Seu Jorge and Rogê revisit 30 years of friendship on new direct-to-disc recording with Night Dreamer Contemporary Brazilian legend Seu Jorge has teamed up with his close friend and fellow musician Rogê for his latest project, a new album, cut direct-to-disc at Artone Studios in Holland and released on Night Dreamer Records.
Well known both for his acting roles in Wes Anderson’s A Life Aquatic, City of God and the current Netflix hit series Imandade, and for the stirring Portuguese-language covers of David Bowie classics for the A Life Aquatic soundtrack, Seu Jorge has been a major force in revitalising Brazilian popular music.
A pivotal figure whose plaintive, idiosyncratic melancholy recalls the likes of Jorge Ben and Gilberto Gil, Jorge’s success has been witnessed by close friend Rogê over the last thirty years – a story which has seen Jorge go from humble beginnings in Rio to working with the likes of Beck and Bowie, and starring in major film and television productions.
A songwriter, composer and musician in his own right, Rogê is well known as a partner to Samba legend Arlindo Cruz. Rôge has not only played an important role in Jorge’s career, but has been instrumental in the pair building an archive of unrealised songs, sketches
and ideas, some of which ultimately comprise the backbone of this session.
Stripping things back to just two guitars and enlisting the talents of two of Brazil’s most sought-after percussionists – Peu Meurray and Pretinho da Serrinha – the pair set out to record a ‘classic Brazilian album’.
Like eavesdropping on a campfire session, the one-take direct-to-vinyl process at Artone captures the intensity of the duo’s relationship, setting the conditions for an extraordinarily intimate recording.
From concept to completion in four days, the Night Dreamer session commits a lifetime of collaboration and companionship to record for the first time, encapsulated by ‘Caminhão’ – the first song the duo ever wrote together 25 years ago. Inseparable legends who need
each other’s skills to shine brightest.