milton nascimento’s clube da esquina

  • Clube Da Esquina
  • Milton Nascimento
  • Brazil
  • Listen
There are very few albums that are held in such esteem by such a wide variety of listeners and fellow musicians as Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges’ “Clube da Esquina” (corner club), released in 1972, at the height of Brazil’s brutal military dictatorship. For those of us in London and in a handful of European cities, we now have the chance to witness the music live. Read below for more info.

Arguably the greatest landmark of Brazilian pop music or Música popular brasileira (MPB), it mixed the popular national sounds of bossa nova, samba and other less well known Brazilan music, with not only jazz, but also Beatles-influenced pop and progressive rock. However, its ambition didn’t end there. It was one of the first double albums in Brazilian pop. And being a massive cinema fan, particularly under the spell of Francois Truffaut’s “Jules et Jim”, Milton sought to tell a story with each song, lyrically AND musically. Evidently so, as each song folds out, layer by layer, so beautifully. Moreover, released at a time of intense cultural censorship, Milton & co were not too afraid to risk the ire of the authorities, as songs such as “Paisagem Da Janela” (Landscape From the Window), casting allusions to “morbid things” and “sordid men”, drew controversy and censorship.

Milton and “Clube Da Esquina”‘s influence appears endless. Firstly, the immediate and long term impact in Brazil itself, inspiring many to experiment simultaneously with progressive music from abroad at the same time as traditional and indigenous music from home, arguably as great an influence, if not more, than the Tropicalia movement led by Caetano, Glberto, Os Mutantes, et al. But secondly abroad, as countless artists have continued to claim inspiration. Herbie Hancock, Animal Collective, Four Tet, Esperanza Spalding and Earth, Wind & Fire to name just a few. Whilst Bjork loved Milton’s work with arranger Eumir Deodato so much, that she had Deodato arrange her “Post” album too.

Now aged 76, Milton is touring once more, performing the music of “Clube Da Esquina”, it’s follow up, “Clube Da Esquina 2”, and other material from his highly successful 70s period across the globe, including London’s Barbican on June 17, supported by broadcaster and certified mega-fan, Gilles Peterson, supplying a DJ set, and Italian-born Brazilian songbook singer, Celeste. A full list of tour dates can be found below.

17/6 – Mon – London (Barbican)

19/6 – Wed – Zurique (Kaufleuten)

21/6 – Fri – Amsterdam (Paradiso)

24/6 – Mon – Madrid (Noches del Botánico)

26/6 – Wed – Lisbon (Coliseu)

27/6 – Thu – Porto (Coliseu)

30/6 – Sun – Show Tel Aviv

05/7 – Fri – Berlin – Wassermusik HKW

06/7 – Sat – Paris (Casino de Paris)