that's the only song on there that gets on my nerves
As with the Os Mutantes Technicolor album, hearing the songs sung in English (and, in the case of Mutantes, w/o the genius of Rogerio Duprat) stripped them of some of their special meaning for me.
I think that some of the language thing is that it just becomes LESS* relevent than the overall feeling of the music. I'm not saying the lyrical content is unimportant; but, in the way that people listen to Gregorian chanting because it has a soulful feel to them, you can listen to Jorge Ben and be moved without knowing portugese.
I guess I just had to say that, as I don't think i really broke any new ground
but, in the way that people listen to Gregorian chanting because it has a soulful feel to them, you can listen to Jorge Ben and be moved without knowing portugese.
but, in the way that people listen to Gregorian chanting because it has a soulful feel to them, you can listen to Jorge Ben and be moved without knowing portugese.
^^^^^^ENIGMA FAN REVEALED
Last week, I get in the car with a camerman, and NO SHIT, he's got the chanting rollin' in the CD player.
"Yeah...I like to listen to this in the morning to help me wake up."
On the topic of language and Jorge I remeber I asked my brazilian ex-coworker to translate some o mr ben's lyrics:
"So 'Balanca Pema' really just means 'shake your ass?' That's it? I was sure he was sayin something a little more profound than that."
And whatever that jam on Tabua is something "e Vorcer" or something he was just talking about going to the beach and lookin at bitches.
Fortunately lyrics have never been that important to me anyway. the voice is just another instrument. So who cares what he's saying; talkin about booty shaking has never sounded so beautiful.
but, in the way that people listen to Gregorian chanting because it has a soulful feel to them, you can listen to Jorge Ben and be moved without knowing portugese.
^^^^^^ENIGMA FAN REVEALED
Last week, I get in the car with a camerman, and NO SHIT, he's got the chanting rollin' in the CD player.
"Yeah...I like to listen to this in the morning to help me wake up."
You laugh, but next year, the first wave of children conceived to "Sadeness, Part 1" will turn eighteen. Subwoofers will thud tentatively from bookshelves, pelvises will unfurl like molting butterflies, and the streets will run clear with Zima. Brace yourself.
But no, I absolutely understand that you can be moved by Jorge Ben without knowing Portuguese, it's just interesting to me that so very many people are moved as significantly and as consistently as they are. This is not dudes who don't speak any Spanish getting choked up when they hear "Guantanamera"; this is dudes who don't speak any Portuguese but are nonetheless deep enough into Jorge's catalog to prefer certain albums and certain periods and certain versions over others, and who feel enough personal resonance, enough real impact on their lives, to put him in the pantheon along with whoever they consider the all-time luminaries of their native tongue. And I'm not sure I could feel that way about anything that I knew I was willfully ignoring a significant aspect of. I mean, words-plus-music-(minus-words) is kind of a big deal to me.
But no, I absolutely understand that you can be moved by Jorge Ben without knowing Portuguese, it's just interesting to me that so very many people are moved as significantly and as consistently as they are. This is not dudes who don't speak any Spanish getting choked up when they hear "Guantanamera"; this is dudes who don't speak any Portuguese but are nonetheless deep enough into Jorge's catalog to prefer certain albums and certain periods and certain versions over others, and who feel enough personal resonance, enough real impact on their lives, to put him in the pantheon along with whoever they consider the all-time luminaries of their native tongue. And I'm not sure I could feel that way about anything that I knew I was willfully ignoring a significant aspect of. I mean, words-plus-music-(minus-words) is kind of a big deal to me.
As usual, I find myself agreeing most --if not all the way-- with the man james. One of the things I miss most about living in Chicago is getting together with james on a regular-enough-to-be-real basis over some naan and getting asked, "So what are you listening to lately? What's good?" This is not in some "Hey dude, what's good?" kind of faux-question greeting that you don't really want to know the answer to, but rather in a what kind of music moves you lately, and do you think it would move me, too? kind of way. At least that's how it always came across. And being on the level with the man james is, to quote Edie Brickell, "the best way to be."
And then he comes along with this type of ish, and you know you are nowhere near his level:
You laugh, but next year, the first wave of children conceived to "Sadeness, Part 1" will turn eighteen. Subwoofers will thud tentatively from bookshelves, pelvises will unfurl like molting butterflies, and the streets will run clear with Zima. Brace yourself.
I own no Jorge Ben records and have listened to none of his music.
Give me a year in this accelerated Portugese class I'm in and I'll translate some Jorge Ben lyrics for everyone.
I've always found that Ben's music, like most Brazillian music for me, is music I have to let grow on me, because really understanding it, both lyrically and musically, means understanding a different orientation towards rhythm and music.
When these Jorge Ben threads come up, I'm always curious: How many of the people in this thread speak Portuguese? My guess would be "not many." And in most other cases I don't really think about it, because non-fluent dudes who start threads on, you know, Turkish crunk or whatever, usually just say "Shit is dope!", maybe post a snippet, and keep it moving. But Jorge Ben appreciation always seems to run much much deeper, with his records having serious, central resonace--like, some Stevie-level shit--with a lot of people, most of whom I have to assume do not actually understand the words that he is saying.
