Recordando O Vale Das Macas - 1977-1982 (2002)

Artista: Recordando o Vale das Maçãs
Álbum: 1977-1982
Año: 2002
Género: Rock sinfónico
Duración: 40:46

Nacionalidad: Brasil

Lista de Temas:
1. Ranchos, Filhos e Mulher
2. Besteira
3. Olhar de um Louco
4. Raio de Sol
5. As Crianças da Nova Floresta
Bonus Track from 1982
6. Sorriso de Verão
7. Flores na Estrada

Alineación:
- Fernando Pacheco / electric & acoustic guitars
- Miltom Bernardes / drums (1-5), percussion (1-5), vocals (1-5)
- L. Gotti / drums (6-7), percussion (6-7)
- Eliseu Filho (Lee) / keyboards, violin
- Ronaldo Mesquita (Gui) / bass
Guests:
Fernando Motta / acoustic guitar on 5,6
Domingos Mariotti / flute, digital horn
Fernando Ramos / keyboards
Cristina / additional vocals

Y seguimos en Brasil. Esta es una compilación de temas que van desde 1977 hasta 1982 (como seguramente ustedes ya se habrán dado cuenta), pero antes de adentrarnos a las canciones de este álbum quiero comentar lo siguiente: modestia aparte ¡soy un genio!, copio lo que había publicado en la reseña del primer disco de esta muy buena banda brasilera:

Brasil se destacó entre los países "exportadores de música popular" por la facilidad con la que sus ritmos entraron en los grandes mercados discográficos. A veces de la mano del cine, otra veces como recuerdo turístico, las menos cuantiosas aunque más importantes, como expresión cultural amalgamada al sentir del pueblo que fusiona su raíz. Sin embargo un hecho curioso es que el bossa nova trasciende y se convierte en éxito rotundo cuando los músicos norteamericanos lo fusionan con el jazz de la Costa Oeste y otro hecho no menos necesario de destacar es que, si bien el movimiento progresivo comenzó a finales de los años sesenta a travás de figuras como Caetano Veloso y grupos como Sagrado Coraçao da Terra y Os Mutantes, los artistas importantes en el rock progresivo brasilero beben mucho de fuentes externas, mezclando a veces la ríquísima vertiente folklórica interna y su tremenda carga histórica, átnica y social, y otras veces simplemente evolucionando lo que iniciaron sus predecesores, los cultores del rock más básico, el "rock tupiniquim" o "beat" como se conoció en Argentina.
Esta banda se formó en 1973 bajo el liderazgo de Fernando Pacheco, en 1977 editan este con temas que combinan dentro del marco del rock progresivo, elementos sinfónicos y aires de folk, con una instrumentación en la que lo acústico tiene un rol de profunda importancia. El tratamiento de las melodías es siempre delicado aún en los pasajes más intrincados y cambiantes, predomina los instrumental sobre las canciones y se destaca por su belleza el tema de más de 18 minutos que procura el nombre al álbum.

Faaaa!!! debo reconocer que hay días en los que estoy inspirado. Para más información, pueden contrastar con lo publicado en Progarchives:

RECORDANDO O VALE DAS MAÇÃS (translated: Remembering The Valley Of Apples - RVM for short) is a very good example of mellow Brazilian instrumental symphonic prog-rock. Besides the standard guitar / dual keyboards / bass / drums lineup, the sound includes violin, flute and digital horn. Their music mixes in very good proportions the calm symphonic passages of a South American flavored CAMEL with Brazilian Folk (MPB), some North American Country reminiscences, a lot of good taste textures and even some baroque and renaissance sparkles.
With only one exceptional album recorded in 1977: "As crianças da nova floresta" is a very nice South American heavy, melodic classical progressive album from the 70's. This is very well balanced between great, GILMOUR-like guitar, flute everywhere, double keyboards, and classical guitar. Here the influence of CAMEL and generally of light symphonic/light Canterbury is evident. The arrangements are always very tastefully done, musically involved, and consistently interesting. "1977-1982" is the re-issue of this album with two bonus tracks. Recommended if you appreciate bands such as the South American "O TERÇO", "OS MUTANTES", "SAGRADO CORAÇÃO DA TERRA, PABLO EL ENTERRADOR and the classic CAMEL.

Progarchives

Y esto es lo que dice una publicación especializada brasilera:

