Xande Canta Caetano
Xande Canta Caetano is the fifth studio album by Brazilian singer Xande de Pilares, released on August 4, 2023, by Gold Records. The album consists of reinterpretations of songs by Caetano Veloso.
Background
Since 2017, Xande de Pilares had not released a studio album, following the release of Esse Menino Sou Eu through Universal Music. In an interview with journalist Valmir Moratelli from Veja magazine, Xande described Caetano Veloso as an "unreachable idol" and expressed his desire to "break paradigms between pagode and MPB." In an article for the Rio de Janeiro newspaper O Globo, the singer revealed that his first exposure to the Bahian musician was through the opening theme of the telenovela Sem Lenço, sem Documento, aired by TV Globo, which featured Veloso's classic song Alegria, Alegria.The album was released by Gold Record on August 4, 2023, and became available on streaming platforms. In 2025, the label Três Selos released the album in vinyl format. The album features contributions from musicians Hamilton de Holanda and Gabriel Grossi, and was produced by and directed by producer.
Personnel
- Xande de Pilares – vocals
- Hamilton de Holanda – mandolin, guest vocals
- Gabriel Grossi – harmonica
- – producer
- – musical director
Critical reception
Music journalist Mauro Ferreira, in his blog on G1, gave the album a positive review, rating it four and a half stars out of five, adding that “for ears free of aesthetic ties, it will be easy to perceive the beauty that emanates from the album in which Xande de Pilares sings Caetano Veloso beyond samba and, yes, within samba." Acauam Oliveira, a professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco, also wrote a positive review for Folha de S.Paulo and praised Xande's authenticity in relation to Caetano's work: “Xande puts Caetano's music in its place. The place that belongs to him, Xande. The path of Ogum and Iansã. With samba until morning. And a ginga on every floor."Marcos Ramos for Quatro Cinco Um magazine adds that “Its central axis is that the album projects Caetano's work to other heights, broadening a discussion around the ways of rebuilding democracy.”
Accolades
The album was nominated in two categories at the 2024 Latin Grammys, in the category of Album of the Year and Best Samba/Pagode Album. The last time a Brazilian artist was nominated in the main category was in 2021 for the work Nana, Tom, Vinicius by singer Nana Caymmi. At the ceremony held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Xande won the statuette in the category of Best Samba/Pagode Album.At a party held at the Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro, in Rio de Janeiro, Xande won the award for Best Release in the samba category of the 2024 Brazilian Music Awards.
| Year | Award | Location | Category | Result | Ref. |
| 2024 | Latin Grammy Awards | Kaseya Center, Miami, | Album of the Year | Nomitated | |
| 2024 | Latin Grammy Awards | Kaseya Center, Miami, | Best Samba/Pagode Album | Won | |
| 2024 | Brazilian Music Awards | Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, | Best Samba Release |