Allowing artists a rare opportunity for exposure in an intimate setting, without the amplification that has become standard in today's pop music, MTV's Unplugged series has both rejuvenated and propelled the careers of artists as diverse as Melissa Etheridge, Tony Bennett, and Pearl Jam. By furnishing musicians a more relaxed format, this innovative program has inadvertently disbursed the Midas touch. Unlike other small-screen presentations, Unplugged offers the artist the opportunity to perform an entire set, rather than just one hit tune. CDs extracted from the series, like Gilberto Gil's Acoustic, have achieved remarkable success, and many of the Unplugged recordings have earned Grammys. The latest MTV spawned CD is from Titãs, a group that has exemplified the vitality of Brazilian rock since the mid 1980s.
Titãs (Titans) is a group from São Paulo that has continuously fused their vision with the rhythm of the times. The band has constantly reinvigorated its playing by keeping in front of innovation and by incorporating the best and most compatible elements into an approach of rhythmic power and individuality. Each new Titãs release foreshadowed rock's next phase and established an artistically diverse moment in pop music. Viewed by many as an institution that has inscribed its name in the Pantheon of MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), Titãs ascended onto the rock scene with their first recording, Titãs, in 1984. Their first hit, "Sonífera Ilha" (Sleepy Island), was a romantic lament and was indicative of the band's initial direction. Their second effort, Televisão, produced by Lulu Santos in 1985, maintained a similar style. But tastes were shifting toward New Wave, and lyrics with a sarcastic edge also appeared on the recording and were soon to become an important characteristic of the band's work.
After two projects, Titãs had acquired the savvy and studio experience that placed them in a position to dicker with their record company regarding aesthetic exploration, and in 1986 Titãs returned to the studio to record an album that was to become the touchstone of Brazilian rock, Cabeça Dinossauro (Dinosaur Head). Its use of guitar distortion, electronic effects, persistent rhythms, compact forms, and tongue-lashing lyrics, which implicitly protested society's ills, awed critics and consolidated a multitude of Titãs fans. The poetic force and musical strength of Cabeça Dinossauro marked the maturity of the band and separated them from other Brazilian rock bands. Produced by Liminha, Cabeça Dinossauro was designated as the best recording of the 1980s by Jornal do Brasil.
Working again with Liminha, Titãs reached their most turbulent phase in 1987 with Jesus Não Tem Dentes no País dos Banguelas (Jesus Doesn't Have Teeth In the Country of the Toothless). Attacking the political situation and the status quo, Titãs accidentally threw open the floodgates of success. From that point on, each release brought the band greater popularity, even among critics who loathed the current climate in rock `n' roll. With Go Back, recorded live in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1988, Titãs formally introduced themselves to hordes of international admirers.
In the blur of these successes the band released Õ Blésq Blom in 1989, a project strongly influenced by the repentistas Mauro and Quitéria. Repentistas are musicians who travel through the countryside (primarily in the Northeast of Brazil) telling stories, inventing, embellishing, and insulting each other in rapid-fire storytelling duels. The term stems from the expression "de repente," or suddenly. The title Õ Blésq Blom doesn't mean anything. It is simply a sound that a duo of blind street singers from Recife, Pernambuco state, used when they wanted to pretend they were singing in English.
Õ Blésq Blom marked a stylistic turning point for
Titãs and a landmark in Brazilian rock. Unrestrained lyrical sarcasm
and sly wit, mocking conventional society, is unmistakable throughout the
recording, as seen in this excerpt from the tune "O Pulso" by
Arnaldo Antunes, Marcelo Fromer, and Tony Bellotto:
O pulso ainda pulsa
O pulso ainda pulsa
Peste bubônica câncer pneumonia
Raiva rubéola tuberculose anemia
Rancor cisticercose caxumba difteria
Encefalite faringite gripe leucemia
O pulso ainda pulsa
O pulso ainda pulsa
The pulse still throbs
The pulse still throbs
Bubonic plague, cancer, pneumonia
Rabies, rubeola, tuberculosis, anemia
Rage, cirrhosis, mumps, diphtheria
Encephalitis, pharyngitis, flu, leukemia
The pulse still throbs
The pulse still throbs
It seemed like Titãs couldn't be stopped. These eight consummate musicians were on a roll. They knew what they were doing and were earning big money doing it. There was a strong balance of talent within the group, yet Arnaldo Antunes stood out as the force that ignited the band with his electrifying stage presence and his rich, dissident poetry, full of puns. In this promising atmosphere, Titãs decided in 1992 to produce their own work and presented the public with their 7th and most controversial recording to date.
