A COR DO PÔR-DO-SOL

Ivan Lins owed his audience an exciting release since the album Mãos (1987). A Cor do Pôr-Do-Sol (The Color of Sunset) features 15 tracks, being 10 of them quite expressive – a rare item in the currently lazy BPM market. This CD reaffirms the paths that he’s been pursuing along the 90s: a variety of partners, a softer approach to vocals and the inclusion of songs with Caribbean accent. As his second to last album closed with the salsa Feliz Navidad (performed with Jose Feliciano), the new album starts with Cuidate Más, another delicious incursion into Cuban music, as well as Vento e Areia (with Dudu Falcão), a pop salsa with oriental twists. Sharp romantic outbursts are a must in his work, and there are several tracks into this category, such as Voa (with Leda Selma), Dois Córregos (with Caetano Veloso) and the title track, with lyrics by Celso Viáfora and a slightly flamenco guitar. The samba-tune-bolero Vamos Indo (with Aldir Blanc) is seductive, as are the sambas Na Areia, Na Beira do Mar (with Claudio Jorge) and Emoldurada (with Viáfora). The political Ivan – more visible during the 70s – is back in business with the funk Ladrão (with Totonho Villeroy), where vocal group MPB/4 shares the microphones with him. In order to be really exceptional, the poorly inspired re-readings of Chico Cesar’s Mulher Eu Sei and Caetano Veloso’s Lua de São Jorge could have been left out of the pack. The other new tracks - Nada Sem Você, Instante Eterno and Olimpo – are also unnecessary. Skipping those, we find Ivan wired to his time, with the help of modern keyboards by Márcio Lomiranda and stimulating, vigorous songs.(Rodrigo Faour)