DISCOTECA BÁSICA têm acesso a conteúdo extra. Saiba como assinar: https://podcastdiscotecabasica.com/assine/ Um violão em punho e uma voz bem usada é o suficiente para expressar até a garota mais encabulada da turma. Que t
Meio Bossa Nova e Rock and Roll · Meiobossanovaerockandroll
MBNRR - Episódio apresentado por: Vinicius Isquerdo @vinisquerdo feat. Carol Serra @carolinaserrasb / Disco do Dia: Acústico MTV - Cássia Eller / Edição e Produção: Lado Isquerdo / Sugestões para episódio: https://whats.link/ladoisquerdo // Siga no Instagram: @meiobossarock / Sugestões: meiobossaerock@mail.com
Maloqueiros do Rock Podcast · Maloqueiros do Rock
Em mais um faixa a faixa, os maloqueiros trazem esta que foi sem dúvidas uma das vozes mais poderosas do rock nacional. Responsável por dar vida própria e até reviver canções que morreriam engavetadas, Cássia Eller marcou sua história e rendeu este que é um dos acústicos mais elegantes da finada Mtv. #cassiaeller #acusticomtv E-mail: Dúvidas ou sugestões, já chega na ideia: maloqueirosdorockpodca
Videos
TITÃS - ACÚSTICO MTV (1997) [AM#15] #565 - Análise do Disco [ALBUM REVIEW]
Guitardo Songs🎵
ACÚSTICO MTV DA CÁSSIA ELLER QUASE NÃO ROLOU | Anna Butler | Recortes do Clê
Corredor 5
Films
Books
Eu queria ser Cássia Eller: Uma biografia
Tom Cardoso · 2025
Eu queria ser Cássia Eller apresenta ao leitor a Deusa que encarnou nessa terra entre os anos de 1962 e 2001. Um abalo sísmico na vida de todos que conviveram e que se encantaram por ela. A menina tímida, a filha, a ovelha negra da família, a lésbica, a amante, a mãe, a cantora, a amiga, tudo junto. Por ser uma biografia abrangente da artista, é altamente provável que dedique atenção significativa ao "Acústico MTV", um dos pontos altos e últimos trabalhos de sua carreira.
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.
Analyses
Acústico MTV – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Cliquemusic : Disco : ACÚSTICO MTV - CÁSSIA ELLER
cliquemusic.com.br
Apesar de seu repertório nem sempre estar à altura de seu talento, Cássia vem acertando de uma forma geral em sua carreira, especialmente nos shows, onde sua performance é sempre imbatível. Seu oitavo CD, Acústico MTV, traz compositores de prestígio mas não é dos mais instigantes que ela já gravou.
Cássia Eller: 25 anos de "Acústico MTV"
bcfblogculturaefutebol.blogspot.com
Infelizmente, o "Acústico MTV" foi o último disco lançada por Cássia Eller em vida, pois em 29 de dezembro de 2001, a cantora morreria em virtude de um infarto do miocárdio, encerrando o seu ciclo em pleno auge da carreira.
Disco do dia #13: Cássia Eller - "Acústico MTV"
br.nacaodamusica.com
Foi o último álbum lançado por Cássia Eller, que faleceu em Dezembro de 2001 e é considerado até hoje um dos melhores registros do Acústico MTV, antigo programa de versões desplugadas de diversos artistas da emissora musical.
T02E10: Acústico MTV - Cássia Eller (2001) - Discoteca Básica
podcastdiscotecabasica.com
O último trabalho de Cássia Eller era o registro de seu presente (a brilhante parceria com Nando Reis), um novo olhar sobre os sucessos de seus dez anos passados e um aceno para um futuro que nunca conhecemos.
Discogs
Acústico MTV – Discogs
discogs.com