Os Tincoãs
Os Tincoãs
1973
Why This Album Matters
The eponymous 1973 album by Os Tincoãs represents a fundamental milestone in Brazilian music, marking a decisive stylistic shift for the Bahian trio. Launched after an initial period dedicated to bolero, this work delves deeply into Afro-Brazilian roots, adopting songs strongly influenced by Candomblé chants. This change was not just a repertoire alteration, but a sonic revolution that applied complex and undeniably high-quality vocal arrangements to songs originating from the terreiros, elevating Afro-Brazilian religious music to a new level within Brazilian Popular Music (MPB). Considered a visionary and innovative work, the album harmonises Afro-religious singing with celestial vocal arrangements, incorporating elements of Yoruba mythology, samba, capoeira chants, and spiritual songs. It played a crucial role in taking Candomblé music out of marginalised spaces, introducing its polyrhythmic structures and spiritual narratives to a wider urban MPB audience. With its rare, ancestral, and profoundly original sound, the 1973 album Os Tincoãs is recognised as one of Brazil's greatest vocal works and a watershed moment in the valorisation of Afro-Bahian culture in national music.
Context
Formed in 1960 in the city of Cachoeira, in the Bahian Recôncavo region, the trio Os Tincoãs began its career interpreting boleros and other hits of the era, similar to groups like Trio Irakitan, and released their first album, Meu Último Bolero, in 1962. The group's true transformation, however, began in 1963, with Mateus Aleluia joining to replace Erivaldo, who remained in Cachoeira. From then on, Os Tincoãs began extensive research into and raising awareness of African Black culture, the Candomblé terreiros of Bahia, and capoeira and samba circles. This phase of cultural immersion was fundamental to the conception of the 1973 album, which marks the full manifestation of this new musical identity, amalgamating the rich Bahian folkloric heritage with the sophistication of MPB during an effervescent period of Brazilian music.
Recording
The album Os Tincoãs, from 1973, was produced by Milton Miranda, with production by Adelzon Alves and musical direction by Maestro Lindolfo Gaya. The album's sound concept is notably minimalist and organic, featuring instrumentation restricted to just four elements: acoustic guitar, atabaque, agogô, and gourd. This lean instrumentation, combined with the trio's intricate vocal harmonies, created a unique and deeply immersive sound. The recording, lasting approximately 27 minutes, possesses a notable particularity: the audio quality is described as less crisp and slightly muffled in some re-editions, an aspect that, paradoxically, lends an additional layer of introspection and mysticism to the tracks. This characteristic, possibly due to the loss of fidelity of the original masters, does not diminish the excellence of the work, but imbues it with a singular atmosphere, as if the sound emerged directly from the terreiros and the ancestry that inspired it.
Songs
The twelve tracks on Os Tincoãs from 1973 are an eloquent tribute to Afro-Brazilian spirituality and culture, with the majority of compositions based on Candomblé songs and influenced by Yoruba mythology. Songs like "Deixa a Gira Girar", "Yansã Mãe Virgem", "Saudação aos Orixás", and "Canto Pra Iemanjá" transport the listener to a ritualistic universe, where the trio's voices intertwine in delicate and ethereal harmonies, evoking the orishas and the force of nature. Other compositions such as "Sabiá Roxa", "Ogundê", "Na Beira do Mar", "Raposa e Guará", "Capela D'Ajuda", "Obaluaê", "A Força da Jurema", and "Embola Embola" complete the repertoire, blending lyricism, formal innovation, and a profound reverence for African roots. "A Força da Jurema" is particularly notable for encapsulating the group's musical manifesto, a powerful cry of belonging and reverence for ancestors, while tracks like "Embola Embola" incorporate toadas and rhythms that resonate with bossa nova and the samba de roda tradition.
Legacy
Upon its release, the album Os Tincoãs was well received, achieving the feat of popularising orisha songs for a wider audience and solidifying the group's position as one of the most original in Brazilian roots music. Over the decades, the album's importance grew, becoming a true "cornerstone" of Brazilian music, celebrated for its cultural richness and its profound influence on MPB. The album inspired generations of artists, from acclaimed figures like Caetano Veloso to contemporary names like Emicida, who recognise Os Tincoãs for revolutionising the harmonisation of Afro-religious traditions in popular music. The rarity of original LP copies on the collectors' market is a testament to its value, with examples selling for high figures. The album was part of the box set "Nós, Os Tincoãs" in 2017, which remastered their 70s works, and continues to be reissued on vinyl and other formats, ensuring its timeless legacy continues to be rediscovered by new global audiences.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Lindolfo Gaya
Milton Miranda
Z. J. Merky
Adelzon Alves
Reny R. Lippi
Nivaldo Duarte, Toninho
Jorge Teixeira
Joselito
Books
Analyses
Os Tincoãs – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Os Tincoãs - Os Tincoãs (1973) - PEQUENOS CLÁSSICOS PERDIDOS
pequenosclassicosperdidos.com.br
Os Tincoãs - Os Tincoãs (1973) Quando Mateus Aleluia substituiu Erivaldo e em 1963 se juntou aos conterrâneos Heraldo e Dadinho no grupo Os Tincoãs, provavelmente não sabia que se tornariam um capítulo à parte na música brasileira.
Os Tincoãs - Os Tincoãs (1973) - Unicentro FM
unicentrofm.com.br
Os Tincoãs - Os Tincoãs (1973) Quando Mateus Aleluia substituiu Erivaldo e em 1963 se juntou aos conterrâneos Heraldo e Dadinho no grupo Os Tincoãs, provavelmente não sabia que se tornariam um capítulo à parte na música brasileira.
Crítica | "Os Tincoãs" (1973) - Os Tincoãs - Plano Crítico
planocritico.com
O disco antecipou discussões sobre representatividade negra, relações entre música e religiosidade afro-brasileira, criação a partir das tradições orais do Recôncavo, questões que apenas no século XXI ocuparam o centro do debate cultural brasileiro.
Os Tincoãs 1973 | Os Tincoães Vinyl - MTSIVC
na.homemakingministries.com
Os Tincoãs, quelque part, ce sont un peu les Beach Boys afro-brésiliens du Nordeste. Un parfum exotique extrêmement rafraîchissant, dont Você não imagina o quanto tempo procuro discos de Os Tincoãs, o primeiro grupo musical a trabalhar com a sonoridade africana e fazer sucesso no Brasil.
Discogs
Os Tincoãs – Discogs
discogs.com