Now comes the first reconstruction from Brazil. They've taken some classic and obscure original tracks and rather than beef up the Brazilian beat, they get rid of it altogether and add various hip-hop drum machine beats. Expecting flashes of brilliance, we have to admit we were very disappointed at first. The whole spirit of Bossa Nova is the gentle stripped-down Samba beat. That spirit is gone.
Some songs work better than others.
Others are just plain mediocre. If you're looking for gentle music to sway like the palms or intense drumming to practice for Carnival, forget it. We often have tried to remember the first time we encountered Ethel Merman, but it seems as if she's always been there. Whether it was on That Girl or as Lola Lasagne on Batman , we have to admit that the Merm has always held a strange fascination for us. At first, the appeal was strictly camp.