Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Jorge Ben - A Tábua de Esmeralda (1974)

Hello, good evening! Everybody was right saying that A Tabua de Esmeralda is Jorge Bem’s Masterpiece. I confess that I heard this album for the first time today and I’m really impressed. I’m also impressed with everything I read today about this album and I decided to make something different showing a selection of these messages to our community, they explains A Tabua de Esmeralda better than I could make on my best days. Let’s see.

Amazon.com and Rate your Music statements.

To me, he is the single greatest musician songwriter in the world that ever was. His sound is utterly unique and majestic, rhythmic, soulfull, spiritual, poetic, perfect. Perfect. Nothing is perfect. Except his music. The only perfect thing in an imperfect universe. (musiclover, Amazon.com)

Beautiful. Breathtaking. Memorable. Highly creative. Just an absolutely wonderful album. (tommo, Rate Your Music)

This is one of the most beautiful Jorge Ben albums of all time. I can't believe it is almost 28 years old! I have yet to explain how some things in life can be just so perfect. (Crued, Amazon.com)

I'm new to Brazillian music that isn't by Sepultura, but from what I've heard so far, Jorge Ben is the definitive artist of the genre of samba. (Trashisawesome, Rate Your Music)

Simply, this CD transcend the frontiers of music. Perfect in musical content and in spiritual force, Tábua De Esmeralda is just a master piece! (Felipe Borelli Filho, Amazon.com)

This is perhaps the most organic album I've ever experienced, and among those select few records by which 'experience' is a more accurate verb than 'listen'. (londonrain, Rate Your Music)

Ben's best. A groovy masterpiece. (bborela, Rate Your Music)

Track List

01 - Os Alquimistas Estão Chegando os Alquimistas (Jorge Ben)
02 - O Homem da Gravata Florida (Jorge Ben)
03 - Errare Humanun Est (Jorge Ben)
04 - Menina Mulher da Pele Preta (Jorge Ben)
05 - Eu Vou Torcer (Jorge Ben)
06 - Magnólia (Jorge Ben)
07 - Minha Teimosia Uma Arma Pra Te Conquistar (Jorge Ben)
08 - Zumbi (Jorge Ben)
09 - Brother (Jorge Ben)
10 - O Namorado da Viúva (Jorge Ben)
11 - Hermes Trismegisto e Sua Celeste Tábua de Esmeralda (Jorge Ben / Fulcanelli)
12 - Cinco Minutos (Jorge Ben)

9 comments:

Shams Tabrizi said...

Seriously, Zeca, you have to be joking when you say you never heard this before. This is the album that made me a sucker for Brazilian Music, even though I've never come up yet with anything Brazilian that matches the transparence and universality of Ben's sheer happinness, the joy, the soul, the feeling. Songs like Zumbi or Fio Maravilha have epic qualities, Os Alquimistas will cheer a crowd in a mass funeral, and Menina Mulher da Pele Preta will get your mojo rising and make you drool for sex. Every day I come to your blog with the hope of finding anything as good as this, and I do find marvelous things, but nothing that yet compares in perfection as a hole.

By the way, the album is available at iTunes Music Store, so I guess we should let Mr. Ben get richer with this god inspired music.

Shams Tabrizi said...

Did I say Fio Maravilha? That track is not in this album, sorry...

Though it certainly is Ben at his highest epic moment

Anonymous said...

Yeah...? I cant beleive you never heard this one either. When i first discovered Brazilian records, this was one of the first. I consider myself a novice but i do own almost all his LP's. This is my favorite Jorge Ben album.

I recently had the pleasure of shaking the man's hand when he was visiting NYC.

Love the site Zeca.

Anonymous said...

It would be nice to also have the out of print albums like 1969 and Negro E Lindo.

Anonymous said...

One of his very best. Thank you for sharing.
Greetings from rainy Germany

Unknown said...

Very Good Album. Thanks a lot.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for the Jorge Ben albums!!! x0x0x
How about adding Samba Nova, from 1977, I think? I used to have it-wore it completely out.

Thanks again!
Peace & Blessings

Anonymous said...

Samba Nova - yes! One of my all-time favorite albums ever. I'd so love to find an MP3 of it...

theninthplanet said...

Fantastic album! Thanks for posting this one (and Bem-Vinda Amizade - 'Katarina, Katarina' has been a favourite since I heard it on a compilation years ago). Ben's albums are ridiculously hard to find here (London)- when I see them I buy them - and even the cd releases seem to be deleted too quickly.