As Aparências Enganam

by Alvaro NederThis is a release that can be properly labeled as "world," but this may not necessarily mean that it denies the faithfulness to a true Brazilian spirit. There are lots of "alien," cultural industry interventions in the overdriven guitars, in the Indian tablas (properly executed), in certain synthesized orchestral attacks evoking a futuristic nowhere place, but in the end, the core of the album resides in the perfect intonation of Matogrosso's sopranino voice, in the extremely Brazilian and swinging Aquarela Carioca's support, and in the quality of the compositions, which gather a team of respected writers ranging from Milton Nascimento/Fernando Brant, Alceu Valença, Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Ednardo, Jorge Benjor, and others. There is also a welcomed section dedicated to Brazilian cirandas, an important folkloric genre interpreted freely in this album's spirit.