Lo Borges

Um Dia E Meio
with Marcio Borges, Ronaldo Bastos,
Chico Amaral, and Cesar Mauricio
(2004)

Sonho Real
(2001)

A Via Láctea
(1979)

With "A Via Láctea," Lô Borges had finally the chance to show his talent. Okay, he was credited on the seminal album "Clube da Esquina" and sang some of its songs, either solo or accompanying Milton Nascimento, but he was seen as just a co-singer and composer. In this album, he finally stands out. The first half of the record (the "Side A") is particularly strong: I dare to say that among the first five songs, it's impossible to name "the best": all of them are great. The maturity of the arrangements and orchestrations revolving around an artist that was just 27 at the time is stunning. Still, "A Via Láctea" always gets me with its mysterious chords and strings. The second half of the record (the "Side B") is a little bit more relaxed, something that can be listened on the tracks "Equatorial", "Chuva na Montanha" (which has an enchanting guitar solo, a very sweet song) e "Olha o Bicho Livre". There is also a rendition of "Tudo o Que Você Podia Ser" - but alas, the 1972 version of "Clube da Esquina" is better. On the other hand, there is "Vento de Maio" to compensate this, and it's sung both by Lô and Solange Borges, which unfortunately hasn't recorded much since then as she is so gifted as his brother. In short: for the lovers of brazilian music, particularly those fond of the "Clube de Esquina" artists, this is a no-brainer. --an Amazon reviewer