Nha Mundo (Music Of Cabo Verde)
On Nha Mundo, singer Maria de Barros makes her debut with a sensual but ultimately joyous mix of Cape Verdean music, which is a melting pot of traditional Portuguese, Cuban, Argentinean and West African styles. Much is going to be made of the fact that the young singer is goddaughter to the island country's greatest star, Cesaria Evora, but de Barros is smart enough to follow her own artistic path: Evora's music is often slow and bittersweet, carried by her deep and fragile voice; de Barros plays down the sad mornas and coladeiras in favor of galloping boleros and sambas, and her voice and phrasing is closer to Susana Baca than Evora. Singing in the Portuguese Creole dialect on Nha Mundo, which translates as "My World," she transcends the language barrier to give listeners a fun and friendly tour of the country’s sun-drenched idyll. Highlights include the uplifting "Cabo Verde N’ot Era" and the softly swaying "Nha Primero."--Tad Hendrickson