Singer Vania Bastos was one of many musicians to come out of the cultural movement known as the "Vanguarda Paulista," a multi-disciplinary artistic movement aimed at revitalizing and redefining the Sao Paul art scene in the late 1970s and early '80s. Bastos worked with artists such as Arrigo Barnabe, Itamar Assumpcao and various rock bands, and also explored more jazz- and bossa-oriented MPB after launching her own solo career. Here's a quick look at her work...
Arrigo Barnabe "Clara Crocodilo" (1980) (LP)
A weird, difficult album, equal parts, perhaps, of Frank Zappa, John Zorn, Yoko Ono, and Oscar The Grouch. Barnabe barks out half-recited lyrics while a brisk female chorus chants repetitive, irritating refrains behind him; artsy pianos plunk, saxophones squonk, synthesizers bloop. His collaborators included vocalists Vania Bastos and Eliete Negreiros, both at the starts of their careers, and both very shrieky and shrill. I guess they were trying to one-up Brazilian avantniks like Os Mutantes and Tom Ze, and if the goal is to make "challenging" music, I suppose they succeeded. I personally can't handle it, but this is a Brazilian prog/art rock/free jazz cult classic.
Arrigo Barnabe "Tubaroes Voadores" (Ariola, 1984) (LP)
Another difficult/artsy set, but with a much wider palette than the first album... Classical string arrangements bookend saxy squonks and plinky proto-electonica -- Zappa's still the best comparison I can make, or maybe Captain Beefheart(?) The female vocals are less brittle and more expansive, sort of a mix between Kate Bush, Diamanda Galas and Rita Lee. Irritating, but less monochromatic than the Clara Crocodilo songs... Still ain't my cup of tea, but if you like stuff that's weird just for the sake of being weird, you will want to check this out.
Vania Bastos "Vania Bastos" (Copacabana, 1986)
Vania Bastos & Eduardo Gudin "Eduardo Gudin & Vania Bastos" (Eldorado, 1989)
Vania Bastos "Vania Bastos" (Eldorado, 1990)
A jazzy, semi-glitzy solo set with an overly-perky, Vegas-y feel... Mostly glossy jazz-orchestral MPB, but with some reasonably rootsy samba under the hood on a few tunes. Some of the songs have elegant arrangements while others feel a bit slipshod. Several familiar names among the musicians -- Paulo Bellinati plays on (and arranges) three songs; Eduardo Gudin plays on a couple and arranges one, while Amilson Godoy handles a couple of others. (Perhaps there's a too-many-cooks thing going on here...?) Ms. Bastos does her best, singing with a lilting, Kate Bush-ish tone, but the album teeters about erratically, and doesn't always hold together... I can't say this album does much for me, but I suppose it's worth checking out, particularly if you're into her later work.
Vania Bastos "Cantando Caetano" (Velas, 1992)
Vania Bastos "Canta Mais" (Velas, 1994)
Vania Bastos "...E Cordas: Cancoes De Tom Jobim" (Velas, 1995)
Vania Bastos "Diversoes Nao Eletronicas" (Velas, 1997)
Vania Bastos "Belas Feras" (PlayArte, 1999)
Vania Bastos "...Canta Clube Da Esquina" (Universal, 2002)
Vania Bastos "Tocar Na Banda" (Dabliu, 2005)
Vania Bastos "Nabocadolobo" (Lua Discos, 2010)
(Produced by Thiago Marques Luiz)
A tribute to the music of MPB star Edu Lobo...
Vania Bastos & Marcos Paiva "Concerto Para Pixinguinha" (Atracao, 20--?)
A tribute to the music of Brazilian jazz/choro pioneer Pixinguinha, with arrangements and music by bassist Marcos Paiva, accompanied by vibraphonist Nelton Essi, Cesar Roversi (saxophones) and Jonatas Sansao (drums), with Vania Bastos singing lead on most tracks.
