Is this 1994 album her best recording ever?
Marisa Monte’s ‘Rose and Charcoal’ gets our vote, and that’s saying a lot. Her 1989 debut album ‘MM’ set a new standard for Brazilian pop, and her follow-up album ‘Mais’ confirmed it with newfound musical maturity. But ‘Rose and Charcoal‘ is where it all came together, standing the test of time to be listed by Rolling Stone Brazil as one of the 100 best Brazilian albums in history. Read our original review.
Originally published by Connect Brazil, September 22, 1994
Released in Brazil as Verde Anil Amarelo Cor De Rosa E Carvão, singer and songwriter Marisa Monte’s latest CD Rose and Charcoal is set for in-store release on October 18th.
It will be one of the first releases on Blue Note Records’ new world pop label, Metro Blue, and will be an instant hit with fans of this talented singer from both sides of the equator.
With two successful US releases, Monte is poised for international pop success, and Rose and Charcoal has all the ingredients to make this goal a reality.
It wasn’t too long ago that Caetano Veloso publicly decried the lack of talented singers and musicians in Brazil, to replace the Jobims, Gilbertos, and Nara Leaos of Brazil.
Caetano Veloso no longer needs to worry.
With Rose and Charcoal, artistry sets the tone. From the opening track of ‘Maria de Verdade’ and throughout the 13 songs, Monte turns a kaleidoscope of cultural tradition with contemporary Brazilian and International pop styles.
Singing both in English and Portuguese, Marisa Monte effortlessly crosses cultural lines without pause. Witness her ‘Pale Blue Eyes.’ Very American, (with guest, Bonnie Raitt) and totally Brazilian.
My favorites? I love the quiet setting of ‘Alta Noite’ (Late Night) with its reflective orchestral setting. ‘O Ceu’ and ‘Bem Leve’ are both vintage Marisa Monte. The sambas ‘Balanca Pema’ and ‘Esta Melodia’ are playfully snappy, while ‘Enquanto Isso’ is wonderful with its poetic English. But ‘Na Estrada’ hits the sweet spot with its clever lyrics and trop-pop style really stays with me.
And hats off to producer Arto Lindsay. He hit on the perfect combination of material, arrangements, and creative perspective to launch Marisa Monte to the heights she deserves.
Monte’s range of style and her powerful delivery is a pleasant surprise, given the disappointing recordings released by many of her contemporaries recently.
Wait! Is that Gal Costa singing on ‘Segue O Seco’ and the sad samba ‘Danca Da Solida?’ No, It’s Marisa Monte doing the record that Gal Costa should have made…
There will always be comparisons to Gal, but that’s okay. Marisa Monte and Gal Costa belong to different generations and different perspectives.
Someday, people will be comparing other, younger singers to Marisa Monte, and Caetano Veloso will listen and smile. Perhaps.
Marisa Monte’s Rose and Charcoal
- Maria De Verdade
- Na Estrada
- Ao Meu Redor
- Segue O Seco
- Pale Blue Eyes
- Dança Da Solidão
- De Mais Ninguém
- Alta Noite
- O Céu
- Bem Leve
- Balança Pema
- Enquanto Isso
- Esta Melodia
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Personnel:
Maria De Verdade
- Acoustic Guitar – Nando Reis
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Cello – Fred Vlotkin, Richard Locker
- Composed By – Carlinhos Brown
- Djembe, Other [Fundo De Panela], Vocals – Carlinhos Brown
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- French Horn – Fred Griffin, Robert Carlyle
- Sampler – Chico Neves
- Surdo [Surdo Virado], Other [Tostex], Percussion [Trash Can] – Marcos Suzano
- Viola – Alfred Brown, Lamar Alsop
- Violin – David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi, Suzanne Ornstein
- Acoustic Guitar – Nando Reis
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Cello – Fred Vlotkin, Richard Locker
- Composed By – Carlinhos Brown
- Djembe, Other [Fundo De Panela], Vocals – Carlinhos Brown
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- French Horn – Fred Griffin, Robert Carlyle
- Sampler – Chico Neves
- Surdo [Surdo Virado], Other [Tostex], Percussion [Trash Can] – Marcos Suzano
- Viola – Alfred Brown, Lamar Alsop
- Violin – David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi, Suzanne Ornstein
Na Estrada
- Bass, Vocals – Arthur Maia
- Composed By – Marisa Monte
- Composed By, Acoustic Guitar – Nando Reis
- Composed By, Tambourine, Other [Lé, Frigideira, Gan] – Carlinhos Brown
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Electric Organ [Hammond], Synthesizer [Mini Moog] – Bernie Worrell
- Snare – Marcos Suzano
- Bass, Vocals – Arthur Maia
- Composed By – Marisa Monte
- Composed By, Acoustic Guitar – Nando Reis
- Composed By, Tambourine, Other [Lé, Frigideira, Gan] – Carlinhos Brown
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Electric Organ [Hammond], Synthesizer [Mini Moog] – Bernie Worrell
- Snare – Marcos Suzano
Ao Meu Redor
- Arranged By [Brass, Strings] – Philip Glass
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Cello – Richard Locker
- Composed By, Acoustic Guitar – Nando Reis
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Flugelhorn – Marvin Stamm
- Other [Traqueia] – Carlinhos Brown
- Pandeiro – Marcos Suzano
- Viola – Lamar Alsop
- Violin – David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi
- Arranged By [Brass, Strings] – Philip Glass
