In Search of Rigor and Mercy: Reflections of an Urban Hermit

A poetic-political-musical narrative that recounts the entire creative process of Lobão's new album. In a poetic-political-musical narrative, Lobão recounts, step by step, in real time, the entire creative process of his new album, "O rigor e a misericórdia." An ambitious and long-awaited project: to compose, perform, and record all the songs on the album alone; a challenge to which he added the writing of this fascinating book. "A creative intertwining of two beloved offspring," as the author describes it. An intimate and affectionate account that exposes the complexity of inner life and utterly solitary creative activity, and which, at the same time, recreates the tense public environment in which Lobão finds himself, this book does not fail, quite the contrary, to denounce and confront—with courage—Brazil's political misery. From reading it, however, an optimistic message emerges, of which both the record and this book are exemplary: that even from the hardest confrontation, against the lowest lies, against the worst violence, what is harvested and ultimately remains is art, music, literature.