Seattlest Pix 09Nov24
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First things first--the sun also rises, the splendor is in the grass, and CéU has a second show tonight at the Triple Door (8 p.m., tickets: $28). We stumbled across her last time she was in town, touring for her debut album, which ended up nominated for a Latin Grammy. Listening to her is listening to how a Brazilian hears music, from electro-samba and afrobeat, to soul and R&B. (Last night she opened with the electro-jungle of "Espaçonave" and covered "Takes Two to Tango" from Ray Charles's Duets album.) You'll never mistake the Brazilian sound, but the loops and spikes of electronica and rubberband bass lines from funk make it an alleyway you've never wandered down before.
Vagarosa, her new album, practically sweats summer (download "Bubula"). It's hot and you don't want to move too fast--relax, lounge around in light cotton or linen, sip something with rum and fruit. You are, of course, wearing your best sunglasses. Every once in a while, your hips start doing revolutions that indicate the presence of strange attractors. But it is not just watching sunlight streaming by--you are pierced by the beauty of sights, memories, people, and have to sing out.
We have no idea what the songs are about--except that her papa used to tell her not to take herself so seriously and "insônia" looks like what it is in English. CéU stopped and apologized for us not understanding Portuguese: "I'm trying to put the music across with just the sound," she said, and from the roar from the audience, it was working. Her voice ranges from a whispery lullaby to the textured regret of a reed instrument. For the tour, the brass was left at home, and you get a more of a house remix.
Her opener is Italian singer/songwriter Patrizia Laquidara, who sings in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Her songs are more playful (one includes her doing that thing where you motorboat your lips with an index finger) and show off her vocalizing. She's got a big voice, and the songs sound like they're fun except for the one that was dedicated to either tightrope walkers in general or Philippe Petit specifically. She doesn't speak English so she was miming the dedicatee. That one was more emotional and soaring.
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Punny Lionel Richie headline? MvB is the champion, my friends.