JazzTimes (10/97, p.122) - "...Veloso is a master of mood, of poetry, of music, of all he surveys....Veloso's audience...is transported, buoyed...across oceans of time and hope."
Personnel includes: Caetano Veloso (vocals, guitar); Luis Brasil (vocals, guitar, violin); Jaques Morelenbaum (cello); Andrea Ernest Dias (flute, piccolo); Marcelo Martins, Raul Mascarenhas (flute); Christiano Alves (clarinet); Paulo Silva, Nelson Oliverira, Philip Doyle (trumpet); Vitor
Santos (trombone); Jota Moraes (piano); Rodolfo Cardoso (marimba); Zeca Assumpcao (bass); Marcelo Costa (drums, percussion); Mingo Araujo (percussion).
Recorded at Metropolitan, Rio de Janiero, Brazil in September 1995. Includes liner notes by Helio Eichbauer.
A live performance of many of the songs featured on Caetano Veloso's FINA ESTAMPA record, plus some Brazilian classics. A string section adds to the breathtaking beauty of songs such as "Lamento Borincano" and "Fina Estampa." Also present are the JoGo Gilberto samba classic "VocO Esteve Com Meu Bem?" and some songs written by Veloso and Gilberto Gil, which provide an interesting juxtaposition to the more traditional material.
FINA ESTAMPA EN VIVO benefits greatly from excellent production and an energetic performance. The singer's versatility is showcased nicely here, as he changes styles with seemingly effortless precision. However, FINA ESTAMPA EN VIVO is more than an addendum to the studio version of the record, as the inclusion of more samba-oriented material foreshadows the direction Veloso would take with his 1998 release LIVRO.