Marisa Monte

by

unknown artist

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I remember many years ago reading in Veja (Brazilian "Time" or "Newsweek") an "old guard" (baby boomer - generation) music critic trashing Marisa Monte as an upstart bubble gum pop star who didn't have a fraction of the talent of the old divas like Elis Regina. (on a different continent, it is the same battle Mariza has been fighting against the old guard Fado critics with respect to the likes of Amalia Rodrigues).

Fortunately, in time Marisa Monte has proven those cranks wrong.

Even on this early record you can hear Marisa's genius. This album may be uneven, but there are some brilliant pieces. In particular, Xote das Meninas is a suprising, soulful, inspired production. Marisa shows an extraordinary sense of improvisational timing. What starts off as a vaguely reggae-infused cover of the Gonzaga tune transforms into more and more of a jazz-inspired effort, especially when the trumpet comes in and begins to improvise. Then, when Marisa takes cue from the trumpet and slips into a blues-inspired English, it is absolutely brilliant. Going back to listen to the original Gonzaga, one realizes how much Marisa, her musicians, and her producer bring to the song... how did they squeeze so much out of such a simple old accordian tune? This song alone makes the album worth owning. There are plenty of other wonderful tracks, and a few dull ones. But overall, it is a wonderful disc.