Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Os Paralamas do Sucesso at The 8th Brazilian Film Festiv...
Os Paralamas do Sucesso at The 8th Brazilian Film Festival, Central Park Summerstage June 12, 2010
By8th Brazilian Film Festival in New York
Central Park Summerstage
June 12, 2010
On their first Summerstage appearance in over two decades, Brazil's Paralamas do Sucesso (Herbert Vianna: guitar, vocals; Bi Ribeiro; bass; Joao Barone: drums) took the stage prepared to showcase their most popular ska-influenced hits alongside material from their new disc Brasil Afora (EMI, 2009).
The group (augmented by keyboard, saxophone and trombone) is still in great shape after almost thirty years on the road. They kicked things off with "Sem Mais Adeus," a tune written in collaboration with percussionist Carlinhos Brown. Vianna took the opportunity to showcase his accomplished guitar skills by inserting improvised riffs and inspired solos. The audience responded well, but when they began playing a selection of their earlier songs from their canon fans responded by singing along with every single tune. The band played alternative arrangements to some of them, adding heavier percussion and guitar textures to tunes like "Bora Bora" and "Meu Erro," the latter being one of their earliest singles from the mid-80s.
Halfway through the concert, special guest Maria Gadu joined Paralamas. Strumming on her acoustic guitar, she sang duets with Vianna on "Lanterna dos Afogados" and the very bluesy "Caleidoscopio." She then closed her participation by performing her current single "Shimbalaiê," a funky number that got everyone moving.
Paralamas then resumed their set with "Alagados," a tune written in collaboration with Gilberto Gil (with featured an accomplished drum solo from Barone) and also included "Sonifera Ilha," a cover from fellow Brazilian pop band Os Titas. They closed the show with and encore that included "Oculos" and "Vital e Sua Moto," two tunes that immortalized them forever during the 1985 edition of the Rock and Rio festival in Brazil.
Os Paralamas do Sucesso's performance closed the weeklong Brazilian Film Festival, which took place from June 7 to 12 at Lower Manhattan's Tribeca Cinemas. A screening of Fabiano Maciel's "Life is A Blow," a touching documentary on the life of Brasilia's designer, architect Oscar Niemeyer.
< Previous
Treasure
Next >
Pushing the Envelope