Via Lumini - What Have We Done About Us (1995)

Artista: Via Lumini

Álbum: What Have We Done About Us
Año: 1995
Género: Neo progresivo sinfónico
Duración: 63:23
Nacionalidad: Brasil

Lista de Temas:
1. Age of Boredom
2. Words Betrayal
3. Great Air Ocean
4. The Valve of Time
5. Autumn Night
6. Fast Feet
7. Human Race
8. Twisted Notes
9. Prelude for a Friend
10. Universe of Two Beginners

Alineación:
- Mauro Cannalonga / keyboards
- Cézar Pacca / acoustic & electric guitars
- Fernando Loia / drums, percussion
- Marcelo Dias / bass
- Silvio De Oliveira / flute
With:
João Kurk / vocals, acoustic guitar

Y este viernes vamos a tratar de dejarles varias cosas como pata que se entretengan en el fin de semana. Como todos los viernes, mejor dicho, como todos los días (bueno, menos los fines de semana que descanso un poco).
Este es el segundo álbum de estudio de este grupo brasilero, luego de su LP de 1991 llamado "Voos e Sonhos". Sonidos sinfónicos, mucho Hammond y un clima setentero digamos que poco común en los 90s. Con letras en inglés (otra vez un grupo brasilero cantando en inglés, imagino que habrá sido otro grupo que grabó su disco por el sello "Progressive Rock", que hacía cantar a sus artistas en inglés para poder vender fuera de Brasil), estos son músicos competentes que además de ofrecer buenas instrumentaciones, son capaces de crear lindas texturas melódicas, con momentos que recuerdan levemente a Camel, entre otros.

O único porém fica a cargo de algumas músicas que soam um pouco fora de contexto, caso de "Fast feet" e "Human race", quebrando um pouco a evolução e a mística de todo o trabalho, mas a recuperação acontece na reflexiva "Prelude for a friend" e na ótima suíte "Universe of two begginers", toda recheada de lindas harmonias vocais, riffs de guitarra e especialmente de órgão hammond (esse riff foi usado na abertura do programa Viagem Progressiva no interior paulista).

Originally known as AURA, VIA LUMINI were formed in Brazil by a quintet of young musicians interested in reviving the traditional sounds of seventies progressive music in South America. Though quite young at the time, the band managed to secure a recording contract with PRW and released their lengthy debut album in 1991.
The band's sound shows obvious influences from a variety of classic progressive groups, among them GENESIS (vocals, dramatics), YES (keyboards), and CAMEL (overall tenor). Cézar Pacca in particular has been praised for his energetic and innovative guitar work. While the recording quality of their studio releases (and particularly the debut) was poor, their youth and energy largely made up for the weak production. Also noteworthy is that all VIA LUMINI's vocals are sung in Portuguese. Translations of the lyrics are virtually impossible to find, and the poor production quality makes the singing difficult to follow at times.
Guitarist and vocalist Edilson Rodrigues left the band following their first release and was replaced by flautist Silvio De Oliveira, giving the band an added dimension of sound, as well as another band to emulate (JETHRO TULL) on their second and final release.
There is no clear record of when the band called it quits, but their 1995 release "What Have We Done About Us" marked the end of their recording career as a group. Today Mauro Cannalonga performs in an AOR cover band in South America; Edilson Rodrigues is a music producer; Marcelo Dias most recently appeared as a member of the metal band SOULFLY; and Fernando Loia tours locally in Brazil with his own prog cover band, GENESIS LIVE.
VIA LUMINI deserve recognition in the Archives for being one of (if not the) first Brazilian band in the nineties to launch a revival movement for progressive music in northern South America.

Bob Moore

Excelentes voces, gran sonoridad, sonido setentero para un álbum de los 90s, cosa que la verdad es raro de ver y escuchar, aunque el resultado sea un disco que evidentemente no podemos catalogar como "retro" ya que tiene elementos evidentemente de Neo Prog. Un álbum quizás un poco desparejo, con algunas canciones que no pengan con el estilo del resto, como el caso de "Fast feet" o "Human race", ya que el disco en sí tiene un aura mística y medio mágica. Pero a su vez con algunos tracks que levantan mucho la calidad general, como en el caso de "Prelude for a friend" o la genial suite "Universe of two begginers".
En definitiva, un buen disco que les recomiendo que escuchen porque tiene muy buenos momentos, sobretodo para quienes gusten del estilo neo prog cercano al sinfónico setentero.