Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Caetano Veloso: zii e zie

Caetano Veloso: zii e zie

By Ernest Barteldes
April 17, 2010
View read count

Legendary Brazilian singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso follows up on the career-shifting Cê (Nonesuch, 2008) with zii e zie, featuring the same band. Though the lineup includes only guitar, bass and drums (plus some occasional acoustic guitar from Veloso), the arrangements all carry his signature complexities and bossa-inspired changes.

In contrast to Cê, there are few angry moments. Instead, Veloso now wonders about his own ability to fall in love again and about the beauty around him. He often uses cryptic language, which leaves much of the interpretation to the imagination. However, in "Tarado Ni Voce" ("Horny for You") he simply repeats "tarado" over and over as he marvels at the open display of flesh during the four days of Carnaval. He also makes a clear political statement with "A Base de Guantánamo" ("Guantánamo Base"), with the lyric "The fact that Americans disrespect human rights/is too much for me not to be shaken."

The disc's highlights include "Falso Leblon," a lively samba that showcases the talents of guitarist

Herbert Pyrker

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbert Pyrker and bassist Ricardo Dias Gomes, who skillfully fill the tune's empty spaces with great riffs and thumping bass lines, bringing the listener's attention to the words, which rail against the damage Rio de Janeiro has suffered over the years. Also enjoyable is "Menina da Ria" ("Girl from Ria"), a cheerful tune in which Veloso admires the beauty of a Portuguese woman who catches his eye. And worth checking out is the bossa-like "Ingenuidade" ("Naiveté"), where the singer recognizes that he was once again romantically deceived when experience should have taught him otherwise.

Not all the songs are great, though. "Lobao Tem Razao" ("Lobao Is Right") is a failed attempt to blend rock and Bahian rhythms—there aren't enough percussion instruments to make it work—and the opening track, "Perdeu ("Lost"), causes some doubt about Veloso's muse—at least until the rest of the CD plays out.

In spite of the few weak moments. zii e zie shows that Veloso is still in great form as a songwriter who is always willing to take risks in order to—like

Bob Dylan

guitar and vocals
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Dylan—constantly reinvent himself.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Perdeu; Sem Cais; Por Quem?; Lobao Tem Razao; Cor Amarela; Base de Guantánamo; Falso Leblon; Incompatibilidade de Genios; Tarado Ni Você; Menina da Ria; Ingenuidade; Lapa; Diferentemente.

Personnel

Caetano Veloso

guitar

Caetano Veloso: vocals, guitar; Pedro Sá: electric guitar; Ricardo Dias Gomes: electric bass; Marcelo Callado: drums.

Album information

Title: zii e zie | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Nonesuch Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Bunky Green
< Previous

Re-Evaluation-Time
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.