arthur verocai

Arthur Verocai

Reissue of Arthur Verocai’s super rare self-titled album (an original copy recently sold on ebay for over $450!), which will appeal to fans of the folksy soul and lo-fi electronic experimentations of American artists like Shuggie Otis or the funky orchestration of producer Charles Stepney (Rotary Connection, EWF). Closest Brazilian comparisons would be to Tim Maia and Jorge Ben, and heads giving space to Os Mutantes, Truby Trio, Kyoto Jazz Massive, even John Beltran or Stereolab should find room for this too. This unique recording has funk flavorings, a touch of folk, jazz style soloing, amazing 20 piece string arrangements, the blending of electronics and keyboards with organic sounds, and superb soundtrack style music. Verocai wasn't messing around with his line-up of musicians, which included brazilian legends like Robertinho Silva, Pascoal Meireles, Luiz Alves, Paulo Moura, Edson Maciel, Oberdan Magalhães (banda black rio), Nivaldo Ornelas (milton nascimento band) and Toninho Horta. in 1972 a repressive Brazilian military dictatorship frowned on artistic impression that might influence the youth of the country. However, producer, arranger and guitar player Verocai challenged the musical conventions of the day. His subtle protest experimented with new directions, and used figurative language to sneak under the censorship radar.