Various Artists: Samba Bossa Nova

Various Artists
Samba Bossa Nova
Putumayo
2002-01-08

A full 30 years after its introduction, Brazilian bossa nova is more hip than ever, and the whole “lounge” resurgence has only strengthened its suave, romantic appeal. Small wonder, then, that Putumayo — those purveyors of world music samplers found in chic boutiques — would milk the Brazilian scene for all it’s worth. In the past few years, the label has released no less than five collections of music from South America’s biggest and perhaps most musically diverse country.

The latest, Samba Bossa Nova, may be the most charming of the Putumayo bunch. Bossa nova has acquired such world wide appeal because its so damn listenable. Mellow and spirited the same time, the bossa nova beat itself — which originated in earthier samba — conjures of images of long cold drinks on hot beaches. And its language of choice, Portuguese, while frustratingly difficult to decipher when spoken, sounds utterly luscious when sung — even if the listener can’t figure out a word.

For Samba Bossa Nova, Putumayo continues its tradition of providing liner notes as educational as they are interesting as it gives an overview of bossa nova’s progression from the from the slums of Rio de Janeiro in the late 1950s to the nightclubs of today. In between those two time frames, bossa nova struggled to stay afloat while escaping its own stereotype of kitschy cocktail lounge music — which, ironically, became a big part of its newfound appeal.

The diverse collection on Samba Bossa Nova shows the continuing evolution of the African-Portuguese derived Brazilian samba and its progeny. From Rosa Passos’s lush take on the Ary Barroso/Luiz Peixoto song “E Luxo So”, to Eliete Negreiros’s subtle remake of “Meu Mundo e Hoje”, there is plenty here to enjoy amid these 11 tracks.

Guitarist-singer Márcio Faraco’s does a classy remake of Noel Rosa’s samba-canção “Feitiço da Vila” while the classical-trained Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum, led by cellist Jacques Morelenbaum, mixes dramatic vocal harmonies with Afro-Brazilian beats on the classic “Eu e o Meu Amor/Lamento No Morro”, originally featured in the bossa nova-laden 1959 filmBlack Orpheus.

London-based Da Lata offers one of the album’s most interesting tracks with the club-friendly “Cores”, which mingles a gentle melody with dance-floor technology as Liliana Chacian’s smoky vocals play off the percolating Afro-Brazilian percussion and luxuriant strings.

Moreno Veloso, the son of Brazilian superstar Caetano Veloso, takes the former “carnaval” party number, Olodum’s “Deusa do Amor”, and turns it into a charmingly muted love song. Several of the artists on Samba Bossa Nova are related to the genre’s original pioneers, while others bring their own influences to the sound. This compilation does a good job of bringing it all into focus, albeit in a sort of “Bossa Nova 101”-type manner that serious purveyors of the genre might find bothersome.

One can’t help but wonder how Bebel Gilberto got left out — and even one of Bahian Carlinos Brown’s mellower numbers would have fit in nicely — but, overall, Samba Bossa Nova makes a solid, snappy contribution to any world music collection.