Pedro Moraes

Critics in Bahia, the womb of the Brazilian artistic imagination, have called Pedro Moraes "the next step in Brazilian song." That step is both forward and backtracking, like so many musical throwbacks in genres from hip-hop to indie rock. In Moraes' case, he's reviving the "Musica Popular Brasileira" of the '70s and '80s, but following a meandering route to find waypoints wherever in the wide world they may be.

"Zingaro" is an obscure Portuguese word for "gypsy," which means the title of "Zingareio" refers to a neologistic first-person verb: "I gypsy," sings this earnest and intellectual self-proclaimed "electro-samba" adventurer, who will gladly elaborate on the title's Hellenic etymology if asked. Moraes is a gypsy of extremes and in-betweens, aptly encapsulated by the title of his first solo album, Claroescuro: in English, Lightdark — like the artist himself, offspring of a black Baiana and an Ashkenazi Jew. This is a guy who goes about spouting Adorno and Lacan, who sees his music as a rhythmic echo of classical literature, who found his samba calling while on a year-long meditation retreat in India, and who can make Brazilians dance while singing erudition.

Live on stage, Moraes contorts and cavorts like a Brazilian David Byrne with a better and blacker samba shake and James Brown glide, not to mention a more manly and mellifluous vibrato. The quality of his voice has no more exacting measure than his chosen interlocutor on this track, Rio de Janeiro diva diehard Alcione. Her lusciously androgynous voice — that of an avowed past-life gypsy — illuminates the ethereal chorus of "Zingareio": "I want to lose myself in the endless expanse," Alcione bellows, "and in the open fields, recognize another grain of myself, and harvest in return the love I deserve." - NPR.ORG

The best show I saw in SXSW. Pedro Moraes is one of the most exciting brazilian artists I see in years./ O melhor show que assisti na SXSW. Pedro Moraes é um dos artistas brasileiros mais fascinantes que eu vejo há anos. - Michael Crocket - KUT FM (Austin, TX)

Claroescruro is the name of the album Pedro Moraes releases tonight at 9PM at Teatro Alterosa. "I´m made up of extremes: I´m festive, but also melancholic. Day and night, no fear", warns the 30 years old musician from Rio, who started out in the profession as a singer. "The instrument closest to my heart is the voice", states, remembering his previous album, Samba do Baú, as the lead singer of the samba ensemble É com esse que eu vou.

The repertoire has, on one side, songs such as Marcela and Samblefe, "explosions of joy", (...) and on the other side, Incomunicável and Canção da Despedida, "complex, twisted songs". On the setlist there´s still Dora, by Dorival Caymmi, an afoxé version of the Beatles´With a Little Help from my Friends, and "If I drink", by Nelson Cavaquinho.

"I have a deep longing to create songs that open true windows on day to day life, allowing for fresh untainted glances on life. The world stiffens if we don´t have the courage, the willingness to open new gateways", says Pedro Moraes, referring to his new songs. "This is a concert of celebration, vibrant, inviting".

With a modern outlook -- "which, for me, has to do with permission to take chances" -- Pedro joins samba with rock and jazz guitars, "different from the aloofness of a good portion of contemporary pop". He sees himself as part of a new generation, still on the edge of mass media, who is striving to "take this little object - the song - to a level of artwork". People such as Armando Lobo, Alvaro Gribel, Edu Kneip, João Cavalcanti, Thiago Amud... - Estado de Minas - Belo Horizonte - Brazil

His feet are firmly grounded on the so called "Classic MPB (brazilian popular music)", as was noticed by Antonio Carlos Miguel in a recent report. His music evokes from Milton Nascimento ("Incomunicável") to Edu Lobo ("Canção da Despedida"). He visits xote, samba, salsa, toada, always with the (usual) refinement and (rare) boldness in the current territory of MPB. That makes his work (melodies, lyrics, sounds) a constant balance between respect and recreation. Pedro doesn´t fall. A great album! - O Globo -- Rio de Janeiro

A warm man, speaking with pauses, with an undisputable talent. These are the first impressions left by the brazilian singer Pedro Moraes.

