The Brazilian singer known as Claudia (also spelled "Claudya," and not to be confused with her contemporary, Claudia Telles) was a notable though minor figure in 1970's MPB... In the '60s she appeared on the O Fino da Bossa TV show (hosted by idol Elis Regina) and competed in numerous song festivals of the era. Claudia found perhaps her greatest success onstage, in the musical "Evita," which she toured in for several years in the 1980s... Here's a quick look at her career...
Claudia "Grandes Vozes" (Som Livre, 2007)
Claudia "Claudia" (RGE, 1967)
(Produced by Manoel Barenbein)
(Arrangements by Francisco Moraes)
The first thing you'll notice here is the youthfulness in Claudia's voice: she was about eighteen when this was recorded, and her voice had a lot of lilt to it, also a lot of pure joyfulness. Anyway, this is very much a young girl singing, but rather than peg her as a "jovem guarda" teen singer, RGE matched her up with an old-school orchestral pop/big band group, pianist Luiz Loy and his quintet, augmented by a generous slathering of string arrangements and orchestrations typical of the Brazilian studios throughout the '60s. I didn't like this at first -- her voice sounded thin and slightly at odds with the robust, sometimes corny orchestrations. But listening to it again, it grew on me. There are some uptempo numbers that jump out at you, such as Haroldo Barbosa's swinging "Nao Se Aprende Na Escola" and Gilberto Gil's "Ninguem Da O Que Nao Tem," along with contemporary material by newcomers such as Chico Buarque, but the tempo on most tracks is generally pretty slow, and perhaps inaccessible to modern listeners more attuned to the tropicalia and bossa vibe of the time. (There's also a nimble acoustic guitarist adding bossa riffs on most songs, but sadly they aren't identified in the liner notes... Anyway, there's a whiff of bossa nova, but this also has a strong pre-bossa feel.) Worth checking out, though it may feel a little uneven.
Claudia "Claudia" (EMI, 1971)
Claudia "Jesus Cristo" (EMI, 1971)
Claudia "Claudia Voce Claudia" (EMI, 1971)
Claudia "Deixa Eu Dizer" (EMI, 1973)
(Produced by Milton Miranda & Maestro Gaya)
Standard-issue swank, lushly orchestrated, post-tropicalia MPB, in the style of Maria Bethania and Gal Costa -- particularly Gal. Some songs are cool, like "So Que Deram Zero Pro Bedeu" and "Pois E, Seu Ze" while many others are semi-torturous. Claudia isn't quite on a par with Bethania and Gal, and even they had their shortcomings... But in her defense, she also never goes overboard to the same degree as, say, Elis Regina or Nana Caymmi, and overall she keeps things pretty classy. Interesting blues ballads at the start: notable since this isn't a style that was very popular in Brazil, and she sings the blues pretty well. The title track is an early Ivan Lins composition, and apparently was a hit for Claudia. A fairly hip album, worth checking out if you like Doris Monteiro, et. al.
Claudia "Reza, Tambor E Raca" (RCA Victor, 1977) (LP)
Claudia "Passaro Emigrante" (Epic, 1979)
(Produced by Romeli Giosa & Chico Medori)
A glossy, modern set, with strong jazz-fusion overtones, ala Flora Purim or Tania Maria. Not really my cup of tea. Indeed, I find it a bit torturous, although the slower numbers, like "Ta-Lento" or "Ascensao" are okay. Anything on here with electric guitar, though, is just awful. One noteworthy aspect is that all the songs on here were written or co-written by either Claudia or her husband, producer Chico Medori.
Claudia "Claudia" (CBS, 1980)
Claudia "Luz Da Vida" (1985) (LP)
Claudia "Sentimentos" (1986)
Claudia "A Estranha Dama" (BMG-Ariola, 1992)
Claudia "Leao De Juda" (BMG-Ariola, 1994)
Claudia & The Zimbo Trio "Entre Amigos" (Movieplay, 1994)
Claudia "Claudia Canta Taiguara" (RGE, 1998)
Claudia "Brasil Real" (1999)
Claudia "Horizons" (2005)