Now, myself, I don't need to speak the language to know that "shit is dope!" (or heavy! or joyous! or crazy! etc.), and I'm very capable of very real love based purely on sonics, but if I don't understand the language in which a record is sung, then that record is always going to hit a wall with regard to how much it really means to me. And I've always assumed that this was the case for most other folks, too, but Jorge Ben seems to be a remarkably consistent exception. Why is that?
Good point, Jorge Ben's music seems to do that, after living in Lisbon for 6 months I can understand most things he's singing about, but A T??bua de Esmeralda was my fav. record before I learned Portuguese and that hasn't really changed. However, I find myself enjoying Milton Nascimento's Clube da Esquina much more now that I can understand the lyrics.
Overall I hate the production soundwise it's close to a dave matthews band album. Mainly the digital overpolished drums. It's very similar to his last solo album Cru. However this one actually has better songs IMO. The track I posted is for sure the standout banger on the album. Even the hidden song w/ Eterna Busca sans drums sounds excellent. It has some standout not so great tracks, and some standout amazing songs. Overall I'd say it's worth a listen though.
Man, i love jorge's music..I'm lucky my Mom is brasilian and has the ill vinyl collection so i grew up listening to alot of incredible Brasilian sides including alot of Jorge Ben..Africa Brasil is my all time favorite..Right now i'm in Brasil and its sad how much of the younger generation that I speak with knows nothing about him or his music..i guess its parelell to the younger generations in America and classic beats..Good post.Peace-p
Comments
As with the Os Mutantes Technicolor album, hearing the songs sung in English (and, in the case of Mutantes, w/o the genius of Rogerio Duprat) stripped them of some of their special meaning for me.
I guess I just had to say that, as I don't think i really broke any new ground
^^^^^^ENIGMA FAN REVEALED
Last week, I get in the car with a camerman, and NO SHIT, he's got the chanting rollin' in the CD player.
"Yeah...I like to listen to this in the morning to help me wake up."
"So 'Balanca Pema' really just means 'shake your ass?' That's it? I was sure he was sayin something a little more profound than that."
And whatever that jam on Tabua is something "e Vorcer" or something he was just talking about going to the beach and lookin at bitches.
Fortunately lyrics have never been that important to me anyway. the voice is just another instrument.
So who cares what he's saying; talkin about booty shaking has never sounded so beautiful.
You laugh, but next year, the first wave of children conceived to "Sadeness, Part 1" will turn eighteen. Subwoofers will thud tentatively from bookshelves, pelvises will unfurl like molting butterflies, and the streets will run clear with Zima. Brace yourself.
But no, I absolutely understand that you can be moved by Jorge Ben without knowing Portuguese, it's just interesting to me that so very many people are moved as significantly and as consistently as they are. This is not dudes who don't speak any Spanish getting choked up when they hear "Guantanamera"; this is dudes who don't speak any Portuguese but are nonetheless deep enough into Jorge's catalog to prefer certain albums and certain periods and certain versions over others, and who feel enough personal resonance, enough real impact on their lives, to put him in the pantheon along with whoever they consider the all-time luminaries of their native tongue. And I'm not sure I could feel that way about anything that I knew I was willfully ignoring a significant aspect of. I mean, words-plus-music-(minus-words) is kind of a big deal to me.
Sorta like how I listen to death metal to fall asleep.
As usual, I find myself agreeing most --if not all the way-- with the man james. One of the things I miss most about living in Chicago is getting together with james on a regular-enough-to-be-real basis over some naan and getting asked, "So what are you listening to lately? What's good?" This is not in some "Hey dude, what's good?" kind of faux-question greeting that you don't really want to know the answer to, but rather in a what kind of music moves you lately, and do you think it would move me, too? kind of way. At least that's how it always came across. And being on the level with the man james is, to quote Edie Brickell, "the best way to be."
And then he comes along with this type of ish, and you know you are nowhere near his level:
I own no Jorge Ben records and have listened to none of his music.
Thank you,
JRoot
I've always found that Ben's music, like most Brazillian music for me, is music I have to let grow on me, because really understanding it, both lyrically and musically, means understanding a different orientation towards rhythm and music.
Right? I hope the chorus to "Errare Humanum Est" translates to "do you even party?"
Good point, Jorge Ben's music seems to do that, after living in Lisbon for 6 months I can understand most things he's singing about, but A T??bua de Esmeralda was my fav. record before I learned Portuguese and that hasn't really changed. However, I find myself enjoying Milton Nascimento's Clube da Esquina much more now that I can understand the lyrics.
- spidey
Haven't heard it. Is Seu Jorge playing mainly acoustic guitar on it?
I got pretty bored with his album of Bowie covers from the life aquatic. It was a nice gimmick, but it's still a gimmick.
- spidey
Cool to get some commentary on the songs and see that the man has still got it.