O grupo RECORDANDO O VALE DAS MAÇÃS foi fundado nos idos de 1973/74 em Santos (SP) pelos músicos Fernando Pacheco, Fernando Motta e Domingos Mariotti. Sua proposta sonora inicial tinha influências de estilos variados, resultando numa fusão progressiva original e marcante. Em 1975 o grupo contava com a participação de Fernando Pacheco - Guitarra, Violão de 12 cordas, Fernando Motta - Violão, Percussão, Luis Aranha - Violino, Moacir Amaral (Moa) - Flauta, Eliseu de Oliveira (Lee) - Teclados, Ronaldo Mesquita (Gui) - Contrabaixo e Milton Bernardes – Bateria. Em 1977 gravam o álbum de estréia, As Crianças da Nova Floresta, e em 1982 um compacto, "Sorriso de Verão/Flores na Estrada". Ainda nos anos 1970, chegaram a participar várias vezes do programa “Almoço com as Estrelas” e tinham clips de propaganda do lançamento do LP com 6 aparições diárias na extinta TV Tupi (da qual eram contratados exclusivos através da gravadora GTA). Em 1987 é lançado Himalaia, cujo lado A tinha participação do grupo, sendo o lado B um trabalho solo de Pacheco. Após isso, o grupo seguiu trabalhando com Fernando Pacheco (guitarra), Milton Bernardes (bateria), Lee (teclados) e Chico Gomes (baixo). Em 1992 o grupo faz uma apresentação com a base da formação de 1975 a 1982 (porém sem o violino de Luiz Aranha), e no ano seguinte lança As Crianças da Nova Floresta II, que lhes rendeu o título de “a melhor reedição progressiva do ano” pelos franceses da revista Big Bang. Em 1997, tiveram a honra de representar o Brasil no tradicional "Fête de la Music" em Paris, a convite da Embaixada Brasileira na França, contando com Nélio Porto nos teclados e Jorge Sanchez no baixo.

Doctor Robert |

Repito, la banda es sumamente agradable, su música está influenciada por sonidos instrumentales de un prog-rock sinfónico muy suave y acústico, que hace referencia a bandas clásicas como Camel (bueno, según Progarchives, también a bandas latinoamericanas como O Terco, Sagrado o Pablo el Enterrador, pero a mí no me parece), a lo que suman bastantes destellos de música popular brasileña, reminiscencias del country americano y una gran cantidad de texturas de buen gusto, e incluso algunos toques barrocos y renacentistas.
Sus muy buenas canciones, sus idas y vueltas desarrollando ideas e intenciones, las flautas, violines e instrumentos de cuerdas que desarrollan hermosos contrapuntos y los bien logrados coros y voces, más las letras que hablan del sencillo estilo de vida del campo, necesario para encontrar la libertad y la felicidad, hacen de éste un disco bien jipi pero también bien progresivo, bien pastoral a lo Gentle Giant, un rock delicado bien folk al estilo Jethro Tull (aunque desde otro folk, claro).

No hay mucha información en la red, les dejo un par de reviews publicados en Progarchives:

"Recordando o Vale das Maçãs" (Remembering Apples Valley) is a brazillian band from seventies. It is destinated for symphonic and folk progressive fans. According their website, this album is called "As Crianças da Nova Floresta II" (The children of the New Forest). It is first edition (1977) plus two singles from 1982. The music sounds like country- rock sometimes with violin and flute, but always progressive. Hear the second track, for example, I do like that song. The lyrics talk about country life, simple way of life to find freedom and happiness, and you will find humour sense there too. The longest track (As Crianças da Nova Floresta) is very close to another brazillian band in the begginig, Azymuth, but soon comes a long flute solo until keyboards, violin and others instruments are added. This song talk about introspective feeling, child vision. In the end, the lyric is sung something like this: "unam suas maos e venham conhecer essas crianças porque essas crianças são vocês" (join your hands and come to know that children, because that children are you), and a female vocal is added..na na nanananana... beautiful! I didn't hear their second album yet. But I know it is more instrumental than this one. Three and half or four stars to this album!

Prog-Brazil

Latin America in general, and Brazil in particular, sported its own back to the earth young folks back in the early 70s. The vicissitudes of communal life and the music industry being what they were and are, their ideas often were not committed to vinyl until later in the decade or beyond, at which point their sunny optimism was swallowed whole by the prevalent cynicism of the time. One must be careful to judge the whole of the effort independent of its time while still acknowledging the conditions that inspired the artists on their quest. RECORDANDO O VALE DAS MACAS (Memory of Apple Valley) only produced one album in their day, to which several later tracks were added on the CD reissue currently under discussion. It's assuredly a trip back to an era long past, but with timeless virtues to be appreciated in any era - acoustic instrumentation and occasional flourishes, sprightly melodies, and gentle harmonies.
The centerpiece here is "As Crianças da Nova Floresta" which closed the original album, and might be of greatest interest to readers here. However, while it is often brilliant, it is also a bit too much of a collage rather than a suite or an epic, and accentuates how the group was first and foremost a more simple folk/country act with progressive touches. The flutes of guest Domingos Mariotti are worth highlighting, as are the jointly shared vocals, which are lovely in both genders. While linguistically apart, this work recalls the Argentinian 70s group MAGMA in its deceptive gentility.
The band's strength lay in the less brocaded material, especially the stunning "Besteira", apparently rescued from a trash bin after a moment of frustration. Its twists and turns, flutes, fiddles, and arresting chorus come closest to capturing the coda to a generation. I even hear some Eastern European rhythms. It is the only cut that fully works for me, although everything but the rather disinterested "Olhar De Um Louco" is worth hearing, and the flourishes of a Brazilian country music style in the album opener and the closing bonus track work well. Keyboards generally represent background accompaniment but are clearly informed by the progressive rock of the day.
Recommended for prog folk fans and gentle Latin tinged world music fans, Recordando is a thankfully resurrected memory worth retaining, even if it might not be as essential as your daily apple.

Ken Levine

En definitiva, un progresivo muy suave, agradable, acústico y con mucho toque folk y de música popular. Yo se los recomiendo, les dejo unos videos y ustedes vean...

http://www.progressiverockbr.com/recvale.htm