With ;
Caetano Velosos.
Cassia Eller.
Cazura.
Chico Buarque.
Ivete Sangalo.
Maria Bethania.
Marisa Monte.
Milton Nascimento.
Rita Lee.
And many others.
Brazilian
Portuguese evokes the breathy tones of Astrid
Gilberto and the Music of Antonio Carlos Jobin.
The soft sibilants
create an intimate communication even when
the Music is rattling like a machine-gun!
The title
is misleading.
I expected
Duets but as the line-up suggests there are
a lot more than two people involved and there
are so many influences in this compilation
that after expecting the usual Bossa Nova
the kaleidoscopic range of the CD is startling
in its breadth.
There are
14 tracks and they all have a distinct identity
and if you like Brazilian Music but are tired
of flattened 5ths each time there is a ‘crunch’
chord, then this is an aural cleanser.
Track 1 gives
us some idea of the quality of the engineering
and balance, which is excellent, but I suspected
that in the last track, (14), I detected a
squeal of feedback...
Considering
the overall quality, this has to be a mixer’s
joke!
Track 2 has
a distinct tinge of Reggae.
Track 3 conjures
up a hot sandy beach viewed through a heat
haze generated by the piano backing and muted
trumpet.
Track 4 changes
direction and we arrive somewhere near Trinidad
with a touch of Ska...
Track 5 returns
to Brazil via a guitar fanfare that turns
into a riff.
Track 6 has
a wider band sound with a nice bass.
Track 7 weaves
sinuously with a lush solo flute backed by
synths. through a steamy jungle of key changes.
Track 8 concentrates
the ear by a harder vocal line and tight rhythm.
Track 9 returns
to Reggae but with some surprising sounds
from the synths.
Track 10 prances
into the Carnival decked dressed only in enthusiasm.
Track 11 starts
by conning us into thinking we might be going
to hear a version of "Take 5" and then shoots
into a recitative with an African flavour.
Track 12 is
reminiscent of round backed Portuguese guitars.
Track 13 seems
to have come from Tunisia.
Track 14 has
a bent sax, and by now the thought of feedback
is inconsequential because we have returned
to the Carnival.
My only regret
with this CD was that I couldn’t understand
the beautifully enunciated lyrics.
Adrienne
Fox
CD Reviews
Warner
Music Brasil. 505144228920