The release of Tudo ao Mesmo Tempo Agora (Everything At the Same Time Now) brought a rash of negative reviews. Music critics who had been raving about Titãs for years, were suddenly complaining about an "alternative" sound. It seemed like reviewers were playing their familiar game of lift then demolish. And the surprises were not over. Panned by the media, Tudo ao Mesmo Tempo Agora was commercially a flop, and following the tour, Arnaldo Antunes left Titãs to embark on a solo career. His departure was a slap in the face.
One year later, still in the shadow of Tudo ao Mesmo Tempo Agora, and without Arnaldo Antunes, the band reappeared with a continuum of intensity called Titanomaquia. The title is an invented word that comes from the word tauromaquia (bullfight). Produced by Jack Endino, the recording remains a pinnacle of hardcore Brazilian New Wave. "Felizes São os Peixes" (Happy are the Fish) is cutting, muscular, and bursting with heavy slash guitar work. Controversial lyrics, dissonant harmonies, and primal screaming on tunes like "Agonizando" (Agonizing) reflect a musical angst that would soon be imitated by countless other bands. Although underrated by the press, Titanomaquia set a new standard for Brazilian rock `n' roll and anticipated the musical aesthetic to come.
Rumors about the dissolution of the band leaked out with the release of Titãs 84-94. The two volume retrospective commemorated the different phases of the band and its 10 years together. Gossip continued to grow as each member of Titãs embarked on individual projects. Nando Reis recorded his debut solo disc, 12 Janeiro, and wrote for other artists like the reggae group Cidade Negra and singer Marisa Monte. Toni Bellotto wrote a novel, Belini e a Esfinge (Belini and the Sphinx). Marcelo Fromer produced a singer of brega. Sérgio Britto and Branco Mello formed the band Kleiderman. Charles Gavin studied abroad. Paulo Miklos recorded his diversified solo project.
Despite the talk, Titãs surfaced in 1995 with a tour de force of rock, punk, New Wave, and techno dance music called Domingo. The project was organized and focused with each Titan playing brilliantly. Special guests included Herbert Vianna and João Barone (Paralamas) and Igor Cavalera (Sepultura). In addition, there was a reunion with Arnaldo Antunes on the tune "Tudo em Dia" (Everything On Time). It was hard for the press to ignore this fanfare of fine musicianship, and Domingo was an overnight sensation.
Differing stylistically from past recordings, Acústico, their latest work for MTV's Unplugged, is an exhibition of indisputable artistic achievement. The challenge for Titãs this time was to convey their familiar sledge-hammer delivery with acoustic instruments; no post-show overdubbing is allowed in the Unplugged format. Playing turbulent rock `n' roll in a large auditorium presents a musician with one set of obstacles; acoustic playing presents quite another. It is especially a drummer's dilemma, and Charles Gavin was impelled to completely reinvent his approach to the drum set. For Unplugged he would not be driving a band of seven accomplished musicians with amplifiers cranked up to the verge of pain and flooding through an oppressive sound technology, but a tightly controlled chamber orchestra.
In this unorthodox format Titãs rose to the challenge with a deluge of adventurous ideas. One of them was to form a close creative alliance with cellist and arranger Jacques Morelenbaum, well known for his affiliation with Caetano Veloso. Morelenbaum's imaginative arrangements called for three brass, a woodwind quartet, an additional percussionist (Marcos Suzano), a string quartet, and a harpist. With this orchestration he created a distinct sound mass that not only preserved the explosive character of the music, but also strengthened it. The Titãs punch remains, but it comes through the melody lines and the sharp-tongued lyrics rather than a head-banging wall of amplifiers.
