Burnier & Cartier -

Burnier & Cartier were a Brazilian samba-folk duo that made a 1974 self-titled album on RCA, followed by the 1976 Odeon release Fotos Para a Capa Do.

Members: Claudio Cartier, Octávio Burnier

Background

Burnier & Cartier formed in 1974 in Rio de Janeiro when guitarist-composer Luiz Octavio Bonfá Burnier teamed with guitarist-composer Claudio Brandini Cartier after parallel work in music, university circles, and visual art.

Burnier was born Luiz Octavio Bonfá Burnier on July 28, 1952, in Rio de Janeiro; the son of Egberto Penido Burnier and Laís Bonfá Burnier and the nephew of guitarist Luiz Bonfá. He attended the Conservatório Nacional de Barcelona and studied musical arrangement at the Instituto Villa-Lobos.

Cartier was born Claudio Brandini Cartier on September 25, 1950, in Rio. He received his first guitar at age eleven and studied classical guitar with Antonio Rebello and Jodacil Damasceno. In 1968, Cartier entered the Movimento Artístico Universitário. Through 1970, he attended the Instituto Villa-Lobos and entered the Instituto de Belas Artes, where he drew cartoons for TV Globo. He also studied canto at the Escola Nacional de Música.

Burnier earned his first recorded composition credit in 1971 when Ivan Lins cut “Baby Blue,” a Lins–Paulinho Tapajós–Octávio Burnier song, for the CBD/Forma release Ivan Lins, Agora. The following year, Burnier sang Eduardo Atayde’s “Come on to Me Together” as the theme for the Rede Globo telenovela O Homem Que Deve Morrer on Som Livre.

Burnier spent 1973 in Barcelona, where he worked for more than a year and recorded an Ariola Eurodisc LP with Brasil Aquarius. In 1974, he returned to Rio and linked with Cartier. Osmar Zandomenigui, an RCA producer-executive also known as Osmar Zan, championed the duo’s repertory and secured them a deal.

Burnier & Cartier

Burnier & Cartier released their self-titled debut album in November 1974 on RCA Victor.

Octavio wrote four pieces and co-wrote three with Claudio, who lone-wrote one. The album also contains songwriting input by Luiz Bonfá, Ivan Wrigg, and Gustavo Strunck. Burnier and Cartier frame the songs with acoustic guitars and layered voices with infusions of electric piano, percussion, strings, and short wind features.

Their backing players include drummer Edison Machado, percussionist Chico Batera, and bassists Novelli and Luiz Alves. Reedist Paulo Moura and brass player Márcio Montarroyos appear on individual tracks. Harmonica player Rildo Hora marks “Barranco.”

“Lejos de Mi” lingers with reed lines shaping the upper contour. “Lembrando Ed Kleiger” brightens through a rounded horn lead and compact ensemble punctuation. “Europanema” tightens around a crisp backbeat and clipped song motion. “Só Tem Lugar Pra Você” and “Deixa Mudar” slip into soft-edged refrains. “Parte Capital” and “Marcante” engulf their harmonies in airy passages.

A1. “Só Tem Lugar Pra Você” [There’s Only Room for You] (2:45) – Burnier / Cartier
A2. “Aldeia Global” [Global Village] (2:30) – Cartier
A3. “Lejos De Mi” [Far From Me] (4:07) – Luiz Bonfá / Burnier
A4. “Lembrando Ed Kleiger” [Remembering Ed Kleiger] (2:38) – Burnier
A5. “Deixa Mudar” [Let It Change] (2:32) – Burnier
A6. “Parte Capital” [Capital Part] (4:00) – Burnier / Cartier

B1. “Mirandolina” [Mirandolina] (2:35) – Burnier
B2. “Aí É Que Tá” [That’s the Point] (2:15) – Burnier / Wrigg
B3. “Aventura Espacial” [Space Adventure] (3:49) – Luiz Bonfá
B4. “Barranco” [Ravine] (2:28) – Burnier / Strunck
B5. “Europanema” [Europanema] (2:07) – Burnier
B6. “Marcante” [Striking] (2:26) – Burnier / Cartier

Luiz Carlos and Paulo Frazão recorded the album at the RCA studio in Rio with engineer Frazão and arranger Arthur Verocai. Raymundo Bittencourt coordinated the sessions and directed the studio work.

