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Saturday, December 19, 2009

BACAMARTE : Ultimo Entardecer (1978/1983)

One of the lost masterpieces of the progressive rock genre, Bacamarte was a rare band for various reasons. One, they hailed from Brazil, which is not a country usually synonymous with prog. Second, they recorded their debut album in a time with disco was gaining enormous popularity. And third, that album took about six years to be released (into the 80s!). So basically, luck was NOT on their side. The project was mainly the brainchild of guitarist Mario Neto, and you can tell by how much of the material relys on his guitar work.
This track is the centrepiece of the album (the longest one too!), and it combines the UK symphonic prog sound with more Latin-influences. The first 3.5 minutes has a slower tempo to feature the piano & synth, as well as Portugese vocals from Jane Duboc. At 3.24, the song picks up to showcase Neto's incredible fretwork (very flamenco-oriented). At 4.07, the third section starts with an arpeggiated piano motif and another verse. At 5.50, is a flamenco acoustic piece by Neto which eventually leads into an alternate verse at 7.11. At 7.43, the intro figure is repeated in dramatic fashion until the end.
Song : "Ultimo Entardecer" by Bacamarte
From the LP "DEPOIS DO FIM" recorded 1978, released 1983

LINEUP :
Jane Duboc : vocals
Mario Neto : acoustic & electric guitars
Sergio Villarim : keyboards
Delto Simas : bass
Marco Verissimo : drums
Mr. Paul : percussion
Get it here : Ultimo Entardecer

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