Recorded during two shows at the João Caetano Theater in Rio during the 6th and 7th of March, Acústico is as much a video as it is a CD. The disc/video holds blazing performances by some of the brightest lights on the scene today including Marisa Monte, Rita Lee, Marina Lima, Fito Paez, and reggae star Jimmy Cliff. Moving through romantic ballads, MPB, New Wave, funk, reggae, and grunge, Acústico embraces familiar hits, never recorded material, and new works. It is not a "Best Of" compilation, but a sensational 22 track repertoire of quintessential Brazilian rock.
There is an undeniable group gestalt injecting the entire recording
with a firmly ordered and seamless consistency. This should occasion no
surprise given the caliber of each player's musicianship. All are performing
at aroused levels of expressive power and focused intensity. This latest
recording confirms that Titãs has remained a questing, exploratory
unit and assures the delivery of a slew of hits. Ironically the first hit
was "Pra Dizer Adeus," (To Say Good-bye):
É cedo
Ou tarde demais
Pra dizer adeus
Pra dizer jamais
It's early
Or way too late
To say good-bye
To say never
Born again as a ballad, "Pra Dizer Adeus" hooks the listener with the simplicity and sincerity of its lyricism. Its clearly focused structure and firm harmonic logic is augmented by Morelenbaum's variegated string arrangement. How apropos that "Pra Dizer Adeus," recorded first in 1985 on Televisão, has returned as a hit 12 years later.
Playing with power and assurance, Charles Gavin is absolutely riveting on "Comida," (Food) the disc's opening track. Rising to the challenge of the acoustic instrumentation, his controlled passion fuses provocatively with the rhythmic currents set up by acoustic guitars in the hypnotic introduction. The drum set is literally an extension of himself. Originally an electro-funk arrangement on Jesus Não Tem Dentes no País dos Banguelas, the tune's current reincarnation combines the heated fervor of a tenor sax solo with Sérgio Britto's inspired keyboard work.
The tongue-in-cheek reggae "Família" from Cabeça Dinossauro, dissects one of society's idiosyncrasies—familial chemistry—with relevant alacrity while the Titãs rhythm section—Nando Reis and Charles Gavin—administers a foundation of economical bass lines and strong back beats. A complex, richly colored introduction and coda arrangement for two flutes contrasts the caustic societal matter of the lyrics sung by Nando Reis.
"Marvin," a funk tune that was first released on Go Back and again on Titãs 84-94, has returned refreshed. This time "Marvin" is nourished by a consistently spark-producing cuíca and a somber trombone solo that epitomizes the savory insight of the lyrics, again sung by Nando.
Marisa Monte radiates on "Flores" (Flowers). Time and again she claims our attention with a gripping intensity on this tune from Õ Blésq Blom. An original voice of great distinctiveness, her performance in this duet with Branco Mello is another illustration of Monte's deepening individuality and magnetism. An intriguing, always perfectly controlled tension grows as Monte floats ethereally over the driving rhythm and horn sections.
"Não Vou Lutar" (I'm Not Going To Fight), a tune Paulo Miklos started writing some time ago, but finished during the Acústico rehearsals is consistently absorbing. Miklos excels as both a player and a writer. "Os Cegos do Castelo" (The Blind Men in the Castle) is a composition Nando Reis wrote especially for Acústico. But here, the bass roll passes into the hands of the disc's producer, Liminha. The tune has an MPB. spirit and is laced by woodwinds and strings. "Diversão" (Entertainment) from Jesus Não Tem Dentes no País dos Banguelas hammers the listener with insistent power. Its melodic structure is illuminated by the originality of a horn arrangement by Marcelo Martins. "Diversão" achieves a total detonation through the masterful integration of horns, percussion, hard acoustic guitar attacks, and an unrelenting bass line.
The Titãs Acústico CD has already sold over 500 thousand copies and has brought pressure to other vanguard groups like Os Paralamas, formerly Os Paralamas do Sucesso (The Mudguards of Success), to release works of similar import. Paralamas actually considered recording an Unplugged project but found the market already congested by the Titãs release and has since opted for a commemorative box-set reissue titled Pólvora (Gunpowder).