Ivan Klingen photographed Burnier and Cartier seated with acoustic guitars beside a lit candle; Ney Távora created the cover art, with a Cartier logo.

Between albums, Burnier earned songwriting credits on albums by Arnaud Rodrigues, Quinteto Ternura, and the 1976 self-titled Continental release by Aquarius.

Fotos Para a Capa Do

Burnier & Cartier released their second album, Fotos Para a Capa Do, in August 1976 on EMI-Odeon.

The duo co-wrote “Minha Mãe Não Sabe De Mim” with Wrigg, who collaborated with Burnier on three additional titles while Cartier submitted two. Fotos braids two-guitar foundations with multi-tracked voices, rounded keyboard color, and baroque-tinted orchestration.

“Minha Mãe Não Sabe de Mim” circles through close-voice phrases and repeated acoustic figures. “D. João” overlaps into “Recreio,” making the joined passage hinge on continuous harmony and circular phrasing. “À Beira de Nada” softens into a hushed refrain. “Dia Ferido” glides through a gentler arrangement, with the voices placed inside a wider chamber wash. “Ecoline” heralds the closing instrumental sequence with “Sítio Azul” and “Pedra Pintada,” unified with acoustic, orchestral detail.

A1. “Minha Mãe Não Sabe De Mim” [My Mother Doesn’t Know About Me] (2:40) – Burnier / Cartier / Wrigg
A2. “D. João” [Dom João] (2:22) – Burnier / Pimenta
A3. “Recreio” [Recess] (3:30) – Burnier / Wrigg
A4. “Elogio Da Loucura” [In Praise of Madness] (3:04) – Burnier / Strunck / Wrigg
A5. “À Beira De Nada” [On the Edge of Nothing] (2:43) – Burnier / Wrigg

B1. “Catarina Canguru” [Catarina Kangaroo] (2:45) – Cartier / Azevedo
B2. “Dia Ferido” [Wounded Day] (1:35) – Burnier / Cartier
B3. “Lendas Das Amazonas” [Legends of the Amazons] (3:15) – Burnier / Wrigg
B4. “Ecoline” [Ecoline] (0:53) – Cartier
B5. “Sítio Azul” [Blue Country Place] (3:00) – Cartier
B6. “Pedra Pintada” [Painted Stone] (5:55) – Burnier

Drummer Paulinho Braga and bassist Luiz Alves appear on Fotos Para a Capa Do, recorded with engineer Roberto Castro and producer Eduardo Souto Neto.

Fabiano designed a document-style sleeve with the rear panel arranged as pinned track and technical sheets against a pale field. The album’s title (Portuguese for Photos for the Cover of) appears under the duo’s nameplate, itself interpreted as the actual title in select listings.

Postlude

Burnier & Cartier joined Australian saxophonist Don Burrows on the 1977 concert and recording project Don Burrows and the Brazilian Connection. In 1978, the duo ended their partnership.

Octavio Burnier cut the 1979 solo album Dança Infernal, released on Philips as part of their MPBC series. He also produced, arranged, and performed on Com Açúcar e Com Afeto, the 1980 album by Nara Leão. His second solo album, Aventura, appeared in 1982 on Artsom. As Tavynho Bonfá, he reemerged with the 1988 albums É Tão Perfeito and Sem Palavras.

Claudio Cartier performed on “No Analises,” a co-composition with Paulo César Feital on the 1979 self-titled sixth album by Nana Caymmi. His singular solo album appeared in 1982 on Opus/Columbia. He also wrote songs for Olivia Hime, Solange Kafuri, and Vanusa. Cartier died on October 17, 2020, in Rio de Janeiro.

Discography: