#OnRepeat: Herbie Hancock & Cèu "Tempo de Amor"

This week #OnRepeat is Herbie Hancock and Cèu's song, "Tempo de Amor". Herbie Hancock is a pianist, composer and arranger who has recorded songs such as "Chameleon" and "Butterfly" (two of my favorites) and has played with musical greats like Miles Davis. I encourage anyone who has not heard of Herbie or his works to go research and listen to all of his music. I am a huge fan of Herbie's not only because of his music, but because his willingness to collaborate with many different musicians from varying genres from Stevie Wonder to Dave Matthews. He always has pushed through musical boundaries, striving to try new things.

The singer on this song, Cèu is a singer-songwriter from Brazil who blends electronic, Jazz, R&B, Hip-Hop, Soul and different traditional Brazilian musics, such as Samba and Choro to produce an eclectic, funky sound that is most definitely Cèu. Her voice is deep and smooth with a bit of a raspy-like quality that adds perfectly to her music. You should all check out "Lenda" and "Malemolência"--both of which I love and are good starter songs for Cèu's music.

"Tempo de Amor" is from the Herbie Hancock's "The Imagine Project" album, which focuses on themes of peace and global responsibility and because of its lyrics, this song sits well within these themes.  The first part of the song says:

"Ah, bem melhor seria
Poder viver em paz
Sem ter que sofrer
Sem ter que chorar
Sem ter que querer
Sem ter que se dar"

Which roughly translates to:

"Ah, how much better it would be

To be able to live in peace

Without having to suffer

Without having to cry

Without wanting

Without having to give"

Of course, part of the poetic imagery and profoundness gets lost in translation, but the song centers around the theme of the need for love in the world, in spite of everything; hence the title, "Tempo de Amor (Time for Love)". It is beautifully written--and timeless. 

I hope you guys all enjoy this song. This has been a favorite of mine since I performed it with a jazz ensemble during my undergraduate years. Be sure to check out more of Cèu and Herbie Hancock's music. 

If you guys have any new musicians or groups to check out, please feel free to leave a comment below!