Dazzling live performances by Titãs have always been rooted in electricity, a specialty of the band. Thus, the public's tremendous reception for this "unplugged" Titãs CD was somewhat surprising. And now the logistics of touring with Acústico have posed some problems. The original idea was to have shows only in São Paulo and in Rio. These would be easier in terms of hiring session musicians who could realize the concept and read the charts with minimal rehearsal time. But because the show has been growing at a startling rate and involves many musicians, a lot of scenery, and a large production crew; the breaking down, moving, and re-assembly of the production has become expensive and complicated. Titãs, nonetheless, intends to produce the same Acústico show with the same personnel and travel with it.
At the end of this year Titãs plans to release a disc of compositions that have never made it to a CD. In 1998 the band will pause briefly for work on solo projects. By dividing their time between new releases and work on individual projects, the band has managed to stay together for 15 years. The temporary interruptions in the band's career for parallel work appear to be fundamental for encouraging its overall imaginative and artistic experimentation.
After a decade and a half on the roquenrol roller coaster, this
band has become an obligatory reference of Brazilian pop and continues
to provide innumerable lessons for up and coming musicians. Their influence
has thoroughly shaped the face of Brazilian rock music since the 1980s.
One reason Titãs is still in the forefront of Brazilian rock is
the enduring quality of their music. Acústico amply demonstrates
another: Titãs can still hand out a surprise.
Meu pai não tinha educação
Ainda me lembro, era um grande coração
Ganhava a vida com muito suor
Mas mesmo assim não podia ser pior
Pouco dinheiro pra poder pagar
Todas as contas e despesas do lar
Mas Deus quis vê-lo no chão
Com as mãos levantadas pro céu
Implorando perdão
Chorei, meu pai disse, "Boa sorte,''
Com a mão no meu ombro
Em seu leito de morte
E disse
"Marvin, agora é só você
E não vai adiantar
Chorar vai me fazer sofrer."
Três dias depois de morrer
Meu pai eu queria saber
Mas não botava nem o pé na escola
Mamãe lembrava disso a toda hora
Todo dia antes do sol sair
Eu trabalhava sem me distrair
As vezes acho que não vai dar pé
Eu queria fugir, mas onde eu estiver
Eu sei muito bem o que ele quis dizer
Meu pai, eu me lembro não me deixa esquecer
Ele disse
"Marvin, a vida é pra valer
Eu fiz o meu melhor
E o seu destino eu sei de cor."
E então um dia uma forte chuva veio
E acabou com o trabalho de um ano inteiro
E aos treze anos de idade eu sentia
Todo o peso do mundo em minhas costas
Eu queria jogar mas perdi a aposta
Trabalhava feito um burro nos campos
Só via carne se roubasse um frango
Meu pai cuidava de toda a família
Sem perceber segui a mesma trilha
Toda noite minha mãe orava
Deus, era em nome da fome
Que eu roubava
Dez anos passaram,
Cresceram meus irmãos
E os anjos levaram minha mãe pelas mãos
Chorei, meu pai disse, "Boa sorte,''
Com a mão no meu ombro
Em seu leito de morte
"Marvin, agora é só você
E não vai adiantar
Chorar vai me fazer sofrer
Marvin, a vida é pra valer
Eu fiz o meu melhor
E o seu destino eu sei de cor."
My father was not an educated man
Still I remember, he had a great heart
He earned his living with a lot of sweat
Even though it could not be worse
Little money to pay
All the bills and expenses of our home
But God wanted to see him on the ground
With his hands raised to Heaven
Begging for forgiveness
I cried, and my father said, "Good luck,"
With his hand on my shoulder
On his deathbed
And said
"Marvin, now it's only you
And it's no use to go on
Crying, you will only make me suffer."
