outra Praia

CD outra Praia Swami Jr.

"Oh, definitely the best musician you can have by your side." When directed to Swami Jr., this compliment is definitely commonplace in our business. Although most deserved, it is in fact a half truth and conceals his very many talents, at the same time it reveals a bit of our selfishness. But now the release of his first solo song album, this "Outra Praia", uncovers what some already know: Swami Jr. is a music artist to be savored in many different ways, and not only "by the side" of anyone. An exceptional guitar and bass player, an internationally recognized producer and arranger, has yet another facet revealed here, the one of a dense, consistent composer. A complete one: rythm, music and lyrics. And his singing amazes us with its personality and kindness. It's such a thrill to listen to him, the composer unleashing his voice to make public something that was once whispered in some long night in a hotel or in a corner of a dressing room during a sound check.



The weft of Brazilian popular music gets more resilient with the talent and the generosity of this larger-than-life musician, who has contributed so much and in so many ways. He opens his music to welcome us, his partners, as he has always opened his house, his schedule and his heart to give us shelter and help us find those clear ways we're only led to by calm and serenity. And in this slower, gentler tempo he denies the rush of business men and women who peek into our insecure souls and our tired bodies, so in need of people who work within the craft of the unpredictable: our very necessary daily music.



And here we are, feeling at home in his music-made house, properly placed where we should be: musicians, singers, songwriters, composers, arrangers, forever apprentices just thrilled to be here sharing this celebration by "his" side. Swami Jr.'s music comes to us as this ever glowing light cutting through the urban mist and the cacophony of maiden-trip sailors to guide us to that other beach. It's just so good to have a master helmsman who can in quasi-silences tell us that the good thing is to go "through life at its fullest". When he sings, then, it seems that "everything falls into place". Thank you, master.

Chico Cesar. May 2007