Gonçalo Pereira
@g_spot

The life of a shredder is certainly not an easy one: continuous attacks from those who believe that more than four consecutive chords denote an arrogance and presumption that needs immediate curtailing, criticism and disdain from "moderate" guitarists, both professional and amateur, who reduce everything to mere exercises in style, good mostly for finger agility but with a musical value close to zero.

The problem, in my opinion, is not the number of notes and technique for its own sake, but the context in which one plays. There are pieces that inevitably require mastery and speed, others where just a few notes can achieve surprising effects. The problem is that today many guitarists have lost their sense of reason, capable of inserting tapping and sweep-picking even in Schubert's Ave Maria, becoming prisoners of their musical knowledge and skill, losing sight of the ultimate goal which is to create music.

Fortunately, there are exceptions, such as Gonçalo Pereira, an unknown Portuguese guitarist. He is proof of how with tenacity, study, and dedication one can reach excellent technical levels but without losing that musicality, that inventiveness, that pleasure which is the main reason why one buys a record.

This is his third and last work, dated 2004, nor does it seem that he is working to follow it up, the explanation is simple and given: this is a true record, definitely not like many guitar products where, aided by an electronic drum, everything is done solo in one's bedroom. Here there is a real band, there are ideas and a meticulous care in the arrangements, nothing is left to chance, every note is studied and thought through, never one too many and never one too few. It must have taken a lot of time to compose and record it, and products of this type, with this value, have their costs that, if not supported by large financial means, can hardly be repeated.

Stylistically, Gonçalo Pereira is halfway between a Steve Vai and a Paul Gilbert but with strong accents on Latin sounds typical of musicians like Carlos Santana. We listen, for example, to "Retrosaria tricot" or "Sessao geleia" or the beautiful "Pastel de nata", but the whole album is to be discovered between fusion convulsions, prog suggestions, and a never excessive guitar work. Some tracks ("Contratempo", "The Hypnotizer") are delightful sketches of Latin pop where the guitar is in the background in favor of groove and sentiment, or becomes the protagonist again in "Trip to Kabul", the final suite, a mad journey through oriental rhythms, Brazilian sambas, progressive, and the inevitable melodic component.

It's a pity that prolificacy isn't Pereira's best quality or, who knows, maybe it's better to have little but good...