Txai is an album by the Brazilian musician Milton Nascimento, released in 1990 in Brazil and in 1991 in the United States.[1][2] It is dedicated to Aliança dos Povos da Floresta, a Brazilian environmental organization.[1] The album title translates roughly to "comrade" in the Kashinawa language.[3] Nascimento supported the album with a North American tour.[4] Txai peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's World Albums chart.[5] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best World Music Album".[6]
| Txai | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Genre | Latin | |||
| Length | 35:50 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Marcio Ferreira, Mazzola | |||
| Milton Nascimento chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was inspired by an 18-day expedition Nascimento made in the Amazon rainforest, along the Juruá River.[7][8] He included field recordings of indigenous Amazonian music, and ensured that royalties were sent to the appropriate tribes.[9][10] "Nozani Na" was composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos.[11] River Phoenix provided a spoken word piece on "Curi Curi".[12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Calgary Herald | C[13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[12] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [15] |
The Washington Post wrote that "nearly all of [the songs] are lushly produced and equipped with hummable melodies that often belie the grave concern for the equatorial region that Nascimento expresses through his Portuguese lyrics."[16] Entertainment Weekly determined that "musically and conceptually, Txai wanders more than it should."[12] The Chicago Tribune deemed Txai "sort of a travelogue of the Amazon rainforest."[17] The Edmonton Journal concluded that Nascimento's "voice—all alone, in reverberating harmonies, polyphony, or in traditional chants—makes for the overwhelming feel of the record."[18] The Calgary Herald dismissed the album as "fake folk."[13] The San Antonio Express-News stated that the album "melds Nascimento's refined melodies with the living sounds of the rain forest and the musical and poetic images of its indigenous peoples."[19]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide called "Yanomami e Nós" "hauntingly emotional."[15]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Abertura" | |
| 2. | "Txai" | |
| 3. | "Baü Mētóro" | |
| 4. | "Coisas de Vida (That's Life)" | |
| 5. | "Hoeiepereiga" | |
| 6. | "Estórias da Floresta (Stories of the Forest)" | |
| 7. | "Yanomami e Nós – Pacto de Vida (Yanomami and Us – Pact of Life)" | |
| 8. | "Awasi" | |
| 9. | "A Tercera Margen do Rio (The Third Edge of the Water)" | |
| 10. | "Benke" | |
| 11. | "Sertão das Águas (Hinterlands of the Waters)" | |
| 12. | "Que Virá dessa Escuridão? (What Will Come Out of This Darkness?)" | |
| 13. | "Curi Curi" | |
| 14. | "Nozani Na" | |
| 15. | "Baridjumokô" |
References
edit- ^ a b Lannert, John (8 June 1990). "Rains Forests Comes First with Singer". Features Showtime. Sun Sentinel. p. 22.
- ^ "Brazilian Beat". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. 21 Feb 1991. p. 17.
- ^ Rohter, Larry (4 Apr 1991). "For Nascimento, a Leap to Mass Popularity". The New York Times. p. C15.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (5 Apr 1991). "Sounds Around Town". The New York Times. p. C15.
- ^ "Milton Nascimento". Billboard. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ "Milton Nascimento". Recording Academy. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ Knox, Paul (16 June 1990). "Music". The Globe and Mail. p. C3.
- ^ Mackie, John (25 Apr 1991). "Songs from the heart speak in every language". Vancouver Sun. p. F5.
- ^ Gonzalez, Fernando (4 Apr 1991). "Music with a Message". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Preston, Julia (14 Apr 1991). "The Songs of the Forest". The Washington Post. p. G1.
- ^ a b "Txai Review by Richard S. Ginell". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ a b c Burr, Ty (April 12, 1991). "Txai". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b Brennan, Brian (27 July 1991). "Jazz Discs". Calgary Herald. p. H7.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 495, 496.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (12 Apr 1991). "Nascimento's 'Txai' Has Native Appeal". The Washington Post. p. N15.
- ^ Kot, Greg (2 May 1991). "Rock really comes rolling into Chicago". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 1.
- ^ Levesque, Roger (5 May 1991). "Amazon inspires master's spare work". Edmonton Journal. p. D4.
- ^ Ragland, Cathy (23 Oct 1992). "Nascimento". San Antonio Express-News. p. 20H.