Caymmi e Seu violão

Caymmi, Dorival

Clues to the Elusive Brazilian Soul

The songs of Dorival Caymmi's 1959 solo voice-and-guitar masterpiece Caymmi e seu violão celebrate man's deep connection to the sea. The swaying, simple melodies sound like they've been hanging around the shoreline forever, just waiting to attach to a sympathetic ear. The narratives talk directly about the ocean ("O mar") and those who depend on it ("Promessa de pescador"), and though in some of the more turbulent ballads he portrays the water as a threatening malevolent presence, just as often it's a friend, welcoming with open arms.

Caymmi came by his affinity for nature early on—he was born in Salvador da Bahia, the region of Brazil known for its spectacular beaches and West African culture. Though he appears to have been attached to Bahia, after he moved to Rio de Janeiro (to study law) he never again lived in his home city. He began recording in the late 1930s, and quickly earned reverence for his rustic, plainspoken songs, which have been interpreted by virtually every major Brazilian star from Carmen Miranda forward. The Caymmi songbook, like that of Antonio Carlos Jobim (see p. 397), offers clues about the distinctly "Brazilian" soul. But where Jobim worshipped beautiful people, Caymmi shines light on ordinary folks and their daily preoccupations—food, lore, the weather. His songs seem simple, yet like the sea, there's turbulence below the gently undulating exterior.

Genre: World, Brazil
Released: 1959, EMI Brazil
Key Tracks: "O mar," "O vento."
Catalog Choice: Caymmi
Next Stop: Baden Powell: Os Afro Sambas.
Book Page: 153

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