Deodato
Deodato 2

In 2004, I bought one of the most beautiful action games on the market: GTA Vice City. Spectacular! Breathtaking graphics, a super-intriguing story, and truly a 'definitive' game for the time.

The best part was driving around the city in flaming black Hermes cars of the ultra-cool Cubans while listening to Radio Espantoso with typical Latin songs. Among these, however, there are songs by a certain Mr. Deodato that aren't exactly the traditional Latin tunes, but rather a blend of jazz, funk, and Latin over it all.

The result is surprising: the very evocative keyboard base by Eumir Deodato and the percussions magnificently accompany the guitar and flute solos that resonate joyfully and act as a soothing balm to my ears. So, I decided to learn more about this artist. I saw that both tracks featured in Vice City are on the album "Deodato 2", so I went on a quest to get it and grasp the compositional spirit of this genius.
The tracks are very calm and warm, full of life and freshness. The Latin base mixed with the driving funky rhythm gives rise to a lively and vital style that, blended with jazz virtuosity, makes this album a gem in all its splendor.

Noteworthy are, besides the very lively Super Strut and the very Latin Latin Flute with its truly driving rhythm (both featured in Vice City), highlights like Rhapsody In Blue with its very funky style, the sad and passionate (one of Eumir's most beautiful pieces) Pavane For A Dead Princess, the funky Skyscrapers accompanied by a truly magnificent bass riff, and absolutely the most beautiful and famous track of the album and Deodato's career: Do It Again, a rhythmic base with Latin percussions, funky bass and guitar accompanying a splendid flute solo, practically one of the tracks if not the most representative track of this great artist.

The album, in essence, is fabulous from start to finish and, in my opinion, is Eumir Deodato's best work, far surpassing the debut "Prelude" and never reaching the level of the subsequent albums, most of which are practically useless.

"Grand Theft Auto" is also a great springboard for its soundtracks.