Mr. J Medeiros-Saudade Review + Link (@mrjmedeiros)0

Saudade (singular) or saudades (plural) (pronounced [sɐ.uˈdaðɨ] or [sawˈdaðɨ] in Portuguese,^[1] is a Portuguese word that can be translated as “longing, yearning”, which describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for something or someone that one was fond of and which is lost. It often carries a fatalist tone and a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might really never return.

Saudade has been described as a “vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist … a turning towards the past or towards the future”.^[2] A stronger form of saudade may be felt towards people and things whose whereabouts are unknown, such as a lost lover, or a family member who has gone missing. It may also be translated as a deep longing or yearning for something which does not exist or is unattainable.

Saudade was once described as “the love that remains” or “the love that stays” after someone is gone. Saudade is the recollection of feelings, experiences, places or events that once brought excitement, pleasure, well-being, which now triggers the senses and makes one live again. It can be described as an emptiness, like someone ( e.g., one’s children, parents, sibling, grandparents, friends, pets) or something (e.g., places, things one used to do in childhood, or other activities performed in the past) should be there in a particular moment is missing, and the individual feels this absence. In Portuguese, ‘tenho saudades tuas’, translates as ‘I have saudades for you’ meaning ‘I miss you’, but carries a much stronger tone. In fact, one can have ‘saudades’ of someone whom one is with, but have some feeling of loss towards the past or the future. In Brazil, the day of saudade is officially celebrated on January 3. -Via. Wikepedia

I’ve attempted to write this review for a month and for some reason this is a project that I can’t put into words–in a politically correct, unbiased, journalistic way.  Whenever I thought I had something, I felt I left out a level of praise that this album deserves, so I am writing this the way that I want.

I’ve had a love of emcee Mr. J Mederios since I was in high school (2002-2006) when he was apart of one of my favorite now defunct hip-hop groups The Procussions.  I remember first hearing The Procussions with their song, “Ms. January” and I was hooked to say the least.  I listened to their whole discography backwards that spanned three really solid projects: As Iron Sharpens Iron (2003) Up All Night & Day EP (2004) and 5 Sparrows For 2 Cents (2006) and I was hooked.

Nonetheless, after the group disbanded after group member Rez left, Mederios continued music releasing the chilling single “Constance” that dealt with sex trafficking and human rights.  Medeiros went to release 4 albums, notably his latest release Saudade that was released June 14^th.

The project is a definite stepping stone in Mederios career, and definitely a really solid album for several different reasons.

First, the project features solid production for the most part from Mederios’ production team “The Stare” which encompasses Medeiros himself, Stro the 89^th Key and Luke Atencio.  This production combines different genres: Rock, Classical, Pop and Hip-Hop flawlessly.   I don’t know about you, but I definitely love music that combines different genres.

Secondly, Mr. J. Medeiros backed and pre-paid this project all by himself due to lack of funds and label backing.  Medeiros wanted to make sure fans get another project from him–and this is something that definitely makes me have a different level of respect for him as an artist.

Third, overall, this project just has great music with several different stand out tracks.  “Fear and Safety” featuring Bekah Wagner, “The Weak End” “Nothing Without Providence” “Swallow” ft. Logan “So” Featuring J. Kyle Gregory “Neon Signs” featuring Stro” “Serious” featuring Stro, “Show Curtains” featuring J.Kyle Gregory.

Make sure you support and keep great music alive, and download here.