Gal Costa show in LA and SF last week
mark dinan
SF recently. Went to the show. Entertaining, if a bit conventional in
their song selection - they played only one or two songs that aren't
part of the bossa nova standard repertoire - Wave, Dindi, Girl from
Ipanema, etc.. I enjoyed the show, but was put off by the electronics
that Oscar used - many people commented on how cheesy & unnecessary
the guitar synth was.
Still, Gal Costa is a marvelous singer and Castro-Neves a very good
guitarist. I had bought tickets with Romero Lubambo billed as the
guitarist though, and would have been less enthusiastic about the show
had they advertised it with Oscar Castro-Neves. The audience loved
their performance, but the 10 people who went to the show with me were
mixed in their reviews. Everyone enjoyed the show, but would have
liked to have heard less popular songs. Also, the guitar/voice format
was inherently limited in its sonic range.
I'd give the show a 7/10.
-Mark
aa...@torfree.net
Canadian debut.
What took so long?
Sadly [oh, not really] I'll be away in Portugal....
Martin
MJ
I saw in DC with Lumamba. Also used some of the cheesy electronics.
Apparently its cheaper to fly two musicians and a synth to the US that
a whole band. I felt like the show was mostly bossa because she has
lost a lot of the power her voice used to have and bossa is more
suited to the calmer, less dramatic style she is now singing compared
to in her prime. Some of her notes even sounded a bit breathy and
slightly flat. Lumamba is a great guitarist, and was fun to listen
to. I regarded it mostly as an opportunity to hear live one of the
great (former) voices of Brazil, I can check her off my list now. Not
a bad night, just not as great as it might have been ten years ago.
MJ
>
> - Show quoted text -
I mispelled Lubambo's name above.