Domingo Menino Dominguinhos

Dominguinhos

1976

Cover of Domingo Menino Dominguinhos
Top 100

Why This Album Matters

Domingo Menino Dominguinhos, released in 1976, is a seminal album in Dominguinhos' discography and in Brazilian music, marking the moment when the artist consolidated an authorial and original voice. Although always recognised as Luiz Gonzaga's main musical heir, this work elevated him beyond the role of a disciple, revealing a unique ability to integrate the richness of Northeastern music with diverse influences from MPB. The record stands out for expanding the boundaries of forró, incorporating elements of jazz, bossa nova, and pop, creating a unique and sophisticated style. Dominguinhos' accordion, on this album, not only performs the traditional rhythms of the Northeast but also engages with complex arrangements and urban sonorities, showcasing the work of a virtuoso instrumentalist and a composer of keen sensibility.

Context

Born in Garanhuns, Pernambuco, in 1941, José Domingos de Morais, known as Dominguinhos, had a humble childhood and began playing the accordion very early. His professional trajectory received a decisive boost when he met Luiz Gonzaga in 1950, who invited him to Rio de Janeiro. In 1954, at 13 years old, Dominguinhos moved to the capital of Rio de Janeiro state, where he continued to hone his technique and have contact with musicians from the Bossa Nova movement. Before Domingo Menino Dominguinhos, the artist had already released some albums, but it was from 1975, with O Forró de Dominguinhos, that he began a process of modernising and universalising his musical language. The 1976 album also solidified his important partnership with Anastácia, one of Brazil's greatest composers, with whom Dominguinhos developed over 200 compositions and who was crucial for his songs to gain national recognition.

Recording

The album Domingo Menino Dominguinhos was recorded at Phonogram studio, using eight tracks, a technology that allowed for a richness of detail and sound layers for the time. Production direction was handled by Perinho Albuquerque, with Dominguinhos and Gilberto Gil responsible for the rhythm section arrangements, and Perinho Albuquerque and Wagner Tiso for the string arrangements. The album's credits feature a veritable dream team of Brazilian music stars. In addition to Dominguinhos himself on accordion, the album included Gilberto Gil on acoustic guitar, Toninho Horta on electric guitar, Wagner Tiso on electric piano, Moacyr Albuquerque on bass, and drums by Paulinho Braga, Enéas Costa, Pascoal and Chiquinho Azevedo. Percussion was enriched by Jackson do Pandeiro, Tinda and Cícero, while vocals featured Denise, Claudinha, Evinha, Mariseinha and Regina. The recording engineers were Luiz Cláudio and João Moreira.

Songs

The repertoire of Domingo Menino Dominguinhos comprises 12 tracks, with ten of them penned by Dominguinhos, nine of which were co-written with Anastácia. The collaboration between the two is evident in songs such as "Quero um Xamego", "O Babulina", "Destino Traquino", "Tenho Sede" and "Veja", which showcase the duo's ability to address emotional themes with unique delicacy within the forró universe. Two tracks stand out for their unique character. "Baião Violado", a solo instrumental composition by Dominguinhos, is a notable example of forró-jazz, where the artist, Toninho Horta and Wagner Tiso take turns delivering impressive improvisations, elevating baião to a level of universality. Another instrumental piece, "Gracioso", is a re-recording of Altamiro Carrilho's theme, where Dominguinhos fuses baião with choro, demonstrating his versatility and mastery of different musical genres.

Legacy

Domingo Menino Dominguinhos is widely considered a masterpiece and a classic of Brazilian music. The album was crucial in establishing Dominguinhos as one of Brazil's greatest accordionists and composers, transcending Luiz Gonzaga's legacy and breaking down the musical barriers of the Northeast for the world. Although it was originally released by Philips/Phonogram in 1976 and, unfortunately, remained out of print for some time, the record saw CD reissues in Japan, which attests to its importance and demand among collectors and music lovers. It is frequently listed among Dominguinhos' best albums on specialised platforms and continues to be a reference and source of influence for new generations of musicians, as evidenced by artists like Mestrinho, who cite it as a fundamental album in their musical development.

Rankings

Tracks

Credits

Arranged By

Dominguinhos, Gilberto Gil

Arranged By

Perinho Albuquerque, Wagner Tiso

Arranged By

Perinho Albuquerque

Producer

Perinho Albuquerque

Accordion

Dominguinhos

Acoustic Guitar

Gilberto Gil

Bass

Moacyr Albuquerque

Drums

Chiquinho Azevedo, Enéas Costa, Pascoal Meirelles, Paulinho Braga

Electric Piano

Wagner Tiso

Guitar

Toninho Horta

Percussion

Chiquinho Azevedo, Cícero, Jackson Do Pandeiro, Tinda

Lacquer Cut By

Joaquim Figueira

Mixed By

Jairo Gualberto

Recorded By

João Moreira, Luis Cláudio Coutinho

Artwork

Jorge Vianna, José Paulo

Cover

Aldo Luiz

Layout

Lobianco

Photography By

José Melo

Podcasts

Momento Discoteca Eldorado: 'Domingo Menino Dominguinhos' (1976)

Fim de Tarde Eldorado · Rádio Eldorado

7 min·19 Jun 2024

Emanuel Bomfim e Leandro Cacossi conversam com Gabriel Alegreti, que fala sobre 'Domingo Menino Dominguinhos', álbum de Dominguinhos de 1976.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Audiostyle #31 - Domingo, menino Dominguinhos

Transe Hub Podcast · Transehub

1h 56min·4 Dec 2022

Audiostyle chega ao seu 31. encontro, com a curadoria de Tiago Schiffner, conversando sobre o álbum Domingo, menino Dominguinhos, de 1976.

Chá com Bolacha - Ep. 02 - Domingo, Menino Dominguinhos

Desvio para o Vermelho · SP Escola de Teatro

10 min·21 Apr 2021

Neste episódio do "Chá com Bolacha" viajamos para Pernambuco, onde vamos relembrar o disco "Domingo, Menino Dominguinhos", do sanfoneiro Dominguinhos, lançado em 1976. A banda que acompanha o compositor e suas incursões com o jazz são os pontos altos do álbum.

Films

Analyses

Discogs

Domingo Menino Dominguinhos – Discogs

discogs.com