Céu: Vagarosa
Six Degrees; July 7, 2009

Amazon | Six Degrees
 
Vagarosa, the sophomore full-length from Brazilian phenomenon Céu, and follow-up to her GRAMMY/Latin GRAMMY-nominated self-titled debut, is coming out tomorrow, July 7.

The title, which translates to “slow, easygoing, and leisurely,” perfectly reflects the vibe that runs throughout the album. Everywhere on Vagarosa is evidence of Céu’s ever-deepening musical sophistication and intelligence. Notice the album’s opening track, for example: on the surface it’s all gentle sweetness, nothing but Céu’s flutelike voice accompanied by Rodrigo Campos on the cavaquinho, a sort of Brazilian ukelele. But the song’s title hints at more serious concerns – titled “Sobre o Amor e Seu Trabalho Silencioso” (“Concerning Love and Its Silent Work”), it celebrates, in Céu’s words, “the invisible chemistry of love, when it awakes,” but the song also makes quiet reference to love’s demands. That song leads beautifully into “Cangote,” which deepens and darkens the mood and prepares you for the myriad sounds and flavors to come later in the program.

The production of the album started in mid-2008 at Ambulante Studios in São Paulo, Brazil. Céu teamed up with her old accomplice, producer Beto Villares to produce and record her new compositions. In the process, they also involved producer and engineer Gustavo Lenza (Céu’s touring engineer for the past 4 years, who recently produced Curumin’s last two records) and soundtrack producer Gui Amabis, who has collaborated with Céu on the Sonantes project. Throughout the album Céu enjoyed the assistance of many top-notch musician friends: members of Los Sebozos Postizos make an appearance on “Rosa Menina Rosa”; Curumin plays drums on “Cordão da Insônia”; Luiz Melodia provides exquisite guest vocals on “Vira Lata.” Pupillo and Dengue from Nação Zumbi contribute drums and bass on “Ponteiro,” and Siba (a founder of the regionally famous Pernambucan band Mestre Ambrósio) co-wrote “Nascente” with her.

The ever-proliferating crowd of Brazilian musicians lining up to record with Céu, combined with her deepening penetration of the world’s music markets, is more than enough to bear out the optimistic predictions of the music media. But really, all the proof of her unique talent is right here: in the beautifully simple melodies, the sophisticated complexity of the arrangements, the wide-ranging musical references, and the general warmth and attractiveness of her songwriting.

Céu July 2009 US Tour
Jul 14 Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door
Jul 15 Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door
Jul 17 Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
Jul 18 San Francisco, CA @ Herbst Theatre
Jul 21 New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom

WHAT THE PRESS IS SAYING ABOUT VAGAROSA

“And come July 7, the irresistible 29-year-old will prove that she’s no one-hit wonder when she releases her sophomore album, Vagarosa…Her voice is still as warm and sultry as the sun that shines on her native city of São Paulo…Close your eyes and let [Céu]’s mellow vocals move you.” – Latina.com

“While taking on Jorge Ben in a tribute to her recently born daughter with ‘Rosa Menina Rosa’, and turning down the bass and up the cavaquinho on ‘Vira Lata’, the best songs occur last on Vagarosa. ‘Sonambulo’, which was recently released on the Cangote EP, features a quick-witted guitar line surrounded by a solid hip-hop beat and winsome melodica. Even more surprising is the Os Mutantes-era ‘Espaconave’, [Céu] taking on the psychedelic ‘60s, complete with bird sounds and Nyabhingi-esque congas. The rollicking beat opens into a multi-tiered vocal chant, hypnotic keyboard line, and fuzzy electric guitars. A brilliant closing for an album that deserves the same adjective.” – PopMatters

“…an extremely impressive, assured album well worth a listener’s time, whether one speaks Portuguese or not.” – Allmusic.com

“Brazilian music is having a healthy resurgence in popularity here in the U.S. Brazilian chanteuse Céu is at the forefront of that burgeoning movement. She stole our hearts with her self-titled debut album in 2007, her follow-up release has been widely anticipated and finally has a release date…Vagarosa lives up to its name on ‘Bubuia.’ The skittering percussion plays lightly in the background, like a jungle beat heard from far off. Céu’s silken croon keeps it at midtempo.” – Under The Radar Mag


Pick up the album here: Amazon | Six Degrees

http://www.sixdegreesrecords.com/artists.php?artist=C%E9U
http://www.myspace.com/ceumusic
http://worlds-fair.net/news/category/artists/ceu/