Banda do Casaco - Hoje Há Conquilhas, amanhã não Sabemos (1977)

Hoje Há Conquilhas, amanhã não Sabemos is an extremely difficult album for me to review properly. It deserves a thorough analysis by someone clearly more competent to judge than me - still, I will try to do my best. To begin with, it's difficult to review because there is so much to analyse: vocals, instruments, song structure, History, similarities with other bands, originality, etc, and my own knowledge (whether of music theory or just music in general) is simply not enough to do it justice. So I will adopt my usual approach to reviews by trying to describe in the simplest, most honest way what I'm hearing. But boy, it won't be easy.

Like in previous albums, the band took 800 years of Portuguese folk and refurbished them in modern sounds, courtesy of electricity, while at the same time maintaining the use of archaic and traditional instruments. On Hoje Há Conquilhas, amanhã não Sabemos, their experimentalism took a step further, following the footsteps of their debut instead of their more conventional second album. There is still room in this album for some of the melancholic folk of Coisas do Arco da Velha, but it offers so much more, in fewer songs than previous efforts. Acalanto opens the album with the typical eerieness of the band. A delicate flute is heard, accompanied by dissonant strings, before the dominant cello steps into the picture, paving the way to a languid male chorus. A sudden change of pace as the full band comes in. The acoustic guitar, flute and violin take the lead. A short violin solo makes the transition for the band's first attempt at rock, featuring a drum kit and an electric guitar - still, it's the violin and cello that have prominence, along with one of several instruments unknown to me. The track then returns to its opening eeriness and languid chorus. The next track, Despique, is another take on traditional themes. It begins with the delicate sound of tuning, before another unusual instrument opens the song (Stylophone?). It features the funny vocals of Antуnio Pinho accompanied by the violin. The drums are once more modern sounding, adding flavour to this amusing folk rant. The delicate voice of Gabriela Schaaf opens the next track, Paнs: Portugal accompanied only by the acoustic guitar. The drums soon kick in, as well as the wild saxophone solo by Rгo Kyao. In a strategy so common to Banda do Casaco, the famale vocals give way to the male, and vice-versa. The fast pace of this song is complemented by the drums, violin and a subtle electric guitar. Alvorada, Tio Lйrias! begins in a spacey mood, clearly dominated by bass, that quickly turns into a thrilling strings track, very similar to chamber music, with the cello and violin dominating, subtly complemented by the electric guitar. A sudden change in pace in rhythm give way into an almost martial beat, with the adufes, drums and wild flutes being heard. A paraphernalia of small traditional percussion instruments then bring this excellent track to a close. Geringonзa is the first track by the band to features that ultimate prog instrument, the mellotron. The celestial choir of the keyboard open this spacey song, soon enriched by a sweet flute, delicate electric guitar chords and the lovely voice of Gabriela Schaaf. After the first sung section, the drums, strings and unidentified electric instrument make their appearance. A delicate, yet powerful track, spacey in sound and theme (an alien sighting), featuring, as usual, great arrangements and an unusual (but highly welcome) mellotron and electric guitar. Dez-Onze-Doze is another take on the sounds of Portuguese folk, featuring an impressive array of traditional instruments, in a very celtic sounding track, whose percussion and strings provide it with a very fast pace, here and there broken by the melancholic chorus. The guitars introduce the vigorous lead male vocals, complemented by a full band chorus. Of special relevance in this track are the guitar and harmonica solos. A spacey female chorus brings the song to its end. Ont'а Noite is a traditional ballad, with a piano, harp and violin driven opening, dominated by the stunning angelical vocals of Mena Amaro and the soothing tone of Nuno Rodrigues. The piano, harp and violin are replaced, in a second section, by acoustic and jazzy electric guitars, flute and bass, before the delicate, jazzy fade-out. Бgua de Rosas is an instrumental closer - a short, bucolic track, driven almost exclusively by the string instruments (violins, cello, guitars), also featuring flute and another unusual appearance, the oboe. A delicate finish to an exciting album. Overall, it is an extremely varied record in terms in musicality, even if folk is the dominant trend. Here and there you can hear hints of chamber music, the space-rock of bands like Eloy, jazz- fusion in the vein of Miles, and the kind of ethnic music and chorus one could find among Oldfield's finest works, all delivered with a technical proficiency hard to find these days in a rock band. The female vocals reach the heights of Maddy Prior and Annie Haslam (sometimes surpassing them), while the male vocals vary from soothing to vibrant. It is truly an orgy of sounds, with plenty to explore.

Hoje Há Conquilhas, amanhã não Sabemos is an extremely influential work. Few albums have been quoted as an influence by groups and artists so diverse in musical background - it is featured in the preferences of contemporary jazz, rock, pop, folk, punk, classic and minimalist composers in Portugal. It is also a common presence in every list of greatest Portuguese albums regardless of genre. I am no exception to that - the album is placed high on my all-time favourites list. The degree of experimentation, technical ability, and quality of composition in terms of progressiveness is still high, even if it's already 1977. So, while late, it is indeed a masterpiece of progressive-folk, well-deserving of the five eggs. Stars, I mean.

