Brazilian Lounge
Putumayo's latest excursion into chill-out features twelve urbane tracks that, even at their most laid-back (and Brazilians have raised this state of being to an art form) are saturated with a languid, sweaty tropical ardor. Icy, metronome-like beats and electronica are powerless against aCariocaheat-wave, just as a cold Brahmacerveja(beer), while momentarily refreshing, cannot affect prevailing weather patterns. But the irrepressively creative mixmasters of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro seem to revel in these very incongruities, frosting florid acoustic sounds and warmly human vocals with subtle yet transformative computer-generated wizardry. Notable tracks include "E Depois" by singer/actor Seu Jorge (City Of God,The Life Aquatic With Steve Zizzou) and emerging star Luca Mundaca's "Há Dias." In Bebel Gilberto's "August Day Song," romance is compared to a drenching downpour; her slightly nostalgic style often evokes that of her father, sixties icon, João Gilberto. Additional reasons to purchase the album -- the trilingual liner notes offer a recipe for the nationalcaipirinhacocktail and a portion of profits from the CD will be donated to Rukha, an organization dedicated to rescuing Brazil's street children. --Christina Roden