Travessia: The Life of Milton Nascimento offers a comprehensive portrait of one of the greatest Brazilian artists of all time. In 2022, Milton turns 80 and bids farewell to the stage with the final tour of his career, "A última semana de música" (The Last Music Session).
Possessing a powerful yet sweet and gentle voice, Milton Nascimento became one of Brazil's greatest artists. His compositions—such as "Travessia," "Coração de Estudante," "Clube da esquina nº 2," "Cais," and "Maria, Maria"—are part of Brazilian culture's imagination, immortalized by his voice and that of countless performers.
Unlike other MPB exponents, such as Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, Milton built his career more discreetly, even while participating in the artistic and political movement against the military dictatorship that marked the 1960s and 1970s. Without fitting into a single movement or musical style, Milton left the job of labeling him to whoever wanted to. For Caetano, he was the movement itself. Elis Regina went further, saying that if God sang, it would sound like Milton.
Written by journalist and cultural producer Maria Dolores, Travessia: A vida de Milton Nascimento is the result of a study on Três Pontas, the city where the singer, Bituca, son of Zino and Lília, grew up. At a party, the author personally asked to interview him, and he, very friendly, not only agreed but also opened the doors of his home for further interviews, which greatly contributed to the composition of this portrait of him, from his childhood to the present day. In addition to Milton, the author interviewed more than sixty music personalities, including Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, members of Clube da Esquina, Nana and Danilo Caymmi, Ruy Guerra, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock, and people who knew the artist, filling this book with previously unheard stories.
Travessia: The Life of Milton Nascimento is a delight for fans. And for music lovers, it's a precious opportunity to learn about the exceptional talent and creativity of one of the greatest figures in Brazilian music of all time.
