Brazilian artist Lucas Santtana seems to have embraced the idea of creating albums based on a specific theme. After O Paraiso, which dealt extensively with the environment, comes Brasiliano, which focuses on languages. Eight different languages can be heard on the album, including French. Don’t be fooled: Brasiliano is a play on words between Brazilian and Italian. That’s how Italians refer to Brazilians.
For this tenth album, Lucas Santtana is accompanied by some impressive guests. On the first track, “A história de nossa lingua,” the octogenarian Gilberto Gil joins him for a reflection on the Brazilian language, a mixture of Portuguese, African, and indigenous languages, in a magnificent text using words unique to this language.
Next up are French rapper Oxmo Puccino, Franco-Brazilian Flavia Coelho, Italians Piers Faccini and Di Martino, Brazilians Chico César and reggae group Os Paralemos do Sucesso, and Spaniard Maria Lado. We also hear Cocanha, a French duo that sings in Occitan.
Musically, Lucas continues on his path of blending Brazilian roots with contemporary influences. Some might argue that Brasiliano is more commercial than his previous albums. Except that Santtana has a knack for crafting catchy tunes accompanied by hyper-sophisticated arrangements, as in “Eu Ainda te Amo,” a magnificent ballad full of saudade, that Portuguese term that is so difficult to translate. A blissful sadness? A sad happiness?
Brasiliano is a feel-good tribute to Latin languages. With music that gives us playful and intellectual pleasure. An album that helps us overcome this morbid period into which certain greedy politicians have plunged us.
Enjoy!
