Aldir Blanc's 80th birthday is celebrated by the vocal group Equale in an album with Guinga, Ilessi and Marcos Sacramento

Aldir Blanc (1946 – 2020), a composer from Rio who died six years ago, would have turned 80 on September 2nd Illustration by Mello Menezes / 2004 ? NEWS ? Celebrated in two weeks, the 80th birthday of the Rio composer Aldir Blanc (2 September 1946 – 4 May 2020) generates a phonographic tribute from the vocal group Equale to excellent MPB lyricist, partner of João Bosco and Guinga, among other composers of the same ilk. The album “Salve, Aldir!” hits audio apps on Friday, August 21st, with 13 songs with lyrics by the Rio bard over 12 tracks recorded with musical direction and conducting by maestro André Protásio. The repertoire of the album “Salve, Aldir!” was selected with an emphasis on Aldir's fundamental partnership with João Bosco, created mainly between 1972 and 1986, but it brings some surprises. The biggest of them is “Ecstasy” (1981). “Êxtase” is Aldir’s leap-frog partnership with Djavan, released 45 years ago by Djavan on the album “Sedutor” (1981) and until then re-recorded only by singer Augusto Martins on the album, “Como Graças e Epidemies” (2021), also dedicated to Aldir Blanc’s songbook. Samba with a sinuous contour, “Êxtase” features the additional voice of singer Marcos Sacramento in the Equale recording. Cover of the album 'Salve, Aldir!', by the vocal group Equale Disclosure From Aldir's partnership with Bosco, the vocal group tends to put voices on standards – “Corsário” (1975), “O ronco da cuíca” (1975), “Coisa faz” (with Paulo Emílio joining the partnership, 1982) and “Nação” (another by the duo of composers with Paulo Emílio, 1982) – between one or another lesser-known theme, cases of the sambas “Profissionalismo é esse aí” (1980) and “Comissão de Front” (1982). Left over from Aldir Blanc's partnership with Guinga, having been composed in the mid-1990s, “Navio negreiro” emerged five years ago on the album “Aldir Blanc inedito” (2021), returning to the surface with Equale in a recording that combines the voices of Guinga and Ilessi with the singing of the vocal group. Pianist and partner Cristovão Bastos completes the guest section on the album “Salve, Aldir!”, playing piano on the bolero “Resposta ao tempo” (1998), presented to Brazil in the voice of singer Nana Caymmi (1941 – 2025). Published by the record label Biscoito Fino, the album “Salve, Aldir!” has arrangements by André Protásio, Dalton Coelho, Flavio Mendes, Katarina Assef and Taiana Machado. With unusual vocal harmonizations, a hallmark of the Rio collective, the group's salute to Aldir Blanc joins the phonographic tributes provided by Equale to composers Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento and Dorival Caymmi (1914 – 2008). The vocal group Equale sings 13 songs with lyrics by Aldir Blanc on the album 'Salve, Aldir!' Cezar Adnet / Disclosure