Far Out recordings presents “Maria Maria” a classic recording from Milton Nascimento. Originally recorded in 1976, it features some of Brazil’s most revered musicians such as the late Nana Vasconcelos and Joao Donato. The concept of “Maria Maria” came from a show conceived by himself and songwriter Fernando Brant based on the composite life story of the daughter of a black slave called Maria. Nascimento wrote the music while Brant wrote the lyrics but they both collaborated on the title track. This cinematic production is filled with spoken word interludes bridged between Nascimento’s smoothing vocals and folk flavoured compositions. Highlights include “Trabalhos” and “Os Escravos De Jo”, the latter is a spirited composition that features Toninho Horta on guitar along with vocalists such as Nana Caymmi, Fala de Belem and Beto Guedes. Nascimento’s love of cinema is brought to life here and is falsetto vocals lifts these compositions to another level. For long time fans these previous hard to find recordings are a must have. For newcomers this is a great introduction for one of Brazil’s most treasured vocalists.
