The release of
Partimpim Dois only one year after the superb
Maré comes as a bit of a surprise, as
Adriana Calcanhotto usually takes at least a couple of years between albums.
Partimpim Dois, however, is the follow-up to
Calcanhotto's first children's record, Adriana Partimpim (
Calcanhotto's name for the character she created for her children's albums and shows), which appeared in 2004 and enchanted critics, parents, and kids alike.
Calcanhotto explained that she is always collecting songs for one project or another, and that suddenly in early 2009 she realized she had another album's worth of Partimpim material, so why not record it?
Partimpim Dois may not be as immediately bewitching as the first one, as the element of surprise is gone, but it is still an utter delight. Perhaps what is more remarkable about
Calcanhotto's children's music is how adult this material is. An heir in a tradition of children's music and literature that refuses to treat its audience as simpletons -- giants of Brazilian culture such as
Heitor Villa-Lobos,
Chico Buarque,
Edú Lobo, and
Vinícius de Moraes all wrote marvelous music for children --
Calcanhotto sees her Partimpim alter ego as an opportunity to introduce children to the wonderful world of music. As is the norm for the best of Brazilian music, the first rule is: no prejudices allowed. Thus,
Calcanhotto once more demonstrates her unerring eclecticism with songs by composers such as
Arnaldo Antunes,
Roberto and
Erasmo Carlos,
Caetano Veloso,
João Gilberto,
Heitor Villa-Lobos,
Vinícius de Moraes, and even
Bob Dylan (by way of
Zé Ramalho's beautiful Portuguese version of "Man Gave Name to All the Animals" from the
Slow Train Coming album), as well as contributing some new compositions of her own.
With few exceptions, none of these songs was originally intended for children. The extreme example is Veloso's "Alexandre," with mile-long lyrics that go over the entire life of the Macedonian conqueror, covering issues such as Aristotle's philosophy and Alexander's homosexual love for Patrocles -- one could easily imagine the reaction of conservative groups in the U.S., or the bewildering look of record company executives, if a major artist were to put out a children's album that deals with such topics. In
Calcanhotto's hands and exquisite hush of a voice, it becomes a great history lesson that is a lot more fun than school. Similarly,
Roberto Carlos' "Gatinha Manhosa" (Spoiled Kitty), originally a plea to a disdainful yet alluring girl, turns the meaning literal and becomes the loveliest song about a cat you'll ever hear. The album's closer, "As Borboletas" by
Vinícius de Moraes, is equally gorgeous, while uptempo numbers such as the opening "Baile Particumdum" and the transformation of
João Gilberto's bossa nova standard "Bim Bom" into an
Olodum percussion track will keep those happy feet moving, regardless of age. Capable of making sophisticated, cerebral music as well as to bask in the magical pleasures of childhood, the sky seems to be the limit to
Adriana Calcanhotto's talents. ~ Mariano Prunes