In his first tour around Europe, with his debut solo album, Claroescuro, he has surprised audiences with a combination of traditional rhythms (samba, marcha de carnaval and forro) with spices of jazz, tango and electronic music.

Far from couceit, it´s music that can take the listener to landscapes and good moments.

Moraes calls his music "author music", and acknowleges influences by great brazilian musicians, such as Chico Buarque and Tom Jobim.

Creative Spring

"During the XX century, in Brazil, there happened an urban incorporation of folklore, and I´ve received a lot of these influences. I`m closer to tradition", explains the artist.

However, Moraes doesn´t aim on creating a social revolution with his songs. "My revolution", he explains, "is the inner one. From there comes real change".

Pedro Moraes became known in Mexico after being recorded by the singer Magos Herrera, and is very intent on touring Latin America on a near future. - Latino -- Barcelona

Against the pessimistic forecast that says brazilian music ails with the lack of creativity by new artists, Pedro Moraes, from Rio de Janeiro, appears in a great debut solo album, Claroescuro. The singer and composer chose Salvador, the capital of Bahia, for its national premiere.

(...)

Carrying on his voice a certain lyric feeling of samba, even when in afrocuban Marcela, or in the encounter of tango and northeastern melodies of O Sonho de Antonieta, Pedro Moraes is above all, in verses and notes, the next step in brazilian music. He is certainly among the names that spring forth with good news im Brazil (...)

Pedro was joined by a heavy weight team, who are also springing forth from Rio´s scenario, to ornate his work with daring arrangements and superb musicianship. "This is, in many ways, a generation album. Thiago Amud, Armando Lobo, Marcelo Caldi, Daniel Marques and others, have imprinted a creative vigour which would have been impossible in a one-man-only CD", explains Pedro.

"This generation I belong to wants to transcend the market and aesthetic boundaries of MPB, embracing our culture in a broader, more generous way, from baroque to contemporary jazz, from tango to afro-cuban. And that extends beyond music, into literature, cinema..."he says.

BOLDNESS -- Claroescuro is Pedro´s first solo album, but he´s recorded the CD Samba do Baú with his group É com esse que eu vou (...), and was nominated for the TIM Prize 2008.

It´s whith this expertise that Pedro reaches for the dream of his solo work. He arrives without fear of taking chances, or better to say, to show, openly and fully, the essence of his music. "I can´t be pessimistic. I just don´t have that skill." - A Tarde - Salvador

As soon as his career began, carioca composer Pedro Moraes was embarking towards Mexico, where singer Magos Herrera had recorded two of his songs, with great success. From the "Lapa" samba group É com esse que eu vou he moved on to another tour (...) to London, Berlin and Barcelona.

Now, after releasing it in Bahia, he shows us in Rio his surprising debut CD, Claroescuro (...). From the spontaneous caribean samba Marcela to Xote de Manhã (one of the songs recorded by Herrera) to the contortions of Incomunicavel and the sharpness of Samblefe, inspired in Ligia, by Tom Jobim, a strong spirited author shines forth. - Jornal do Brasil - Rio de Janeiro

The exciting Brazilian Jazz group "the Pedro Moraes Quintet" will be performing (...) and the Ambassador of Brazil in India will be present at the evening.

Pedro Moraes is (...) deemed by brazilian press as one of the most important new generation singers and songwriters in Brazilian music for tha last couple of years. Audiences has also acclaimed his music in Spain, England and Germany, where he is an extremely popular ambassador.

Pedro expçlores a great diversity of references, from samba to tango, from electronica to classical (...) His music is a sophisticated blend of traditional Brazilian and Latin rhythms such as samba and salsa, with jazzy harmonies and contemporary arrangements... - The Navhind Times - Goa