Edu Lobo
Edu Lobo
1973
Why This Album Matters
Calabar, O Elogio da Traição, released in 1973, is Chico Buarque's seventh studio album and stands out as the soundtrack to the eponymous play, written in partnership with the Mozambican poet Ruy Guerra. This work is notable not only for its musical quality, but also for its profound historical and political relevance, serving as a veiled and courageous critique of the Brazilian military dictatorship of the time. The work addresses the historical figure of Domingos Fernandes Calabar, but its narrative was skilfully constructed to draw parallels with political dissent and the repression of the regime. Musically, the album features vigorous and innovative arrangement work, signed by Edu Lobo, who incorporated new sounds such as synthesizers, electric guitar and strings. This fusion of traditional elements with contemporary sounds gives the album a rich and complex sonic identity, elevating it beyond a mere soundtrack and consolidating it as a landmark in Brazilian musical production.
Context
Released at the height of the Brazilian military dictatorship in 1973, the album Calabar, O Elogio da Traição was born under the heavy scrutiny of censorship. Both the record and the theatrical play that inspired it were subject to rigorous scrutiny, resulting in various sections and concepts being vetoed. The censors' view interpreted the work as provocative, sympathetic to Dutch colonisation to the detriment of Portuguese rule, and, metaphorically, capable of inciting revolt against the current military government. Chico Buarque, in turn, conceived the narrative to draw clear parallels with the political dissent of the dictatorship, evoking figures such as Carlos Lamarca, a captain who deserted from the Brazilian Army to engage in guerrilla warfare. The intensification of control mechanisms, especially after the creation of the Public Entertainment Censorship Service (SCDP) in 1972, resulted in altered covers and prohibited titles, such as the original 'Chico canta Calabar', vetoed due to the initials which could allude to the Communist Hunting Command (CCC).
Recording
The musical production of Calabar, O Elogio da Traição was under the direction of Roberto Menescal. The technical details of the recording indicate the participation of Sérgio M. de Carvalho in studio direction and Luigi as recording engineer. A distinctive aspect of the album was the contribution of Edu Lobo, responsible for the string arrangements, while Mário Tavares was in charge of conducting, elements that added depth and sophistication to the album's sound.
Songs
Censorship's repression directly impacted the album's lyrical content, with songs having their lyrics entirely prohibited or altered. Tracks such as "Ana de Amsterdam" and "Vence na Vida Quem Diz Sim", for example, were released only in their instrumental versions, without the vocals that would give them full meaning. Censorship also operated on specific verses, such as in "Bárbara", where the phrase "no poço escuro de nós duas" (in the dark well of us two) was cut for suggesting a lesbian relationship. Similarly, in "Não Existe Pecado ao Sul do Equador/Boi Voador Não Pode", the verse "Vamos fazer um pecado safado debaixo do meu cobertor" (Let's commit a naughty sin under my blanket) was replaced by "Vamos fazer um pecado rasgado, suado, a todo vapor" (Let's commit a torn, sweaty sin at full steam). In the song "Fado Tropical", which features a section declaimed by Ruy Guerra, the phrase "além da sífilis, é claro" (besides syphilis, of course) was excluded for alluding to the 'Portuguese blood' of a character in the play.
Legacy
The initial reception of Calabar, O Elogio da Traição was marked by difficulties imposed by censorship, which led to the withdrawal of copies and re-releases with neutral covers. Sales of the first pressings were modest, a direct reflection of government interventions. Despite the challenges, some songs from the album resonated over time. "Não Existe Pecado ao Sul do Equador", for example, was re-recorded by Ney Matogrosso in 1978, becoming the opening theme for the telenovela Pecado Rasgado. Additionally, the impact of Regina Vater's original graphic design was re-affirmed, with its later adaptation for the book edition of the play and for theatrical posters, such as that produced by Elifas Andreato in 1980, demonstrating the persistence and relevance of its visual proposal in the context of symbolic resistance.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Mario Tavares
Lindolfo Gaya
Edu Lobo
Milton Miranda
Dori Caymmi
Z. J. Merky
Willy Paiva Moreira
Jorge Teixeira
Nivaldo Duarte, Toninho, Zilmar De Araujo
Cafi
Podcasts
PODCAST MUTANTE · Bode da Mutante
1973: O Som de uma Era Brasileira - Edição limitada – 50 anos, o melhor de 1973. Embarque conosco em uma viagem musical única e nostálgica de volta a 1973, um ano repleto de música que marcou gerações no Brasil. Nosso programa especial, intitulado '1973: O Som de uma Época Brasileira', mergulhará fundo nos álbuns que definiram aquele momento no cenário musical brasileiro. Exploraremos os 50 álbuns
Books
Analyses
Discos para descobrir em casa - 'Edu Lobo', Edu Lobo, 1973 - G1
g1.globo.com
Disco que marcou a volta do cantor ao Brasil, após temporada de quatro anos nos Estados Unidos em movimento migratório feito em 1969, o álbum Edu Lobo apontou a evolução da obra do artista ...
Discos para descobrir em casa - 'Edu Lobo', Edu Lobo, 1973
tvkweb.com.br
Disco que marcou a volta do cantor ao Brasil, após temporada de quatro anos nos Estados Unidos em movimento migratório feito em 1969, o álbum Edu Lobo apontou a evolução da obra do artista, reiterando a maestria do compositor na busca incansável da harmonia perfeita.
Edu Lobo (1973) | Toque Musical
toque-musicall.com
Vamos com o Edu Lobo em seu excelente álbum de 73. Boa safra! Um disco que nem vou me dar ao trabalho de falar, pois já foi bem apresentado em diferentes cantos e recantos dessa web musical. Tenha todos uma ótima noite. Ano que vem tem mai s … vento bravo viola fora de moda porto do sol zanga zangada dois coelhos kyrie glória ...
Vinil Campina: Edu Lobo - 1973 - Missa Breve
vinilcampina.blogspot.com
Faixas: 1 Vento Bravo ( Edu Lobo / Paulo César Pinheiro ) 2 Viola Fora de Moda ( Edu Lobo / Capinan ) 3 Porto do Sol ( Edu Lobo / Ronaldo Bastos ) 4 Zanga Zangada ( Edu Lobo / Ronaldo Bastos ) 5 Dois Coelhos ( Edu Lobo / Ruy Guerra ) 6 Kyrie ( Edu Lobo ) Participação: Quarteto Em Cy 7 Glória ( Edu Lobo ) Participação: Quarteto Em Cy
Edu Lobo - Missa Breve - by Rafael Morettini - Um Catálogo
umcatalogo.substack.com
E nesse texto vou bedelhar o "Edu Lobo", de 1973, popularmente conhecido como "Missa Breve". Como esse é o meu último texto do Edu, eu gostaria de resumir o que ele fez durante esses vinte anos.
Discogs
Edu Lobo – Discogs
discogs.com