MEU CORAÇÃO É UM PANDEIRO

On the eve of his 50th year as a recording artist, with over 500 songs in his resume, Cauby Peixoto has made an album fully dedicated to samba for the first time in his career – and he’s done it well. Meu Coração É Um Pandeiro (or My Heart is a Tambourine) gathers 15 classic sambas, a few guest appearances and a beautiful graphic project. As someone specialized in jazzy tunes, Cauby met the expectations raised by his challenging choice of recording rootsy sambas. The result is surprising. The first track, Eu Canto Samba (Paulinho da Viola), is also the best. The author appears in another song, though, Onde a Dor Não Tem Razão, also written by him. Martinho da Vila sings with Cauby in Iaiá do Cais Dourado. Other gems follow, like Acreditar, with Dona Ivone Lara and Festa da Vinda, with Zaca Pagodinho. Some of the other distinctive tracks are Kizomba – A Festa da Raça and Morena Boca de Ouro. The best feature in this beautifully produced album might as well be the fact that it shows a veteran artist who is not afraid of experimenting.(Rodrigo Faour)