The Bottom Line
International Brazilian diva Maria Rita takes a step back from MPB, the pop genre that made her a star and delivers an album of sambas, mostly acoustic and to the accompaniment of traditional Brazilian instruments. The voice is pleasant and breezy, the songs approachable, the atmosphere more like an intimate cafe than a big production arena. If you like simple, impeccably sung samba, you'll love this album.
Pros
- Great arrangements by Jota Moraes
- Vocal showcase of "Samba Meu"
Cons
- For fans of Maria Rita's pop tunes, this album is all samba
Description
- 14 tracks of various forms of samba
- Produced by Leandro Sapucahy / Maria Rita
- Released by WEA International
Guide Review - CD Review: Maria Rita - Samba Meu
Maria Rita (Moriano) burst on Brazil's MPB scene in 2003 with her debut album, Maria Rita. It didn't hurt that she is the daughter of Brazilian legend Elis Regina, but it was her cool voice and jazz-inspired style that got her the 2004 Latin Grammy Award for "Best New Artist" and "Best MBP Album". 2005's Segundo also sold well but seemed less notable. Maria Rita had quickly become an international pop star but there seemed to be an unspoken question: was she going to find her own unique voice and style?
Samba Meu (My Samba) answers that question with a resounding yes! In Samba Meu, Maria Rita leaves MPB behind, delivering a gem of an album, acoustic rather than over-produced, allowing her voice, style and spirit to shine.
The album's 14 tracks range from simple samba-cancon ("Mente ao Meu Coracao", "Novo, Amor") through samba/bossa nova fusion ("Trajetoria") to Carnaval-style samba-enredo ("O Homem Falou").
The album is intimate with heart-felt lyrics that the singer handles with light nuance, never giving in to sentimentality. The break-out single "Ta Perdoado" (You're Forgiven) has been riding high on the charts but I'm always struck by the album opener, "Samba Meu". This song, with basically only a guitar and friction drum accenting the voice, showcases Maria Rita at her best.
