The second album of the singer by Biscoito Fino recreates compositions by Chico Buarque with the participation of the Pau Brasil group in all tracks.

Mônica Salmaso launches her second original CD by Biscoito Fino “Noites de Gala, Samba na Rua” (Nights of Gala, Samba in the Street) only with songs by Chico Buarque.

The CD was all recorded with the Pau Brasil group that is formed by Nelson Ayres (piano), Paulo Bellinati (guitar and “cavaquinho” – small guitar with four strings), Teco Cardoso (sax and flute), Ricardo Mosca (drums and percussion) and Rodolfo Stroeter (bass and production of the album).

The chemistry between Mônica’s precise voice, the jazzistic sonority of the Pau Brasil group and Chico Buarque’s songs passes by four decades of creation of the biggest Brazilian composer and results in an instigating CD with agile rereadings that sometimes decomposes Chico’s own composition. Mônica has loved the composer since the beginning of her career. Chico Buarque invited the singer to participate in his most recent CD, “Carioca”, with whom she shared the vocals in “Imagina”.

Mônica dedicated a whole show to Chico in the National Library in Rio during the celebrations of Chico’s sixtieth birthday in 2004. As of this show, she carefully outlined a repertoire that contemplates Chico’s various phases. From the “young” Chico, treated as an heir of Noel Rosa in the prolific 60’s, Mônica selected four tracks. The sambas “Quem te viu, quem te vê” (Whoever saw you, whoever sees you now) – from which verses the title of the album was taken – and “Logo eu” (Why me?) – with the polyphonies of Teco Cardoso’s sax just like Pixinguinha’s style); the classic song “Morena dos olhos d´água” (The watery-eyed brunette) and the rare and irresistible maxixe (Brazilian popular dance) “Bom tempo” (Good weather).

From the 70’s, when Chico Buarque’s songs became a symbol against the dictatorship, there are “Construção” (Construction) – here flirting with contemporary music, “Partido Alto” (High Advantage), “Basta um dia” (Just one day) – from the play “Gota D´água” (Last drop of water) e “Olha Maria” (Look Mary), by Chico and Tom and Vinicius. From the 80’s, when Chico definitely incorporated the condition of national unanimity, there are “A volta do malandro” (The return of the Loafer) – written for the movie “Ópera do Malandro” (Loafer’s Opera) by Ruy Guerra); “Beatriz” (Beatrice) and “Ciranda da bailarina” (Ballerina’s dance) with Edu Lobo for the musical “O grande circo místico” (The Great Mystical Circus); “O velho Francisco” (The Old Francis) and “Suburbano coração” (Suburban Heart). “Você, você” (You,you) – with Guinga – is the track selected for this album which shows Chico’s most sophisticated maturity as of the 90’s.

Even though Mônica has a strong link with the “Pau Brasil” group, it is the first time she sings with them. She says: “I recorded my first CD with Paulo Bellinati, “Afro Sambas (African Sambas).Rodolfo Stroeter has been the producer of all my CDs since Trampolim in 1998, relaunched by Biscoito Fino in 2006. Teco Cardoso, whom I’m married to, has worked with me since 1998 in CDs and projects such as Orquestra Popular de Câmara (Popular Chamber Orchestra). I’ve known Ricardo Mosca since 1990, when I started singing”. “And I worked with Nelson Ayres for the first time in 1993, when he invited me to participate in an edition of “O Grande Circo Místico”, (The Great Mystical Circus)” she explains.

The choice of the repertoire of the new CD was made with the group. The intention was to create a CD in which the voice of the singer and the sonority of “Pau Brasil” group were perfectly integrated. Out of 60 songs by Chico they came to 14, which were chosen as the arrangements were being delineated. And did Chico like it? “Chico received a copy of the CD before the mixing. He himself called Rodolfo and me, telling us he was very touched”, honors Mônica, a high class cabrocha (woman who likes to dance the samba) in nights of gala and samba in the street.

Text of the insert

In the gigantic universe of Brazilian songs, there are two master composers whom I listen to since I was a child and who taught me music and also the Brazilian soul and culture: Dorival Caymmi and Chico Buarque.

It seems natural to me that, at this stage of my career, a Singer bases her projects on the work of certain composers. In this kind of “plunge”, tribute and pleasant work of focus and research are joined together.

In 2004, I performed in a show with songs by Chico Buarque, as part of a beautiful exhibition in the National Library in Rio de Janeiro. After that there were some more shows based on this first show. In 2006, to my great surprise and happiness, Chico invited me to participate in his CD “CARIOCA”.

This sequence of events made me advance the project I knew I would carry out one day.

I wanted the sonority of a group for this CD so I immediately invited “Pau Brasil” because of their creativity and musical maturity, because of our work together on various occasions since AFRO SAMBAS, with Bellinati, and also because of their “story” with the discography of the composer – they recorded “A DANÇA DA MEIA-LUA” with Chico and Edu Lobo in 1988.

We wanted to link the voice to the group, – the way I like and find fun to sing – explore the sonority of each instrument and the possibilities of “gatherings”.

I really want to show my gratitude to Chico Buarque for the songs that are part of my musical and emotional background and for the recording of “Imagina”, and to “Pau Brasil” for having accepted the invitation and for playing such lively and good music. .

Mônica Salmaso