Brasileiro
<I>Brasiliero</I>, a wonderfully diverse introduction to Brazilian music, is a sophisticated blend of folk-pop and cool jazz, as embraced by artists both well and little known, in the most popular styles: samba, bossa nova, and MBP (<i>musica popular Brasileiro</i>). As with Cuban music, the greatest influence on Brazilian music came from African slaves who were imported to farm sugar, tobacco, and cotton plantations. With that influence comes a complex rhythmic structure and a prevailing sense of melancholy. Bearing this out, "Daca de Solidao" ("Dance of Solitude") is deliciously thick as performed by the dusky-voiced Beth Carvalho. Chico Cesar's "Mama Africa" is a perfect sociopolitical pop hit, blending hard-hitting lyrics with bouncy percussion and Jamaican reggae. Other standouts include Jorge Ben's wiggly feel-good romp "O Namorado da Viuva" ("The Widow's Boyfriend") and Joao Bosco's dancing guitar on "Vatapa," which pays homage to the traditional dish of the same name. <I>--Paige La Grone</I>