"Maria Maria" by Milton Nascimento

[Nano]

I remember this being a huge club hit in my hometown back in 1980. But not the current version with lyrics (later popularised in Argentina by folk singer Mercedes Sosa) but another in which Milton just "la-la-la"-ed the song. It was also shorter, about three minutes long.
I'm trying to find the album where this version belongs. Maybe my friends Zeca, Marcio et al can illuminate me? I also remember there was talk about Milton having to do the "la-la-la" thing because of censorship at the time. Is this correct?

[zeca azevedo]

Hi Nano,

I have the version of MARIA MARIA you're looking for, it is the track 6 of an album called JOURNEY TO DAWN [1979, EMI]. The original version of MARIA MARIA [with portuguese lyrics] is the one that belongs to the double album CLUBE DA ESQUINA 2 [1978, EMI]. The JOURNEY TO DAWN album was recorded for the US and EUROPE markets at the time; that is why so many songs on the album don't have lyrics in portuguese.

JOURNEY TO DAWN was released in a remastered CD a few years ago in Brasil as a part of a MILTON NASCIMENTO 10 CD BOX-SET. I don't see the album often in the stores these days, but I think it is not out of print.

Here's a pic of the cover of the album


Peace,

zeca azevedo

[Paulo]

Funnily enough, MARIA MARIA played at some discos here at the time. I said funnily because I think thata there's nothing danceable to that song.

But in the 70's, by the end of the night, generally the most popular discos stopped playin disco-music and engaged into a set of brazilian songs.

Brazilian dj's would play brazilian disco: GRETCHEN, FRENÉTICAS, RITA LEE, LADY ZU, TIM MAIA, our HARMONY CATS, our GENGHIS KHAN and other carbon copies... Then they would also play some brazilian rythms which weren't disco but were a bit danceable: AMELINHA, MILTON NASCIMENTO, GILBERTO GIL, etc...

But I would avoid it because I hated that late night hour when the disco stopped... I would leave home alone or to someone's house for sex.

[Nano]

Thanks Zeca! You've solved a mystery for me... Funny, then, that we in Argentina danced to a Brazilian record made for the English market! :D That was the first time I heard from Milton Nascimento (later I discovered he sang on Chico Buarque's "O que sera", a great radio hit over here).

Paulo, what version do you remember dancing at the clubs? I think the lyric-less version was far more danceable, but then memory do some tricks... I'll know when I get this one.

[zeca azevedo]

Funnily enough, MARIA MARIA played at some discos here at the time. I said funnily because I think thata there's nothing danceable to that song.

But in the 70's, by the end of the night, generally the most popular discos stopped playin disco-music and engaged into a set of brazilian songs.

Brazilian dj's would play brazilian disco: GRETCHEN, FRENÉTICAS, RITA LEE, LADY ZU, TIM MAIA, our HARMONY CATS, our GENGHIS KHAN and other carbon copies... Then they would also play some brazilian rythms which weren't disco but were a bit danceable: AMELINHA, MILTON NASCIMENTO, GILBERTO GIL, etc...

But I would avoid it because I hated that late night hour when the disco stopped... I would leave home alone or to someone's house for sex.

Hi,

"Different strokes for different folks", yeah. First, TIM MAIA and Rita Lee made some discofied records but you can't say they're disco artists like the others you have mentioned. Second, I always loved brazilian popular music, so for me these are all party songs [including MARIA MARIA]. For ears and feet acostumed to the regular 4/4 beat of disco, brazilian pop rhythms [most of them are 2/4] sounds different, to say the least. For me they are very danceable, very natural, since I grew up listening to these rhythms.

A few years ago, I received at home a DJ form Germany. He was a great fan of brazilian music and he told me he was disapointed with the fact that people here are not playing enough brazilian songs at parties. I agreed with him - it is strange [and sad] that you have to go to Europe to hear MARCOS VALLE or JOYCE or JOÃO DONATO or even BANDA BLACK RIO playing on a party and filling the dancefloor. Recently we began to hear more brazilian music at parties here - SAMBA-ROCK is having a strong revival these days, so there's a light at the end of the tunnel, I guess :D

Peace,

zeca azevedo

[Paulo]

Hi Nano

The version they played was the one sang in portuguese taken from the album CLUBE DA ESQUINA 2. I don't remember hearing the english version... It was recorded for his second english album which would be released only for the US market (JOURNEY TO DAWN. But later, this LP was also released here, due to Milton Nascimento's status of making inteligent music.

Hi Zeca

I am perfectly aware that TIM MAIA and RITA LEE were not disco artists. I just didn't want to write much and specify things too deeply. But if we don't do it, we are not comprehended.

RITA LEE is a brazilian rock star since the 60's. She has played in rock groups from late 60's psychelia to 70's progressive rock to 80's pop-rock to 90s whatever-rock.

As you correctly said, she recorded very pop-disco songs around 78 which were massively played in almost all Rio night-clubs in late 70s. The crowd would ask for Rita Lee's songs and if the DJ didn't played them, the crowd would boo... and I would leave if he played them.

TIM MAIA was one of the few brazilian 70's SOUL artists. He also recorded some discofied soul songs around 78/79 which were a bit played. But unfairly he never was as big as Rita Lee (which I never liked). But I liked Tim's songs a lot, due to my soul music oriented taste.

[Nano]

Well! I found the track on slsk this weekend. Yes, it seems to be recorded differently, a bit more straightforward, but still far from the straight 4/4 disco beat. I remember dancing this at school parties back then. For a while it was the track the DJ had to play twice a night... so wanted by the dancers as it was.
I'm well aware of who Rita Lee is... In fact, recently I found the LP with "Lanzaperfume" at the fair and on impulse bought it, then I was amazed at how many well-known tracks it had! At least half of the album was a hit down here. Also recently I found some material from her first band Os Mutantes, amazing stuff!
Right now there's a revival of some Brazilian composers in Buenos Aires... With Ed Motta and la Calcanhotto coming to play... Tim Maia is also heard on some "smart" radio programs.