Renowned Brazilian pianist, composer, and arranger Antonio Adolfo returns with CARNAVAL, a vibrant new album that pays tribute to Brazil's rich Carnaval music tradition—infused with his signature jazz sensibility. Internationally acclaimed for his lush reharmonizations of both Brazilian classics and American jazz standards, Adolfo once again blurs genre lines, breathing new life into historic compositions with authenticity and style.
Adolfo, a multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy nominee, has redefined what Brazilian jazz can sound like. Over the years, he has offered stunning reinterpretations of works by Milton Nascimento, Tom Jobim, and Wayne Shorter, and tackled American songbook gems by Cole Porter. On CARNAVAL, he dives deep into a lesser-explored realm—music specifically composed for Brazil’s famous pre-Lenten celebration, Carnaval.
Carnaval is more than a party—it’s a cultural explosion of dance, music, costumes, and emotion that precedes Lent. Rooted in African rhythms and European harmonic influences, the music includes styles like samba, frevo, marchinha, marcha-rancho, and Ijexá. Adolfo, who participated in Carnaval as a child with his family, captures both the ebullience and the bittersweet nostalgia of the festival’s most beloved tunes.
While the music is often festive, Adolfo notes that many Carnaval songs also carry an undertone of melancholy. Characters like Pierrot, a heartbroken servant in love with Colombina, symbolize the poignancy hidden beneath the celebration’s colorful exterior. Adolfo explains, “Some of the songs have a sort of tristesse, which makes them even more beautiful.”
Opening with “É Com Esse Que Eu Vou” (I Am Going With This One), originally a 1948 samba classic by Pedro Caetano, Adolfo launches the album with an infectious partido alto rhythm. It’s a compelling introduction to his reimagining of Carnaval.
The lively “Vassourinhas”, a frevo anthem from Recife, showcases energetic solos by Marcelo Martins on tenor sax and Lula Galvão on guitar, while “Oba (O Bafo da Onça)” adopts the Afro-Brazilian Ijexá style, imbuing the track with a spiritual pulse.
“Mal-Me-Quer” is delivered as a delicate marcha-rancho ballad, evoking the dreamy, romantic side of Carnaval. In contrast, “Vai Passar”, originally by Chico Buarque and Francis Hime, nods to Brazil’s fight for democracy with its anthemic samba parade sound.
Other gems include the sweetly nostalgic “As Pastorinhas”, the proud and grand “Exaltação à Mangueira”, and “A Lua É Dos Namorados”, where Adolfo quietly blends samba with the gentle sway of a marchinha.
The album closes with “Agora É Cinza” (Now It Is Ashes), a haunting 1933 samba by Bide and Marçal, serving as a poignant finale that reflects on the end of Carnaval and the start of Lent.
Recorded with top-tier Brazilian jazz musicians—including Lula Galvão (guitar), Jorge Helder (bass), Rafael Barata (drums), Jesse Sadoc (trumpet), and Marcelo Martins (tenor sax)—CARNAVAL is a collective achievement in musical finesse and cultural preservation.
Beyond recording, Adolfo has been a cornerstone of Brazilian music education. For over 40 years, he has mentored young talent through his Centro Musical Antonio Adolfo in Rio de Janeiro and published over a dozen instructional music books.
While artists like Jobim and genres like bossa nova are internationally recognized, CARNAVAL explores a more historic and festive tradition. It’s a joyful yet thoughtful celebration, reminding the world that Brazil’s musical legacy goes far deeper than the usual exports.
With CARNAVAL, Antonio Adolfo proves once again that he is not only a brilliant jazz pianist but also a guardian of Brazil’s cultural soul—reviving timeless songs and reimagining them for a global audience with elegance, care, and heart.
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