Bicho
by John DouganJust prior to the recording of Bicho, Caetano Veloso was invited to take part in the Negro Festival of Art and Culture in Lagos, Nigeria. Veloso was so knocked out by the music he heard that he scrapped his original plans for the album to record something more redolent of his experiences in Lagos. Veloso himself refers to Bicho as "sweet melodies on a hot rhythm," and he's absolutely right. A marvelous record. For the record, bicho is the Portuguese word for beast.