New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Rodrigo Amarante will release his new album, Drama, via Polyvinyl. Today, he presents its third single/video, "Tango," which may be the key to the theme of the album. Over a buttery melody and accommodating arrangement, "
Tango" is a song about a relationship disguised as a partner dancing lesson: exploring one's need for support, struggling with voicing that, and eventually finding it.
"When I wrote this song I was projecting the idea of a love that lasts, one that is mutually supportive and reliable, safe in that sense, and I can't imagine that being possible without a good dose of sense of humor," says Amarante. "That seems to be the only way to get through it, the hard times. The song describes this love through what appears as dance instructions, pleads, the coordination of movements. When I met
Julie and
Angel and saw them dance I felt as if I found that love. When I turned on the camera I had a tear roll down my eyes; the film was capturing what I attempted to write, at last, a love that can be seen, one that words and melody can only hint at."
Drama is the long-awaited follow-up to Amarante's acclaimed 2014 debut, Cavalo - also being reissued by Polyvinyl, a stunning and intimate collection of songs where "every instrument breathes and every sound blends, yet every moment is distinct" (NPR Music). It also follows "Tuyo," Amarante's theme tune to the Netflix drama Narcos, the
Little Joy album, his work with Gal Costa,
Norah Jones and Gilberto Gil, and his performances Brazilian samba big band Orquestra Imperial and Rio rockers Los Hermanos.
Drama began life at the end of 2018 with a session involving Rodrigo's regular band - "
Lucky"
Paul Taylor on drums, bassist Todd Dahlhoff, Andres Renteria on congas, and Amarante on guitar. Amarante points to two incidents in his past that fed directly into these recordings: a childhood illness that makes him appreciate the beauty of the second chance; and the moment when his father (with Amarante's begrudging consent) cut off his long hair, an attempt to unburden all the drama and sensitivity from the young man's head. "Dressing up as means to reveal, rather than dressing down, to conceal, that is Drama" says Amarante. "A tool. Tickling memory into confession, seeing through the eye holes of a mask. Peeking into the mirror that is playing a part. This is not something I followed but a posthumous realization, something that followed me, as it often happens. These songs were the instruments to realize it, not the other way around."
Rodrigo Amarante Tour Dates:
Fri. Oct. 22, 2021 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Ford Theatre
Thu. Dec. 16, 2021 - Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet's
Mon. April 18, 2022 - Porto, PT @ Casa Da Musica
Tue. April 19, 2022 - Lisbon, PT @ Capitolio
Thu. April 21, 2022 - Madrid, ES @ Sala Mon
Fri. April 22, 2022 - Barcelona, ES @ La 2
Sat. April 23, 2022 - Lyon, DR @ L'Épicerie Moderne
Mon. April 25, 2022 - Milano, IT @ Santeria
Tue. April 26, 2022 - Zürich, CH @ Mascotte
Wed. April 27, 2022 - Munich, DE @ Ampere
Thu. April 28, 2022 - Cologne, DE @ Stadtgarten
Fri. April 29, 2022 - Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher
Sat. April 30, 2022 - Berlin, DE @ Lido
Mon. May 2, 2022 - Amsterdam, BL @ Paradiso Noord
Wed. May 4, 2022 - London, UK @ Scala
Thu. May 5, 2022 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique
Fri. May 6, 2022 - Paris, FR @ Cabaret Sauvage
Sat. May 7, 2022 - Lille, FR @ Aeronef
Sun. May 8, 2022 - Nantes, FR @ Le Lieu Unique.
