From LILAS
Written by Djavan
When a beautiful melody was put in the capable hands of David Foster, the result was a work of art. “Liberdade” was such a ballad. Written by Djavan, one of Brazil ’s most revered musical minds, “Liberdade” (that translates to freedom, liberty or independence in English) was recorded in 1984 for Djavan’s Lilas album. Foster was a key figure on Lilas along with top sidemen Greg Phillinganes, Nathan East, Mike Landau, Jerry Hey and John Robinson.
These super-talented performers brought an elegant west coast approach to Djavan’s superb material. Under the noted direction of Erich Bulling and with Humberto Gatica in the control room, gorgeous soul/pop tunes like “Iris,” “Esquinas” and “Infinito” were enriched by ingenious arrangements from Foster, Phillinganes and Hey. These songs became gems of the most exquisite sophisti-pop. Musically, the tunes sounded like a Brazilian-tainted version of Al Jarreau’s albums of the early eighties. But, “Liberdade” ended Lilas and revealed a shining moment. Here, Djavan penned a delicate melody and matched it with some evocative, tender lyrics delivered by an intense vocal performance. “Liberdade” proved to be a joy to listen to with its synthesizer-laden intro, a memorable refrain and a slow, lush finale. Foster fueled the song’s emotional impact with a spectacular instrumental arrangement built by his work on the keyboards and synthesizers like a gifted architect. “Liberdade” musical scenario was absolutely sublime with East’s smooth performance on bass and Robinson’s precise drumming. Listening to this song and the whole Lilas album shows an appreciation for Foster’s work and helps savor the art of Djavan, one of Brazil ’s most gifted singer/songwriters.
Listen
[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Liberdade.mp3|titles=Liberdade.mp3|artists= Djavan]
Lead Vocals: Djavan
Keyboards: David Foster
Bass: Nathan East
Drums: John Robinson
Percussion: Paulinho DaCosta
Keyboards Programming: Erich Bulling
Rhythm Arrangement by David Foster
Keyboards Arrangement by David Foster
Produced by Djavan & Erich Bulling
Lyrics
Um amor
Ou um gen da mesma cor
Cintila em mim
O chão a tremer
Conduz a luz
Meu amor
E quer me matar de amor
Que seja assim
Por obedecer
Viver por mim
E voar
Onde o longe é pouco
Cruzar os muros do além E assim pousar na terra
E amar
Muito mais que poucos
Pousar a vida em tuas mãos
E assim cruzar a terra
Liberdade
Vai na poesia
Traz meu destino
Que eu vou sair