Manisero, the Munich tracked first recorded collaboration between legendary and influential Brazilian guitarist, arranger and educator Carlos Barbosa-Lima and his frequent German classical guitar duo partner Johannes Tonio Kreusch, is a seductive and deeply emotional yet precise and sonically intricate masterwork that showcases the glorious reality that sometimes the grandest musical concepts are best rendered via simple expressions of subtle intimacy.
Beginning with the duo’s spritely breeze through Moises Simon’s beloved Cuban classic “El Manisero” (“The Peanut Vendor”), the collection features 13 of Carlos’ fresh re-imaginings of some of the most iconic Brazilian, Mexican and Argentinian classics of the 20th Century.
All the songs have meaningful, enchanting histories behind them, and quite often they’re about Carlos paying homage with his current musical partner some of the iconic friends and collaborators of his past - including Alberto Ginastera (the graceful and lyrical meditations “Danza Criolla I” and “Danza Criolla III” and the feisty, percussive “Gato”), Antonio Carlos Jobim (the slyly sensual “Canta, Canta Mais” and the moody, reflective “Por Causa De Voce”) and Luis Bonfa (a thoughtful rendition of the classic, world-renowned “Manha De Carnaval”).
Beyond those, Carlos and Johannes – complemented by the harmonies of pianist Cornelius Claudio Kreusch on four tracks – are intent on using their own dynamic string chemistry to create an expansive landscape of renowned and slightly obscure (due to the passage of decades) Latin American compositions. Even beyond the historical and cultural significance of the material, Manisero is a beautiful, long awaited dual expression of two contemporary masters of their instrument.