- Unreleased treasures capturing the jubilant, sultry spirit of '80s Brazilian boogie, disco and jazz fusion.
- In the '70s, música popular brasileira, or MBP, took hold of pop culture in South America's biggest country. A hybrid of pop, samba, jazz, rock, disco and regional Brazilian sounds, it was considered a lighter and more polished counterpart to the politically-charged tropicália movement of the late '60s. Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Gal Costa were among the many reigning faces of MBP but the genre's real movers were behind the scenes. As arrangers, producers, musicians and partners-in-crime, Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti were the secret ingredient of MBP's global success.
The pair's prolific discography—which spans over 1,000 records—unfolds like a red carpet of Brazilian music royalty. They arranged, produced or played, sometimes doing all three, for Gil, Costa, Tim Maia, Marcos Valle, Rita Lee, Jorge Ben and countless others. A-list clients and record labels took up most of their time, but they managed to make one self-titled album together in 1982. Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti featured Prince-esque synths, electro-boogie and disco vocals, cementing their status as a powerhouse production duo.
Decades later, five unreleased gems from Jorge and Olivetti's most fertile period have emerged from their vaults courtesy of Selva Discos, a Lyon-based label specialising in Brazilian rarities. Recorded between 1982 and 1986, these never-heard-before tracks give fans an idea of what Jorge and Olivetti's second album might have sounded like. Their debut LP radiated a gentle and mellow attitude, moving with a surfer's relaxed demeanour, and Déjà Vu is much more emotional. Pop music in the '80s was known for indulgence, whether it was heavily synthesised melodies or rousing vocals, so that may have influenced Jorge and Olivetti to adopt a more stirring style encompassing passion, saudade (a Portuguese term for happy-sad) and escapism.
Opener "Suspira" zeroes in on the sense of invincibility that accompanies a particularly good mood. Its galloping disco rhythm, tinged with a samba shuffle, mirrors the loping gait of a person leaving their house for the night, ready for any dance floor adventure. "Dance Baby" is deeply funky with lavish yet controlled layers of horns, keys and guitars that exude a zenned-out state of euphoric bliss. "Batebca" has a distinctly tropical flavour, with its jazzy saxophone and wistful melodies that reference forgotten loves and daydreams. On a similarly nostalgic note, "You" invites introspection but also release. Its vocals are the album's most powerful, teeming with yearning and pain while gliding jazz-funk and uplifting keys remind listeners to keep on moving.
A welcome insight into Jorge and Olivetti's creative journey, Déjà Vu is instantly likeable. It's easy listening yet lively enough for a party, while still retaining the sweet-tempered mood of its 1982 predecessor—more proof that Brazilians really do it better. Jorge passed in '92, followed by Olivetti in 2015 but their radiant, frolicking grooves will forever remain influential.
Tracklist01. Suspira
02. Dance Baby
03. You
04. Sem Essa
05. Batebca