Pretaluz is an album by the Angolan musician Waldemar Bastos, released in 1998.[2][3] The lyrics are in Portuguese; album title translates to "Blacklight".[4][5] It incorporated elements of zouk, morna, semba, and fado.[6][7] Pretaluz was banned from Angolan radio.[8]
| Pretaluz | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Genre | Angolan music | |||
| Label | Luaka Bop[1] | |||
| Producer | Arto Lindsay | |||
| Waldemar Bastos chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editRecorded in New York City, the album was produced by Arto Lindsay.[9][5] "Rainha Ginga" is about the Angolan queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba.[10] Other songs are about the Angolan Civil War.[11]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Robert Christgau |  [13] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [6] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [10] |
The New York Times called Pretaluz "one of the great, overlooked records of 1998," writing that, "with his dramatic pauses and dynamic vibrato rising above subtle rhythms picked out on nylon-string guitars, everything Mr. Bastos sings emerges as a lament of enormous sadness."[14] The Chicago Reader wrote that "the saudade and semba are there, but also traces of Afro-Cuban rhythms (a significant Cuban force came to Angola to help fight UNITA in 1975) and Brazilian pop."[15]
Robert Christgau praised "Morro do Kussava" and "Kuribôta", noting the "crystalline vision of pan-African bliss."[13] The Orlando Sentinel stated that "the exile's longing comes through in songs such as 'Sofrimento' and 'Querida Angola', even without the translations from the Portuguese found in the liner notes."[10] The Independent declared: "The most sublime release in some time from David Byrne's world-music label, Pretaluz ... is a masterpiece of restrained flamboyance, a blend of spry African styles which invoke the personal as the political, the whole imbued with a generosity of spirit."[16] The Dallas Morning News listed the album as the second best of 1998.[17]
AllMusic wrote that "few artists of any nation have created such a passionate and human statement on political themes as Waldemar Bastos, while at the same time, expertly explores musical styles from across the African continent."[12]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sofrimento" | |
| 2. | "Rainha Ginga" | |
| 3. | "Muxima" | |
| 4. | "Kuribôta" | |
| 5. | "Morro do Kussava" | |
| 6. | "Minha Familia" | |
| 7. | "Menina" | |
| 8. | "Querida Angola" | |
| 9. | "Kanguru" |
References
edit- ^ Moon, Tom (August 28, 2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List. Workman Publishing.
- ^ "Waldemar Bastos Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Moon, Tom (26 July 1998). "Bastos Sings a Hybrid Rare in World Music". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F10.
- ^ Underwood, Bob (May 29, 1998). "Recordings in Brief". Go!. Dayton Daily News. p. 19.
- ^ a b Woodard, Josef. "Waldemar Bastos: Pretaluz (Blacklight)". JazzTimes.
- ^ a b MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 63.
- ^ Young, Bob (October 26, 1999). "Angolan singer to homeland: Let's give peace a chance". Arts & Lifestyle. Boston Herald. p. 47.
- ^ Catlin, Roger (21 Oct 1999). "Angolan Says Music Is Medicine for the Soul". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 5.
- ^ Spencer, Neil (23 Aug 1998). "Waldemar Bastos Pretaluz". The Observer Review Page. The Observer. p. 11.
- ^ a b c Gettelman, Parry (1 May 1998). "Songs Speak of Longing and Hope". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 9.
- ^ Lipp, Marty (19 July 1998). "World Music". Newsday. p. D24.
- ^ a b "Pretaluz". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Waldemar Bastos". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Ratliff, Ben (July 17, 1998). "Laments of a Refugee on a Vigil Against Evil". The New York Times.
- ^ Margasak, Peter (April 16, 1998). "Songs of Solidarity". Chicago Reader.
- ^ Gill, Andy (21 Aug 1998). "Waldemar Bastos Pretaluz". Features. The Independent. p. 16.
- ^ Christensen, Thor (December 23, 1998). "Positive Notes". The Dallas Morning News. p. 35A.