Where you least expect it, nothing comes of it, as the wise Barão de Itararé (18951971) said. But no one in their right mind expects innovation from anything special Roberto Carlos on TV Globo, a Brazilian institution that reached its 49th edition last night. Sporting a white suit, a gold tie and the tireless hair care efforts that have been in place for decades in the fight against hair loss, the King maintained his majesty with the talent everyone knows and his usual marketing savvy.
At 82 years old, immortal or frozen depending on your critical point of view, the king has been using his specialty since 1974 to provide blood transfusions to young people who have had a short burst. Not that he needs it, either from an artistic or commercial perspective. But the Ibope of the program really needs it.
Roberto Carlos sang with Ana Castela, the singer of the moment. Photo: Fabio Rocha/TVGlobo
Roberto began with the beautiful “Eu te amo, te amo, te amo,” which he has been singing since 1968 (released on the LP O Inimitable) and then repeated it, somewhat in the style of a Siri or Alexa:
“With every year my joy in sharing this night with you grows.” Little emotion, animal. The second song was the canceled 2012 song “Este cara sou eu”, which was criticized for its obsessive lyrical self. But that wasn't what the audience was interested in during the recording: the section in which Roberto fans himself as an allegedly abusive lover while singing “Say other things that make you hot” causes a stir.
In the midst of armed conflict and disagreement, magic sometimes happens. In the edition shown yesterday, recorded on November 29th at the Qualistage in Rio de Janeiro, this happened in a duet with the samba singer MumuzinhoRoberto Carlos was moved when he sang with him “Força Strange”, a song that Caetano composed for Roberto in 1978, after a meeting at a television station in which the king sent the warning phrase: “Yes, man, an artist never. “gets old”.
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Next, Mumuzinho sang the samba “I deserve to be happy,” with a bass in the palm of his hand, expanding on what he had previously announced: “I represent thousands of young black singers living in humble places.” One more A positive surprise was the arrangements with more weight (in brass and guitar) and more room for brilliance from the veterans of the band RC9.
Of course, not everything was rosy. Luisa Sonza, the first guest of the evening, came to sing “Chico” (whose lyrics have been changed since September to “Se caso me queres,” invoking the inspiring Chico), provoking Roberto: “I offer this song just for you! “. The song, which they were desperately trying to sell as bossa, was sung in a way that was clearly not bossa, but rather in a folk or even country style, with vocal flourishes and melismas, without jazz swing.
In a relaxed atmosphere, the king suggested: “Let us sing something together. You start, right?” And then came “Olha”, with Luisa being more reserved vocally, including leaning her head on Roberto's shoulder (without crying) and leaving to draw attention to Maestro Eduardo Lage at the piano. Anitta sang a duet of the same song with the King in the 2013 special, a fact that caused comparative jibes in the crazy world of fans on the former Twitter.
“What do I really have to do now?” the king then asked, joking about possible “forgetfulness” (a “senior moment,” as the Americans say). And he deftly added the orchestral sweep of “Além do Horizonte.”
The second guest of the evening was received in the same “natural” (quotes) “open rehearsal” (more quotes) scheme, combining performances and cues. Fabio Jr., 70, came to sing “Meus Vinte e Fewos Anos,” a 1979 pop classic, on November 21, and it was so emotional, man. Roberto anticipated and played with the explicit agerelated irony by commenting in the duet, “It's been a while!”
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The two sacred monsters of the Brazilian love song hit it off in what can be described as the most “organic” moment of the special. There was no shortage before the exchange of “Brigadú!” and “Obrigadú!”, a duet in “É Preciso Saber Viver” and a final caress for the appearance of the eternal heartthrob, of course with a comment on the supposedly independent age: “It's good that you don't look like that.” It, right , Man?”
Ana Castela, the sensation of the year, showed good country/cosplay presence and sang his hit “Solteiro Forçado,” practically a ballad with Coldplay touches (no pun intended). Then he fished out a great souvenir from the treasure of the king's repertoire: “Como vai Você” (the classic by Antonio Marcos (19451992), recorded by Roberto Carlos in 1972. Including Reverie saxophone by Clécio Fortuna, the The duet has been playing with King for more than half a century.
With John, the chemistry wasn't that good. And not even because he started with his hit “Me Lambe”; The king, who was a greatuncle, even told him: “Make yourself comfortable.” But “É Proibido Fumar” was strange, with two alternating verses. Paulinho Ferreira, who played the guitar, was less bad than there.
In interactions with the comedian Paulo VieiraThe best quote was the question: “Have you ever sent a nude, Roberto?” The king replied “not yet” and was instructed to exchange the rose sent by a QR code on the television screen for more daring images. Have you ever thought about it, animal?
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At the end, Roberto Carlos presented with “affective” approval “the muse of this song is you” his new song, officially released a month ago: “Eu ofreço flores”. She is a little girl with an older face, born old, just like Benjamin Button in the story by FJ Scott Fitzgerald. Too sad and sweet, but with real gratitude: “Looks and smiles/give me what I need/to feel in these moments/in my heart and soul/the applause that soothes me/and relief for my feelings.” The show isn't over yet, and it's the artist who offers the flowers while he's alive, not the audience, before ending with his wishes of “much peace, much love, good luck” and “amen, amen, amen.”