Conjunto Fogueira Três: Varig 1927-1987 (1987)
Every Brazilian over the age of 40 will know exactly what the black-and-white-star-on-blue logo adorning this commemorative picture disc signifies, but, for everyone else, here's an explanation ...
When you're born and raised in a Third World country, legitimate reasons for patriotic pride on the world stage are few and far between, so, believe it or not, during the 1980s, Brazilians felt precisely that for Varig Airlines.
At its peak, Varig was regularly recognized among the world's top-rated airlines, based on its enviable performance record and impeccable customer service, yet, even as it proudly celebrated its 60th anniversary in 1987, dark clouds were on the horizon.
But first a personal anecdote ...
As a small child in the 1970s, I loved nothing more than to accompany my dad to São Paulo's Congonhas airport (think LaGuardia meets Mad Men) to watch airplanes, land and take off -- even when we ourselves weren't traveling anywhere!
I was crazy about anything that flew fast and made a lot of noise, from the already archaic turbo-propped Electra, to the grand old dame 707s, to those workhorse 727s and 737s, but my all-time favorite was always the oft-problematic but massive, magnificent DC10.
So, anyway, all these memories and more came flooding back when I glimpsed Varig's unmistakable logo in my local Nashville record store, of all places, though I initially vacillated on buying the record, before rushing back a few days later to do just that.
Obviously created to celebrate the airline's 60th anniversary, it looks like the sort of promotional item that's typically distributed to clients or employees at corporate events, and includes a brief company history that's surprisingly printed in English, not Portuguese.
Oh yeah, you want to know about the music!
This consists of Brazilian standards like "Garota de Ipanema," "Samba de Verão," and "Água de Beber" performed by a random Brazilian jazz trio (piano, bass, drums) called Conjunto Fogueira Três, with few additional recording credits to their name.
But their obvious command of bossa nova and jazz delivers plenty of sprightly, fluid piano improvisation over driving Latin rhythms that sound like ... well, ideal background music for an airport lounge.
So I'll be filing this record in the novelty section of my collection, alongside my father's LP that contains nothing but the sounds of fast cars revving their engines, Sports Cars in Hi-Fi, which also obviously sparks fond memories of my old man.
As for Varig, their finances started taking a turn for the worse in the 1990s due to, among many other factors, increased competition from foreign carriers, and they spent over a decade limping towards inevitable bankruptcy in 2005, and dissolution a few years later.
So that's my story ... and another reminder of vinyl records' uncanny ability to evoke strong emotions and deep nostalgia, almost as frequently with its packaging, as with the music it actually carries within its grooves.
More Novelty Records: Pac-Man Fever, Sports Cars in Hi-Fi.
