Beto Guedes: Amor De Índio (1978)

There’s always a tinge of nostalgia I feel when I play any album by a Clube Da Esquina alum. Once you hear that Minas Gerais sound, it’s easy to spend all day just going back trying to rediscover or share these forgotten gems of dreamy Pop music. There are simply so many forgotten, inspiring albums out there, from that region, and that movement specifically, that one always feels like one is barely scratching the surface of something much bigger. With that in mind, I feel honored to share one of these gorgeous gems that wonderfully fits the bill: Amor De Índio by Beto Guedes.

The sophomore release by frequent Clube Da Esquina percussionist, guitarist, and general cohort, Beto Guedes, features everything that makes Minas Gerais movement so special. Drawing similar ideas from the rural/country folk music of the Northeast and its indigenous rhythms, then enhancing them with the sonic influence found in the music of the post-Abbey Road era Beatles (stuff that wears it’s heart massively on its sleeve), Beto Guedes treats us with some of the warmest post-psychedelic folk music he’d ever make.

Led by the tender, fragile falsetto of Beto, Amor De Índio was this meditation and celebration of his indigenous roots. What are the tracks that I draw from the most? One is the titular track. “Amor De Indio” positively beams with some of the most life affirming music and lyrics you’ll ever have the pleasure of deciphering, layer upon layer of sonic weight building and diffusing like feathers in the breeze. Another is “Sol De Primavera” with its charming off-kilter Country-lilting slice of baroque psychedelia. Others like “Gabriel” simply take me back to everything that made Clube Da Esquina such a spiritual listening. Deeply personal, tender, and delicate, it’s the rare kind of music you won’t hear, in such a way, much anywhere else.

Then, there are songs like “O Medo de Amar o Medo De Ser Livre” that I know enough of to not even attempt to draw parallels with any other music. I could say it’s On the Beach-era Neil Young being born in the land of Milton Nascimento, but nope, that’s not even close to what it sounds like. Like I said before: a collection of deeply personal music, with an atmosphere quite unlike anything you’ll run into anywhere else.

For all those with fond memories of those special parts in All Thing Must Pass, that wished there was more music out there exploring wherefore one could take those special parts to next, I can’t recommend highly enough this bit of something special showing you whereabouts of where one could take such things…

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