Obrigado Brazil: Live in Concert [includes Bonus DVD]

 (10 customer reviews)

Yo-yo Ma is one of the most interesting musicians working today. His eclectic tastes bring us fascinating music from around the globe, and his astonishing musicianship guarantees excellence in every new adventure. Recent CDs have seen him venturing to China via the Silk Road and to the Belle Epoque of France. His attention has also been focused on Latin America with a series of CDs-Soul of the Tango and the studio version of Obrigado Brazil. This CD is a live concert containing some tracks from those recordings but mostly new work in the same vein. Several of the pieces on the disc are by composer/performers who perform on the recording, such as Merengue by composer/clarinettist Paquito d'Rivera. Ma and Rivera are also joined by singer Rosa Passos, guitarists Sergio and Odair Assad, Ma's long time accompanist at the piano Kathryn Stott, and a bassist and percussionist. Listen to one of my favorite tracks, the lovely Menino, and you wil hear that Ma brings real sensibility to...Read more

Yo Yo Ma and his fellow musicians make beautiful music in this mellow adaptation of melodies that have their origin in Latin America.

The opening track is a version of "Libertango", heard in the fabulous soundtrack of the film "The Tango Lesson", and one of the three compositions by Astor Piazzolla, in this concert that was recorded live at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall in 2003. The group of assorted and marvelous musicians toured the world with this music, and there is a cohesion between the performers and the material they are playing that is evident, and a pleasure to hear. One hears the applause, but it is not obtrusive, and the sound is excellent for a live recording.

Very impressive is the clarinet of 6 time Grammy Award winner and composer Paquito D'Rivera, who wrote 3 of the tracks, and shows his virtuosity and Cuban soul in 7 pieces, and I especially like his "Merengue".

Rosa Passos sings and plays guitar on 4 tracks, and has a soft, clear, and...Read more

I agree with most of what Dr. Christopher Coleman wrote in his March 4, 2004, review. My view, however, is that this live CD is clearly preferable to the studio version, which, by contrast, is relatively sterile-sounding. The live CD is perhaps the best-sounding CD (i.e., as to recording-quality in itself) that I have heard from Sony. And the music is quite infectious. Very nice.