João Do Vale

Through the genuine eyes of singer and songwriter João do Vale, the album tells a soulful tale of Brazil’s northeastern countryside with plenty of forró, baião, and other regional music elements. The truthfulness of Vale’s music lies not only in the fact that he was born in this region, carrying Northeastern Brazil’s verbal and aesthetical DNA, but in his ability to honestly depict the hardships and magic of his land. What’s more, Vale seems to have finger-picked the guest artists participating in this album, which stars MPB giants like Nara Leão, Gonzaguinha, Clara Nunes, and Chico Buarque. One iconic song by Vale that has marked the history of música brasileira and is featured in this album is “Carcará”, where the sound of rabeca (a Brazilian folk violin) follows the drama of the track. Not less iconic are the forró tracks “O Canto da Êma” and “Pisa na Fulô”. With the brilliant interpretation of Clara Nunes, “Oricuri” speaks of the countryside man’s wisdom beyond formal education, while “Fogo no Paraná” is a bitter chronicle of poverty in Brazil. The closing track is also one of the most ravishing: a voice-and-rabeca testimonial where Vale himself narrates his life story - one where, despite the adversities, music made him go on.