BOSSA CARIOCA

The singer from São Paulo is currently based in Japan, where she is regarded as a star, having become a faithful promoter of BPM, and especially of bossa nova. In this Bossa Carioca, recorded in Rio de Janeiro in 1998 and released months later in Japan, only, she went for the big deal: besides recording Tom Jobim’s songs, she is accompanied by Paulo and Daniel Jobim (son and grandson of the maestro), plus Danilo Caymmi and top instrumentalists from Rio, such as Vittor Santos (trombone) and Jorge Helder (bass). The result could only have been genuine bossa, even because Lisa’s vocals are really soft, with a carioca accent. The selection starts with Só Danço Samba, full of swing, highlighted by inventive masculine vocals. Then, it’s time for the standards: Chega de Saudade, Corcovado, O Barquinho and Samba de Verão, besides a more obscure Tom Jobim song, Maria É Dia, written with Paulo Jobim and Ronaldo Bastos, which features verses in Japanese. Lisa also appears to be a talented composer, especially on the beautiful melody of Diz a Ela (with lyrics by Ana Terra). The album closes with an adequate connection with more traditional samba, through a version of Noel Rosa’s Palpite Infeliz. Amidst acoustic guitars and tambourines, the Brazilian Music ambassador in Japan seems to be at home.(Carlos Calado)