Art And Voices

1940年代から1960年代にかけて活躍したボサノヴァ・コーラスグループ、オス・カリオカスのデビュー・アルバムと、1948年～1959年にかけて南米で発売されたシングルを収めたコンピレーション・アルバム。絶妙なヴォーカル・アレンジメントと、4～5人のメンバーによる見事なポリフォニーと洗練された軽やかなリズムで人気を集めた。オス・カリオカスの名を一躍有名にしたのは、ギターに駆け出しのジョアン・ジルベルトを迎えたトム･ジョビンの作品『Chega de Saudade』(1957年)だ。この曲は同時にジョビン/ヴィニシウス・ヂ・モライス・コンビの最初のヒット作でもあり、ジョアンのデビューにもなった傑作。また、ジョアン・ジルベルトが来日公演の際に演奏した「Adeus, America」、「Nova Ilusao」等も収録。

The sound of bossa nova is usually associated with solo vocalists and guitarists. In contrast, Os Cariocas adapted the style to full vocal group arrangements. They usually featured ensemble male vocals, though some lead singing is heard, and a female singer was part of the outfit on some of these recordings. This compilation -- which, at six seconds shy of 80 minutes, is absolutely full to capacity -- has 29 tracks they recorded between 1949 and 1959, all but the final six (from 1949) cut between 1955-1959. While the comparisons aren't extremely close, in some ways Os Cariocas resemble '50s vocal groups such as the Four Freshmen and the Hi-Lo's in their multi-part harmonies and jazzy backing, as well as the wholesome brightness of their overall sound. Though undeniably precise and impressive in the complexity of the interwoven singing parts, it does make much of this sound cornball in some respects to modern ears, even within a style (bossa nova) rarely short on sentimentality. It can't be denied, however, that Os Cariocas adapted bossa nova rhythms, melodies, and percussion into clean-cut, orchestrated, vocal jazz-pop with effortless-sounding ease, as if this kind of group singing and bossa nova were a natural match. The most famous track might be their 1957 version of "Chega de Saudade," the second recording of Antonio Carlos Jobim's early bossa nova standard. It's not necessarily the standout, however, in a pretty consistent collection, though the less determinedly playful numbers are more effective than the more lighthearted ones. Incidentally, while the six 1949 tracks have less stellar fidelity than the rest of the material, they're really not too far off bossa nova in their combination of swing jazz and more Latin-flavored rhythms, suggesting Os Cariocas were more pioneers in the bossa nova field than is usually acknowledged. Like numerous other reissues on the El label, this is valuable for making important, underrated, early bossa nova recordings widely available in the Northern Hemisphere in outstanding bang-for-the-buck value, though the lack of more specific discographical detail in the annotation can be frustrating. ~ Richie Unterberger