Three days after his death
I want to know
But I couldn't put a foot in school
Mom reminded me about this every time
Every day before the sun rises
I work without distraction
At times I believe that it's going to be impossible
I would like to escape, but where would I be
I know very well what he wanted to tell me
My father, I remember, will not let me forget
He said
"Marvin, life is hard
I did my best
And your destiny I know by heart."
And then one day a strong rain came
And the work of a whole year was finished
And when I was thirteen, I felt
All the weight of the world on my shoulders
I wanted to gamble, but lost the bet
I worked like a mule in the fields
I would eat meat if I stole a chicken
My father took care of the whole family
Without realizing, I followed the same road
Every night my mother would pray
God, was in the name of hunger
That I did steal
Ten years passed
My brothers grew
And the angels took my mother in their hands
I cried, my father said, "Good luck,"
With his hand on my shoulder
On his deathbed
"Marvin, now it's only you
And it's no use to go on
Crying, you will only make me suffer
Marvin, life is hard
I did my best
And your destiny I know by heart."
Não vou lutar contra o que eu sinto
Vou me entregar como um soldado cansado e faminto
Não vou lutar contra o que eu sinto
Porque a verdade explode cada vez que eu minto
Não posso mais viver em conflito
Não vou negar o que é tão claro
Vou me entregar em tudo que eu faço, em tudo que eu falo
Não vou negar o que é tão claro
Porque a verdade explode mesmo quando eu me calo
Não posso mais viver sem estar ao seu lado
Não vou lutar contra o que eu sinto
Não vou lutar contra o que eu sinto
A verdade explode cada vez que eu minto
Não posso mais viver em conflito
Não vou lutar contra o que eu sinto
Não vou lutar contra o que eu sinto
I'm not going to fight what I feel
I'm going to give up like a soldier tired and hungry
I'm not going to fight what I feel
Because the truth explodes every time that I lie
I cannot live in conflict anymore
I won't deny what is so clear
I'm going to surrender everything that I do, everything that I say
I won't deny what is so clear
Because the truth explodes even when I'm quiet
I can't live anymore without you by my side
I'm not going to fight what I feel
I'm not going to fight what I feel
The truth explodes every time that I lie
I cannot live in conflict anymore
I'm not going to fight what I feel
I'm not going to fight what I feel
A melhor forma de esquecer
É dar tempo ao tempo
A melhor forma de curar o vício
É no início
A melhor forma de escolher
É provar o gosto
A melhor forma de chorar
É cobrindo o rosto
Evitar as rugas
É não olhar no espelho
Esvaziar o revólver
É puxar o gatilho
A melhor forma de esconder as lágrimas
É na escuridão
A melhor forma de enxergar no escuro
É com as mãos
As idéias estão no chão
Você tropeça e acha a solução
Acabar com a dor
É tomar analgésico
Matar a saudade
É não olhar pra trás
A melhor forma de manter-se jovem
É esconder a idade
A melhor forma de fugir
É a toda velocidade
As idéias estão no chão
Você tropeça e acha a solução
The best way to forget
Is to give time to time
The best way to cure a vice
Is at the beginning
The best way to choose
Is to check the taste
The best way to cry
Is to cover the face
To avoid wrinkles
Don't look in the mirror
To empty the revolver
Pull the trigger
The best way to hide your tears
Is in the dark
The best way to see in the dark
Is with your hands
The ideas are on the ground
You stumble and find a solution
To end pain
Take an analgesic
To kill the longing
Don't look back
The best way to keep yourself young
Is to hide your age
The best way to escape
Is with complete haste
The ideas are on the ground
You stumble and find a solution
1997 Acústico
1995 Domingo
1994 Titãs 84-94
1993 Titanomaquia
1992 Tudo ao Mesmo Tempo Agora
1989 Õ Blésq Blom
1988 Go Back
1987 Jesus Não Tem Dentes no País dos Banguelas
1986 Cabeça Dinossauro
1985 Televisão
1984 Titãs
Bruce Gilman, music editor for Brazzil, received his Masters degree in music from California Institute of the Arts. He leads the Brazilian jazz ensemble Axé and plays cuíca for escola de samba MILA. You can reach him through his E-mail: cuica@interworld.net