Refazenda

33⅓ Brazil #5

by Marc A. Hertzman, Jason Stanyek (Series Editor)

Refazendaconnects a remarkable album by one of the 20th and 21st centuries' great musicians to a dazzling, often unexpected, array of people and places spread across the globe from Brazil to England to Chile to Japan. Critics and fans often project (or impose) desires and interpretations onto Gil that don't seem to fit. This book explores why familiar political and musical categories so often fall flat and explains why serendipity may instead be the best way to approach this mercurial album and the unrepeatable artist who created it.

Based on years of listening to, studying, and teaching about Gil, and the author's own encounters with the album around the world, this book argues that Refazenda does, in fact, contain radical messages, though they rarely appear in the form, shape, or places that we might expect. The book also includes the first English-language translations of the album's lyrics, never-discussed-before 1970s Japanese liner notes, and a recounting of a forgotten moment when censors detained Gil during the album's debut tour.

33 1/3 Global , a series related to but independent from 33 1/3, takes the format of the original series of short, music-basedbooks and brings the focus to music throughout the world. With initial volumes focusing on Japanese and Brazilian music, the series will also include volumes on the popular music of Australia/Oceania, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and more.

184 pages, Hardcover

First published February 6, 2020

Reviews

[Adam]

The platonic ideal of any entry in this series. The obvious-fan author delivers a well-written and well-thought thesis of the importance of the artist and the album. By sharing why Gilberto Gil was revered to his original fans, the author hopes to impart that importance to music fans who've never before heard of Gilberto Gil. I finished the book knowing I would want to listen to Gil's music, but the book itself wasn't necessarily that innovative. It was a straightforward monograph of Gil, his influences, the sociopolitical milieu of Brazil during the making of this album, and the aftermath of the album. In that sense, it was good, but it also didn't grab me - though I would like to visit one of Hertzman's classes one day.