COSMOS
O Cosmos é um grupo "à capella" formada em 2002 na cidade de Riga, na Letônia. Apesar de não ser conhecido no ocidente, em sua terra natal eles são celebridades. Boa parte deste carisma deve-se ao fato do grupo ser especialista em músicas natalinas e, desde 2003 participar, anualmente, de concertos especiais de Natal por toda a Letônia.
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COSMOS
Being acknowledged as the best young Latvian group during the first year of its existence, Vocal Group Cosmos’ first album received an award as the best pop album of 2003 and achieved platinum status in sales. Cosmos have released three new albums since then and they all greatly enjoy the love of audience in many, many countries. Their distinctive style of a cappella singing and charismatic concert performances, gave these six young musicians the chance to skyrocket into the forefront of popular and academic music scenes. Drawing on a professional musical education and with a very broad range of voices, Cosmos give full expression to their talents across a broad range of musical styles and genres from medieval chant to modern jazz and pop music. Their performance is entirely live and free of any backing tracks. Moving bass, startling counter-tenor, trumpet sound and even the beat-box - everything you hear is created only by voices of six singers right in front of your eyes.The professionalism of Cosmos has also been recognized beyond the borders of their own country. After seventeen years of denying his greatest hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” the legendary Bobby McFerrin agreed to sing it once again together with Cosmos when they shared the stage of the Latvian National Opera in 2005. Proud winner of the international competition for young singers of popular music “New Wave 2004” – gaining a television audience of 200 million people – Cosmos also won the second prize at the challenging International Choral Music Competition in Gorizia (Italy) the same year. Every performance by Cosmos attracts a full house not only in Latvia but in other Baltic States, Russia and Ukraine and, as a fresh and vibrant musical project Cosmos is regularly invited to represent Latvia and accompany the President of the Republic of Latvia Vaira-Vīķe Freiberga at a range of international events. The Mayor of Washington D.C. Anthony A. Williams admitted that after listening to Cosmos he was amazed by the unlimited possibilities of the human voice – nature’s most incredible musical instrument. To underpin the continuing development of their musical education, Cosmos devote much time to workshops with world-leading a cappella music professionals such as The Hilliard Ensemble, Take 6, The Real Group, The New York Voices, The Flying Pickets and M-Pact.
~Source: www.singers.com
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ALBUM REVIEW
The first track of the album, “Aptieka” (Pharmacy), is an airy, upbeat song accompanied by thematic pen scratching and bottle tinking. I can’t say that the song immediately draws you into the album, but because it moves so fast, it prevents you from becoming immediately bored. Otherwise, there is really nothing wrong with the track: It’s a whirlwind of catchy, simple sounds and manages to be simultaneously pro-love and anti-“medicated nation.” The second track, “Maskava” (Moscow), should have been the first. I’ve heard some people say it’s “the song” of the album. It’s a picturesque, haunting composition that lulls you into an almost
familiar feeling and seems more appropriately a capella than most of the other tracks on the album because it has a more “classic” feel to it. The subject matter of the song, as well as its sound, is a contrast to the previous track. If you’ve regained a sense of Cosmos’ genre, “Parasta/neparasta diena” (An Ordinary/Unusual Day) will freak you out. This track is the epitome of experimentation. It starts out slowly and gradually builds up, kind of like a spring storm. At 3:42, the song breaks loose, working into a frenzy led by Reinis Sējāns’ beat box skills. Think the song uses synthesizers? Listen closely and you can hear the guys taking breaths between the crazy sound effects. Then the storm dies down again, reaching an almost lethargic state. I’m confused as to why the song starts out with a short spoken introduction in Latvian and then switches to English later on, but I guess
turbulence is as turbulence does. I don’t dislike it, but as one of the stranger tracks, “Parasta/neparasta diena” definitely takes some getting used to. The fourth track, “Vindo”, is one of my favorites from the album. I can always go for some good tribal or folk stuff. “Vindo” takes yet another turn from stereotypical a capella and adds one more subgenre to the album’s makeup. The song would be perfect for yet another Lion King film if, God forbid, Disney decided to make one. It starts out with a Jew’s harp (bad for your teeth, great for your music) and
heads into a repetitive chant. More rhythm effects are put to good use here and the style of singing makes you want to stand on a mountaintop and shout at the top of your lungs, but in a good way. If anything, this one merits turning up the bass. Ah, yes, Track 5. “Tu kā, es kā” (You’re Like, I’m Like), is a new a capella-born bubble-pop love anthem, so to speak. It’s the simplest song on the album and by far the people’s favorite. The extensive list comparing the narrator to his sweetheart isn’t the slightest bit annoying or boring, as there are normal comparisons—“Tu kā dāma, es kā kungs” (“You’re the lady, I’m the gentleman”)—to more unusual ones—“Tu kā auzas, es kā kombains” (“You’re the oats, I’m the combine”). Toward the end of the track, verbal dexterity is tested as the music speeds up for two increasingly faster re-caps of the list. Another nice aspect of the song is that it gives each Cosmos member a solo, the final items being sung by Strazdiņš, whose voice gets to your bones. However, for as simple as the song seems, the similes hold deeper meaning than may initially appear; there are things that physically fit together and things that conceptually fit together. Simple, deep, endearing, humorous and it rhymes? You might as well make it your new ringtone. Although Track 6, “Trejdeviņi slepens” (Infinitely Mysterious) is my favorite song on the album, it’s worth mentioning that there is a one-and-a-half minute intro of anti-climactic vocal effects. It’s not until the effects are paired with the melody that they cause some
goose bumps. In addition to really liking the beat of the song, the main reason why I adore it is that it screams old-time Latvian folk tales. Trejdeviņi is decidedly one of my favorite words. It’s so Latvian and it’s a single word that, in combination with a phrase or just by itself, elicits so many meanings or feelings of bravery, valor, pride, romance, fear, etc. It could be trejdeviņi pits of pickled beets and I’d still go nostalgic. The word choice combined with the vocal accompaniment threw me back to my childhood when I was read Latvian tales at bedtime about things like magic pike helping maidens in distress, evil stepsisters growing horns as a repercussion of being evil and how, each time you chop off the head of a multi-headed devil creature, three heads will grow back to replace
it. Of course, the song contains no such gore, but the undercurrent is loaded with the past. The next three tracks don’t take anything away from the album, but they’re not as dynamic as the rest. Track 7, “Vienreiz” (Once), has a very clean and clear sound in a laid back setting. It’s also the kind of song that would, on a normal basis, make me roll my eyes and check my watch. Sort of on the sappy side, the song is about patriotism: As a people we should collectively pay attention to and fight the good fight, but also (collectively) know when to not get involved.
