Throughout her career, São Paulo-born Céu (pronounced SEH-uh) has been inspired by electronica and American soul music, but on her recent release “Caravana Sereia Bloom” (loosely translates as “Mermaid Bloom Caravan”) she goes into a different direction. The music is influenced by various elements of Brazilian regional music. An example is the lead single “Retrovisor” (“Rear View Mirror”), a tune whose main rhythm is reminiscent of the sounds commonly heard in countryside nightclubs around the country’s southeastern region.
That doesn’t mean she has given up her signature sound. “Falta de Ar” (“Breathless”) has a semi-psychedelic sound, and “Baile de Ilusão” (“Dreamer’s Ball) has a fresh forró-meets-electronica feel that is sure to bring fans to their feet. The album is the fruit of multiple collaborations—among those who participated are multi-instrumentalist Curumin (who is touring with her), Fortaleza-born guitarist Fernando Catatau and Pupilo of Nação Zumbi, a band that brought northeastern Brazilian pop into the mainstream.
In a live format, Céu often mixes her own music with songs that have moved her over the years. During the 2009 Vagarosa tour, she included very personal covers from Rio de Janeiro samba legend Martinho da Vila and Ray Charles. She has an almost bossa-like approach to her shows—no dancing around or trying to be cute—it’s all about the music and nothing else, and her fans thank her for that. (Ernest Barteldes)
June 14 at Double Door, 1572 North Milwaukee, (773)489-3160, 9pm. $22-$25.
Brutal Finesse: A Preview of King Crimson at Ravinia There have been few new compositions from King Crimson these past two decades, but the live arrangements of songs from its catalog are often strikingly different than the recorded versions.
Cooling It: A Preview of Colleen Green at Cole’s Bar When Green strums power chords or chiming notes on top of her backing track, you might think you’re at Ramones karaoke night and Madonna is taking her turn.
For “Want” of a Change: A Preview of Rufus Wainwright at Ravinia Park Rufus Wainwright isn’t the first singer-songwriter to reinterpret earlier work through an orchestral lens. And much of Wainwright’s third and fourth albums, “Want One” and “Want Two”—whose twentieth anniversaries are the prompt for this new tour—is fully scored. But when Wainwright hits the Pavilion stage at Ravinia tonight, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be behind him.
Can’t-Miss Music Events (Fall Arts Preview 2023) This fall we get new albums and tours from iconic acts like Wilco and Kurt Elling, plus a Corrine Bailey Rae project inspired by Theaster Gates' Stony Island Arts Bank.
