Seduzir

by Alex HendersonBy the time he recorded his third album, Seduzir, Djavan was a superstar in Brazil, and was attracting attention in American jazz, R&B and pop circles as well. Though his style inspires comparisons to fellow Brazilian great Milton Nascimento, Djavan is a distinctive vocalist whose inspirations range from Northeastern Brazil's tropiscalismo school to jazz to the Beatles and Stevie Wonder. Having absorbed so wide a variety of music, Djavan (a native of the state of Alagoas in Northeastern Brazil) has no problem making Seduzir a very diverse listen. Though all of the players on this five-star date (reissued on CD in 1990) are Brazilian and Djavan's lyrics are entirely in Portuguese, it's hard to miss the impact American artists have had on him. From the impressionistic "Morena de Endoidecer" and the complex, jazz-oriented "Jogral" to the enchanting "Faltando Um Pecado" and the Wonder-ish title song, Djavan keeps listeners guessing.