The only reason I am tolerant of the subject matter this time is because I first heard it in Latvia on May 4, which made it more material and closer to home. Basically, I was tricked. The next track, “Destination: Heaven,” is another strange one and makes me kind of uncomfortable. I’m pleased with the auditory aspects of the song, but find the lyrics to be somewhat creepy. If that was the goal, bravo, they’ve done it, they’ve successfully written a creepy song. Once again, we’re given a simple subject matter with text that strikes true, accompanied by
sweeping hand rhythm and vocal echo effects. The last original track on the album, “Pasaules galiņš” (The End of the World), completely reminds me of Prāta vētra or Reigani (or are we all still in denial that they weren’t one and the same?). One reason could be the prominent presence of a drum set. This song is also catchy, complete with whistling. It is not only a huge contrast to the previous track, but to the rest of the album as well. If “Destination: Heaven” was a melancholy song about accepting or not accepting death, “Pasaules galiņš” is its “Tra-la-la, I’m
the end of the world, are you ready?” opposition. I am amazed by the lung power of the Cosmos members, but am not so thrilled with the ending of the song, which sounds more like a football (soccer, for you Western Hemisphere folk) crowd cheering off-beat after one too many cheap beers. That brings the album’s original
material to an end. The final and only cover track is Muse’s “Unintended.” I’ll admit that had I not read the CD jacket, I wouldn’t have noticed the difference, save the flawless English. Some more solos are passed around and impeccable harmonies displayed. The song is the perfect ending to the album—another haunting and wholly emotional song that Cosmos absolutely makes its own. There is no room to take a breather during Turbulence and it’s not necessary. The collection of songs offers something for everyone, proving it’s OK if an a capella group sings something you’ve never heard before. And to all the nitpickers who say there is no real continuity in the album, I ask you to take a second look at its title. Need I say more? I’d say the guys of Cosmos have set up a pretty solid defense and have done exceedingly well, all without having to borrow material from someone else.
~By Kaija Straumane
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MINHA OPINIÃO
É impressionante a multiplicação de grupos vocais pelo mundo afora, seguindo a trilha aberta pelo TAKE SIX. Desta vez é da belíssima e encantadora cidade de Riga, na Letônia (que visitei há alguns anos atrás) que nos chega o COSMOS. Tal como ocorre com todos os novos grupos vocais europeus (Rajaton, Take That, Perpetuum Jazzile, etc.) os vocalistas do COSMOS são competentes, talentosos, fazem tudo certinho, etc. etc...O problema é que a fórmula tem sido repetida, exaustivamente. Assim, esses conjuntos - inobstante originários de países diferentes - no final, soam sempre iguais! Confesso que ando cansado dessa mesmice: a sonoridade e os arranjos, muito parecidos, somados à (maldita) emulação de instrumentos, baixo marcante, percussão vocal (um porre!) e "que-tais", foram novidades que já perderam a graça e se tornaram cansativas. Está mais que na hora de aparecer algo novo, de um sopro de criatividade. (Enquanto isso, o inesgotável "TAKE SIX", em seu mais recente álbum de Natal, que vou postar brevemente, dá mais uma aula de criatividade, com arranjos maravilhosos, como sempre). Embora as músicas deste álbum sejam todas cantadas no seu idioma pátrio, dá pra perceber que os rapazes são do "ramo" e nos "vendem seu peixe" muito bem.
(**) Transcrevi na íntegra a minuciosa resenha sobre o álbum. Como as músicas e o idioma nos são absolutamente estranhos, ela nos ajuda a entender um pouquinho o "espírito" de cada uma das faixas e, principalmente, o "conceito" do álbum.
(***) Nada contra o "Cosmos", claro: mas tive uma crise de urticária, ao imaginá-los cantando o abominável "Don´t worry, be happy", com o insuportável Bobby McFerrin...
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COSMOS: Turbulence
TRACKS/FAIXAS:
Aptieka
Maskava
Parasta/nerparasta diena
Vindo
Tu Ka, Es Ka
Trejdevini Slepens
Vienreiz
Destination: Heaven
Pasaules Galins
Unintended
COSMOS
Janis Sipkevics
Andris Sejans
Reinis Sejans
Janis Strazdins
Juris Lisenko
Janis Ozols
