Canção do Amor Demais
Elizeth Cardoso
1958
Why This Album Matters
Canção do Amor Demais, released in May 1958 by the iconic Elizeth Cardoso, is widely revered as one of the initial milestones of bossa nova. The album features a remarkable collection of compositions by Vinicius de Moraes and Antônio Carlos Jobim, with the seminal participation of João Gilberto on guitar on some tracks, introducing elements that would define the new Brazilian musical style. Distinguished by a more intimate sound, with reduced instrumentation compared to the traditional boleros and sambas-canções of the era, the record incorporates percussion influenced by North American jazz. The songs, mostly sambas-canções with sentimental appeal, are elevated by Elizeth Cardoso's unique interpretation, which imparts a reinforced dramatic effect, making each track an experience laden with emotion.
This album inaugurated what we know as bossa nova: not only for bringing, in the voice of an experienced singer, the most beautiful songs that the Tom and Vinicius partnership had already produced.
Antônio do Amaral Rocha · Rolling Stone Brasil
Context
The album was conceived by Irineu Garcia's Festa label, a small record company in the centre of Rio de Janeiro whose primary purpose was not commercial, but the release of 'spoken word' records by Brazilian poets and chroniclers. The idea for the record arose through the friendship between Irineu and Vinicius de Moraes, then vice-consul at Itamaraty. Vinicius initially suggested a selection of his compositions interpreted by a female singer, after Dolores Duran was discarded due to her high fee. He acted cautiously regarding his overt participation in the project, apprehensive of explicitly linking his profession as a diplomat and poet with the craft of popular music lyricist.
Recording
The recording sessions for Canção do Amor Demais took place in April 1958, at Columbia Records studios, in Rio de Janeiro. Despite being the first phonographic recording to feature João Gilberto's celebrated guitar beat on the tracks "Outra Vez" and "Chega de Saudade", his name was not included in the credits of the album's original edition. João Gilberto was also scheduled to play guitar on other tracks such as "Eu Não Existo sem Você", "Luciana" and "Caminho de Pedra", but only participated in the chorus on the title track, alongside Jobim and Walter Santos. The guitarist expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of autonomy in co-producing the tracks with Tom Jobim, even attempting to guide Elizeth Cardoso on how she should interpret the songs, considering that the singer approached them as "sacred pieces". However, Elizeth showed little receptiveness to his suggestions, indicating that she did not require such advice.
Songs
The songs on Canção do Amor Demais were predominantly composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim, with lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes. The repertoire is characterised by melodies of sentimental appeal, mostly sambas-canções, which gain depth through Elizeth Cardoso's expressive interpretation. Highlights include "Chega de Saudade" and "Outra Vez", which mark the historic first appearance of João Gilberto's innovative guitar beat. The song "Estrada Branca" is an example of the album's dramatic style, culminating in a tragic outcome with the line "vou caminhando com vontade de morrer", highlighting the poetic and emotional tone of the lyrics.
The first steps of the duo that laid the groundwork for bossa nova took detours via other art forms. The partnership of Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim began in 1956, when the former invited the latter to set his play Orfeu da Conceição to music.
Tárik de Souza · 300 Discos Importantes
Legacy
Canção do Amor Demais is unquestionably considered an initial landmark of bossa nova, not only for its compositions and arrangements, but for anticipating various characteristics that would come to define the genre, such as streamlined instrumentation and the fusion of rhythmic elements. However, the initial release in May 1958 did not achieve immediate success, partly due to a limited pressing of only two thousand copies and the Festa label's "zero promotion" policy. It was only after the later success of the single "Chega de Saudade", with João Gilberto singing and playing, and the global rise of bossa nova, that Elizeth Cardoso's album gained deserved recognition as an essential precursor to the movement. Despite its discreet reception at the time of its release, the work was praised by specialised critics, consolidating its status as a fundamental record in the history of Brazilian music.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius De Moraes
Elizeth Cardoso
Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, Walter Santos
Vidal
Juquinha
Copinha
João Gilberto
Edmundo Maciel, Gaucho
Herbert
Irany Pinto
Vinicius De Moraes
Videos
Elizete Cardoso - Canção Do Amor Demais (Episode 198)
Ten-Minute Record Reviews
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.
Analyses
Canção do Amor Demais – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Canção do Amor Demais – The 100 Greatest Albums of Brazilian Music
Antônio do Amaral Rocha · Rolling Stone Brasil
Disco que inaugura o que conhecemos por bossa nova – não só por trazer na voz de uma cantora experiente as mais belas canções que a parceria Tom e Vinicius já havia produzido, mas também pelos arranjos de Jobim para temas de amor (e que corriam o risco de serem embalados em orquestrações melosas, tão ao gosto do samba-canção de então). Não bastasse, é a primeira vez que se ouve ao violão aquela “batida diferente”, em “Chega de Saudade” e “Outra Vez”. João Gilberto dá o norte do que seria a execução do violão moderno no Brasil.
Elizeth Cardoso - Canção Do Amor Demais (1958) | Toque Musical
toque-musicall.com
Vejam vocês, aqui estou eu postando novamente o emblemático "Canção do amor demais", da Elizeth Cardoso. Este é um disco o qual já foi apresentando aqui e por certo todo mundo que gosta e entende de música já o conhece, não é novidade.
Elizeth Cardoso - Canção Do Amor Demais (1958) | Toque Musicall
toque-music-all.blogspot.com
Vejam vocês, aqui estou eu postando novamente o emblemático "Canção do amor demais", da Elizeth Cardoso. Este é um disco o qual já foi apresentando aqui e por certo todo mundo que gosta e entende de música já o conhece, não é novidade.
'Canção do amor demais' é o encontro do básico com a sofisticação
escotilha.com.br
Sem dúvida nenhuma, o álbum Canção do amor demais, lançado em 1958, constitui boa parte deste fundamento, construído pelas mãos de Tom Jobim e Vinicius de Moraes, mas também pela presença e voz inigualável de Elizeth Cardoso.
Discogs
Canção do Amor Demais – Discogs
discogs.com