By Kroto, Progarchives

Banda Do Casaco Biography:

BANDA DO CASACO's genesis comes from the reunion of jazz musician Nuno Rodrigues and FILARMУNICA FRAUDE's men Antуnio Pinho and Luнs Linhares, who made the decision to establish a new group who could wield some influence in the Portuguese music scene. Their first LP, "Dos Benefнcios de um Vendido no Reino dos Bonifбcios" is a real provocation to the estabilishment.
In 1976 they launched their second album, "Coisas do Arco da Velha", where the bands takes their satirical lyrics even further. The song "Й triste nгo saber ler" ("A sad thing, not knowing how to read") is a good example.
BANDA DO CASACO's third and most renowned album, 1977's "Hoje hб Conquilhas, Amanhг nгo Sabemos", features the inclusion in the band of Antуnio Pinheiro da Silva, as guitarist, as well as multi-instrumentalist Rгo Kyao. This is the band's most experimental album. Launched in 1978, the album "Contos da Barbearia" is a culmination of styles previously explored by the group.

After three years without any recordings, the band returns with in 1981 with a new album, "No Jardim da Celeste". This album is the most rock-oriented of the band, a natural repercussion the growing trend in Portugal. It featured the inclusion in the band of female singer Nй Ladeiras and Jerry Marotta, former drummer for Peter Gabriel.
In 1982, Antуnio Pinho leaves the group to write lyrics for pop-band "Doce", while the rest of the band present the album "Tambйm Eu", which for the first time features vocals all done by one member, Nй Ladeiras.

The final studio album by BANDA DO CASACO, 1984's "Com Ti Chitas", features the inclusion of a somewhat mystical figure in Portuguese music, old lady shepherd "Ti Chitas" (Catarina Sargenta), who sings and plays adufe on the album. It is the band's biggest approach to strict folk music and traditional themes. The group disbands shortly after, while the new pop-rock, punk-rock and synth-pop of the 80's slowly dominated the Portuguese musical scene.

Overall, the band had a very folkish sound, complemented by the use drums, keyboards and the occasional brass and strings, without really having a very strong focus on the "rock" part of "Progressive-Rock" or "Folk-Rock" (electric guitars, for instance, when in existence, were extremely subtle).

by Joгo Cotrim, Progarchives

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Banda do Casaco are a Portuguese Prog-Folk band active from 1974 to 1984 considered by some to be one of Portugal’s greatest Progressive rock bands. Their seminal album was the Hoje há Conquilhas, Amanhã não Sabemos released in 1976.

After the failure of the Filarmónica Fraude project, more for political reasons than quality, António Pinho (singer) and Luís Linhares (keys) joined with the ex Musica Novarum member Nuno Rodrigues (vocals and guitar) and Celso de Carvalho (Cello and Double bass) to form the group Banda do Casaco. Many guest musicians passed through the band in their active period and many used the band as a springboard for their own careers. The first album released was 1975’s Dos Benefícios de um Vendido no Reino dos Bonifácios followed by Coisas do Arco da Velha in 1976 which won the “Album of the Year” award in Portugal, notable for the appearance of Cândida Branca Flor on vocals. Their most renowned and considered by some, their most experimental, album was their 1977 release Hoje há Conquilhas, Amanhã não Sabemos which featured António Pinheiro da Silva on guitar, Rão Kyao on saxophone and Gabriela Schaaf on vocals. They went on to release Contos da Barbearia in 1978 followd by No Jardim da Celeste in 1981 which featured the inclusion of female singer Né Ladeiras and Jerry Marotta, Peter Gabriel’s former drummer.The band played live on only three occasions: at Aula Magna, Festa de S. Mateus in Viseu and Casa do Povo in Cacia. In 1982 Pinho left the group to write for girlband Doce but the band continued and released Também Eu in 1982. The bands final studio album was Com Ti Chitas, released in 1984, which featured Ti Chitas (Catarina Sergentina). The group disbanded shortly after.

The first album released was 1975’s Dos Benefícios de um Vendido no Reino dos Bonifácios followed by Coisas do Arco da Velha in 1976 which won the “Album of the Year” award in Portugal, notable for the appearance of Cândida Branca Flor on vocals. Their most renowned and considered by some, their most experimental, album was their 1977 release Hoje há Conquilhas, Amanhã não Sabemos which featured António Pinheiro da Silva on guitar, Rão Kyao on saxophone and Gabriela Schaaf on vocals. They went on to release Contos da Barbearia in 1978 followd by No Jardim da Celeste in 1981 which featured the inclusion of female singer Né Ladeiras and Jerry Marotta, Peter Gabriel’s former drummer.The band played live on only three occasions: at Aula Magna, Festa de S. Mateus in Viseu and Casa do Povo in Cacia. In 1982 Pinho left the group to write for girlband Doce but the band continued and released Também Eu in 1982. The bands final studio album was Com Ti Chitas, released in 1984, which featured Ti Chitas (Catarina Sergentina). The group disbanded shortly after.[

In 1993, Universal Music re- released the bands first two albums on CD. In November 2006 , their third album, Hoje Há Conquilhas, Amanhã Não Sabemos, was also re-released by the Companhia Nacional de Música.

~ Last FM