A Tábua De Esmeralda (The Emerald Tablet) is the 11th studio album by Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist Jorge Ben. It was released in 1974 by Philips Records. Regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian records, the album is the last project in which Jorge Ben incorporated extensive guitar use.[1]
| A Tábua de Esmeralda | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Genre | Soul, funk, samba | |||
| Length | 40:06 | |||
| Label | Philips | |||
| Producer | Paulinho Tapajós | |||
| Jorge Ben chronology | ||||
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| Singles from A Tábua de Esmeralda | ||||
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Themes
editThe album showcases Ben's interest in theosophy, mysticism, and, above all, alchemy. Its title refers to the Emerald Tablet, a cryptic piece of Hermetica reputed to contain the secret of the prima materia and its transmutation; and its artwork incorporates drawings from Nicholas Flamel, who was historically immortalized as a great alchemist for his work on the philosopher's stone.[2]
Mysticism and alchemy are not the only thematic territories into which Ben ventures however. In the style of Fôrça Bruta and África Brasil, Ben continues to explore his Afro-Brazilian identity with songs such as “Zumbi” and “Menina mulher de pele preta”.[3] More simple, anodyne love songs make an appearance here as well with tracks such as “Eu vou torcer” and “Minha teimosia, uma arma pra te conquistar”. Other lyrics reflect Ben's signature fascination with the esoteric;[4] “O homem da gravata florida” describes the details of a man's strikingly beautiful tie, while “O namorado da viúva” is about the lover of a widow. Although tracks such as these stand out as notably singular in their subject matter, “O homem...” is in fact about Paracelsus, while “O namorado…” is yet another reference to Nicholas Flamel.[2][5]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| MusicHound World | 5/5[7] |
| Music Story |  [citation needed] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ ( )[8] |
The record was ranked by Rolling Stone Brazil as the sixth greatest Brazilian album of all time,[9] and has been included in Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die.[citation needed] Mike Wojciechowski from Tiny Mix Tapes considered it Ben's masterpiece.[2]
Track listing
editAll tracks written by Jorge Ben, except where noted
- "Os alquimistas estão chegando os alquimistas" – 3:15
- "O homem da gravata florida" – 3:05
- "Errare humanum est" – 4:50
- "Menina mulher da pele preta" – 2:57
- "Eu vou torcer" – 3:15
- "Magnólia" – 3:14
- "Minha teimosia, uma arma pra te conquistar" – 2:41
- "Zumbi" – 3:31
- "Brother" – 2:54
- "O namorado da viúva" – 2:03
- "Hermes Trismegisto e sua celeste tábua de esmeralda" (Jorge Ben, Fulcanelli, traditional) – 5:30
- "Cinco minutos" – 2:57
References
edit- ^ Santoro Rezende, Renato (August 2012). Jorge Ben: um negro na MPB nas décadas de 1960 - 1970 (Dissertation). Rio de Janeiro: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) – Programa de Pós-Graduação em Música. pp. 24, 163. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Wojciechowski, Mike. "1974: Jorge Ben Jor - A Tábua de Esmeralda", Tiny Mixtapes, November 31, 2011.
- ^ "Brute Force: A Look At Jorge Ben's Recorded Work". Okayplayer. 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- ^ "Jorge Ben | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- ^ "Jorge Ben | Brazil 70 Translation Project" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 23 December 2014. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- ^ A Tábua de Esmeralda at AllMusic
- ^ McGovern, Adam, ed. (2000). "Jorge Ben". MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink. ISBN 1578590396.
- ^ Hull, Tom (May 3, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- ^ "Os 100 maiores discos da música brasileira" (in Portuguese). Umas Linhas. 2007-12-20. Archived from the original on October 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
External links
edit- A Tábua de Esmeralda at Discogs (list of releases)