In the currently booming Brazilian economy, CD/DVD live packages must be all the rage, as every artist seems to be releasing one after each tour, many of them under the banner of the
Multishow series of the Globo TV media empire. Take for instance the case of
Maria Gadú, one of the brightest new names on the scene. She released her wonderful, self-titled debut album in 2009, then a
Multishow ao Vivo in 2010, and now in 2011, yet another
Multishow ao Vivo, together with legend
Caetano Veloso, who had his own
Multishow in 2008. While
Veloso has decades of world-class compositions to choose from,
Gadú is always relying on the same songs from her only album, running considerable risk of overexposure. There is a caveat, though, and that is that the 2011
Multishow is an entirely acoustic affair, with guitar and voice only. This renders
Gadú's set list arguably more interesting than her previous
Multishow release swith a full band, since those arrangements were closer to the studio versions than these acoustic interpretations. On the other hand,
Veloso is no stranger to all-acoustic live performances, and his list of selections, while eminently unimpeachable, offers few surprises for anyone familiar with his previous live albums. In any event, the encounter between the new star and the old master feels a bit unbalanced, with seven songs by
Gadú, and the remaining 19 coming from
Veloso's repertoire (songs either written or covered by him). On top of that, while
Gadú joins
Veloso for most of his selections, she sings her own material alone. Which is a real pity, since the DVD's most touching moment comes when
Veloso surprises
Gadú with a rendition of her own "Shimbalaié," so tender that it moves its young author to tears. The bottom line is, the only novelty of this release is hearing
Gadú singing
Veloso standards, which is pleasant but hardly an eye-opener. After all, she faces unsurmountable competition, as every major singer in Brazil has performed
Veloso's compositions. While
Gadú was rightfully considered a revelation as a songwriter, as a singer she rather belongs in the utterly lovely category -- think
Nara Leão,
Bebel Gilberto,
Adriana Calcanhotto -- than in the wonder of naturally gifted ones like
Elis Regina,
Gal Costa,
Maria Bethânia, or
Marisa Monte. If this all sounds a bit tepid, rest assured: this album is downright beautiful all the way through. Indeed, it could not have been otherwise, considering the artists and the fantastic songs involved. Heck, one could just listen to the version of "Menino do Rio" included here every day of his life and die a happy man. It is just that with people so talented and creative, one always expects more than a charming stroll through their catalog. Ironically, this
Multishow release may work better for people unfamiliar with the material, as it should send them running to procure the splendid
Maria Gadú studio album, or to plunge into the universe of infinite wonders that is
Caetano Veloso's music. Fans of either artist, or Brazilian music in general, will obviously love this, but they will also be biting their nails in anticipation while waiting for new
Veloso or
Gadú originals, hopefully as magnificent as the ones featured here.
–
Mariano Prunes, Rovi