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Cello – Richard Locker
- Composed By, Acoustic Guitar – Nando Reis
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Flugelhorn – Marvin Stamm
- Other [Traqueia] – Carlinhos Brown
- Pandeiro – Marcos Suzano
- Viola – Lamar Alsop
- Violin – David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi
Segue O Seco
- Accordion – Valdonis
- Bass, Vocals – Arthur Maia, Nando Reis
- Berimbau – Marcos Suzano
- Composed By, Cowbell, Other [Pulseira, Cacho De Semente, Vagem, Matraca], Vocals – Carlinhos Brown
- Surdo [Surdo Virado], Vocals – Jorginho Gomes
- Vocals – Arto Lindsay
- Accordion – Valdonis
- Bass, Vocals – Arthur Maia, Nando Reis
- Berimbau – Marcos Suzano
- Composed By, Cowbell, Other [Pulseira, Cacho De Semente, Vagem, Matraca], Vocals – Carlinhos Brown
- Surdo [Surdo Virado], Vocals – Jorginho Gomes
- Vocals – Arto Lindsay
Pale Blue Eyes
- Acoustic Guitar – Romero Lubambo
- Composed By – Lou Reed
- Percussion – Naná Vasconcelos
- Acoustic Guitar – Romero Lubambo
- Composed By – Lou Reed
- Percussion – Naná Vasconcelos
Dança Da Solidão
- Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Gilberto Gil
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Bass Clarinet – Ned Rothenberg
- Composed By – Paulinho Da Viola
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Electric Guitar – Celso Fonseca
- Pandeiro – Marcos Suzano
- Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Gilberto Gil
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Bass Clarinet – Ned Rothenberg
- Composed By – Paulinho Da Viola
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Electric Guitar – Celso Fonseca
- Pandeiro – Marcos Suzano
De Mais Ninguém
- Arranged By, Performer – Época De Ouro
- Composed By – Arnaldo Antunes, Marisa Monte
- Arranged By, Performer – Época De Ouro
- Composed By – Arnaldo Antunes, Marisa Monte
Alta Noite
- Acoustic Guitar – Romero Lubambo
- Arranged By [Strings] – Greg Cohen
- Cello – Fred Vlotkin, Richard Locker
- Composed By – Arnaldo Antunes
- Percussion – Prince Vasconcelos Dubois
- Viola – Alfred Brown, Lamar Alsop
- Violin – David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi, Suzanne Ornstein
- Acoustic Guitar – Romero Lubambo
- Arranged By [Strings] – Greg Cohen
- Cello – Fred Vlotkin, Richard Locker
- Composed By – Arnaldo Antunes
- Percussion – Prince Vasconcelos Dubois
- Viola – Alfred Brown, Lamar Alsop
- Violin – David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi, Suzanne Ornstein
O Céu
- Acoustic Guitar – Gilberto Gil
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Composed By – Marisa Monte
- Composed By, Electric Guitar – Nando Reis
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Electric Organ [Hammond] – Bernie Worrell
- Talking Drum – Marcos Suzano
- Acoustic Guitar – Gilberto Gil
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Composed By – Marisa Monte
- Composed By, Electric Guitar – Nando Reis
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Electric Organ [Hammond] – Bernie Worrell
- Talking Drum – Marcos Suzano
Bem Leve
- Acoustic Guitar – Gilberto Gil
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Bass Drum [Zabumba] – Jorginho Gomes
- Composed By – Arnaldo Antunes, Marisa Monte
- Pandeiro – Marcos Suzano
- Acoustic Guitar – Gilberto Gil
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Bass Drum [Zabumba] – Jorginho Gomes
- Composed By – Arnaldo Antunes, Marisa Monte
- Pandeiro – Marcos Suzano
Balança Pema
- Acoustic Guitar – Gilberto Gil
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Composed By – Jorge Ben
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Electric Guitar – Celso Fonseca
- Electric Organ [Hammond] – Bernie Worrell
- Pandeiro, Cuica – Marcos Suzano
- Acoustic Guitar – Gilberto Gil
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Composed By – Jorge Ben
- Drums – Jorginho Gomes
- Electric Guitar – Celso Fonseca
- Electric Organ [Hammond] – Bernie Worrell
- Pandeiro, Cuica – Marcos Suzano
Enquanto Isso
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Composed By – Marisa Monte
- Composed By, 12-String Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Craviola] – Nando Reis
- Ganzá, Shekere – Marcos Suzano
- Percussion [Frigideira], Ganzá – Carlinhos Brown
- Piccolo Trumpet – Marvin Stamm
- Sampler – Chico Neves
- Surdo [Virado], Vocals – Jorginho Gomes
- Vocals – Laurie Anderson
- Bass – Arthur Maia
- Composed By – Marisa Monte
- Composed By, 12-String Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Craviola] – Nando Reis
- Ganzá, Shekere – Marcos Suzano
- Percussion [Frigideira], Ganzá – Carlinhos Brown
- Piccolo Trumpet – Marvin Stamm
- Sampler – Chico Neves
- Surdo [Virado], Vocals – Jorginho Gomes
- Vocals – Laurie Anderson
Esta Melodia
- Acoustic Guitar – Paulinho Da Viola
- Band – Velha Guarda da Portela
- Composed By – Bubú Da Portela*, Jamelão
- Acoustic Guitar – Paulinho Da Viola
- Band – Velha Guarda da Portela
- Composed By – Bubú Da Portela*, Jamelão
- Recorded At – Nas Nuvens
- Recorded At – Skyline Studios
- Credits
- A&R – João Augusto
- Design – Glória Affalo, Sula Danowski
- Directed By [Executive Direction] – Leonardo Netto
- Illustration – Marcos Martins (3)
- Producer – Arto Lindsay
- Producer [Associated] – Marisa Monte
- Recorded By, Mixed By – Patrick Dillett
