Orfeu (1999 Film)
Credited to Veloso and issued in the U.S. on the heels of his excellentLivro,Orfeuis actually the Veloso-supervised soundtrack of Brazilian director Carlos Diegues's version of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. The music includes remakes ofsongsfrom the 1959Black Orpheusand new tunes by Veloso and rapperGabriel O Pensador, along with lovely score excerpts that fill about half the CD's playing time. Focusing heavily on life in the country's slums, the film's concept is a perfect vehicle for Veloso's passionate, hyper-intelligent mind;Orfeuthe album is certain to whet listeners' appetites for the picture itself, due for American release later in 2000. Until then, stateside fans of Brazilian pop have another beautiful, challenging record to add to their collections.--Rickey Wright