Alumbramento
Djavan
1980
Rankings
Why This Album Matters
Alumbramento, released in 1980, marks a crucial turning point in Djavan's discography, consolidating his unique musical identity within the MPB scene. Unlike his previous works, this album delves into a more introspective and, at times, melancholic sound, yet without relinquishing the lyricism and harmonic inventiveness that would become his trademarks. It is on this record that Djavan experiments with greater depth with the fusion of samba, jazz, and regional elements, creating sophisticated arrangements and lyrics that border on the poetic and, at times, the enigmatic. The album is particularly notable for the partnerships Djavan established with some of Brazilian music's most prominent lyricists, an aspect that, curiously, would become less frequent on his subsequent records. This collaborative openness allowed the artist to expand his poetic and musical universe, whilst simultaneously gifting the public with compositions that would become timeless classics, such as "Meu Bem Querer".
Context
Before Alumbramento, Djavan had already released two albums: A Voz, O Violão, A Música de Djavan (1976) and Djavan (1978), the latter also known as Cara de Índio. He had moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1973, where he performed in nightclubs and began composing for telenovela soundtracks, gaining recognition with the song "Fato Consumado" at a music festival. In his early works, Djavan explored modern sambas with a clear bossa nova influence. With Alumbramento, the artist began a phase of greater maturity and experimentation, seeking new textures and harmonic complexities, whilst delving deeper into more emotional and reflective themes, moving somewhat away from the more regional repertoire present on his previous album.
Recording
Alumbramento was released by EMI-Odeon in 1980, with production direction by Mariozinho Rocha and executive production by Eduardo Souto Neto. The album's recording involved a talented team of musicians and arrangers, including Djavan himself, Eduardo Souto Neto, and Luiz Avellar on arrangements. The instrumentation is rich and varied, featuring violin, viola, flute, saxophone (with names such as Léo Gandelman and Victor Assis Brasil), trombone, trumpet, electric bass (Sizão Machado), drums, piano (Luiz Avellar), electric piano, and percussion (Chico Batera). Although some initial reviews point to a certain rigidity in the sound compared to later albums, the production successfully balanced more elaborate ballads with string arrangements and pop songs with touches of fusion, elements that already anticipated the sophistication that would become Djavan's trademark.
Songs
Alumbramento's repertoire is one of the richest in Djavan's career, driven by partnerships that would rarely be replicated on such a scale. Highlights include "Meu Bem Querer", an original romantic ballad that became one of his greatest successes and an instant MPB classic, featuring on the soundtrack of the telenovela "Coração Alado". Other notable collaborations include "Lambada de Serpente", a delicate and melancholic composition with the poet Cacaso. Djavan's samba streak manifests itself in the "vigorous samba" of "Tem Boi Na Linha", composed with Aldir Blanc and Paulo Emílio. The album also features the beautiful "A Rosa", a composition by Chico Buarque, and the title track "Alumbramento", the result of another significant partnership with Chico Buarque, where the lyrics seem to delve into Djavan's own universe and the discovery of a more open relationship with Brazilian music. The song "Sururu de Capote", a characteristic samba from Djavan's work, would later name the band that accompanied him in his shows, underscoring its musical importance.
Legacy
Alumbramento was positively received by specialised critics, with Alvaro Neder of AllMusic awarding the album 4 out of 5 stars and classifying it as "excellent", praising tracks such as "Tem Boi Na Linha" and "Sim Ou Não". The warm public reception was driven by the massive success of "Meu Bem Querer", which quickly established itself as one of the great classics of the Brazilian songbook, consolidating Djavan as one of the most relevant names in MPB. The album is frequently cited as one of the most substantial in his discography, marking the beginning of a period of experimentation and harmonic deepening that would come to define his style. Although specific sales figures for Alumbramento are not publicly detailed as with later works, its continuous re-release in different formats, including remastered CDs, attests to its enduring value and the constant demand for this fundamental work by the Alagoas-born artist.
Tracks
Credits
Eduardo Souto Neto
Mariozinho Rocha
Copinha, Jayme Araújo, Jorginho da Flauta, Ricardo Pontes
Zdenek Svab
Leo Gandelman, Mauro Senise, Victor Assis Brasil
Serginho Do Trombone
Bidinho, Paulinho Trompete
Arlindo Penteado, Frederick Stephany, Murilo Da Silva Loures, Nathercia Teixeira
Adolpho Pissarenko, Alfredo Vidal, Carlos Eduardo Hack, Jorge Faini, José Alves Da Silva, José Dias De Lana, Otávio Miranda Ilha, Robert Arnaud, Salvador Piersanti, Walter Hack
GianCarlo Pareschi
Osmar Furtado
Franklin Garrido, Nivaldo Duarte
Guilherme Reis, Mairton, Toninho
Noguchi
Tadeu Valério
Fernando Carvalho
Films
Books
Analyses
Alumbramento – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Álbum Alumbramento — Djavan
djavan.com.br
In "Alumbramento", Djavan discovers the art of collaboration for his compositions. Masters such as Aldir Blanc, Cacaso, and Chico Buarque, three of the most important lyricists in Brazilian music, each in their own style, succumb to the rhythmic shifts in Djavan's works.
MUSICA&SOM: Djavan - "Alumbramento" (1980)
tabernanovostempos.blogspot.com
On his third album, "Alumbramento", which celebrates 40 years since its release, Djavan is more musically and commercially refined, as he expands partnerships that would become some of the most celebrated in the history of Brazilian music.
Djavan - Alumbramento - 1980 | Não Pulo Uma Faixa
naopuloumafaixa.wordpress.com
The album was recorded in 1980 and celebrates collaborations with great composers, such as Aldir Blanc on the tracks "Tem Boi na Linha" and "Aquele Um", Cacaso on the beautiful "Lambada de Serpente", and Chico Buarque on the album's title track.
Djavan - Alumbramento (1980) - musicasdonordeste.net
musicasdonordeste.net
Alumbramento is the third studio album by Brazilian singer-songwriter Djavan, released in 1980 by EMI-Odeon. The album features some of his greatest hits, "Meu Bem Querer", as well as songs like "A Rosa" (written by Chico Buarque) and "Lambada de Serpente" (co-written with Cacaso).
