MONARCO

Finally re-edited on CD (first in Japan, then in Brazil), Hildemar Diniz’s (Monarco) first solo album confirms the talent of the songwriter/performer who keeps the original, fresh timbre of his voice to this day. An old school member of Portela Samba School, he now sings more about the love of women than the love of his samba school: Amor Verdadeiro (True Love), Amor Infiel (Unfaithful Love), Ingratidão (Ingratitude), Tudo Menos Amor (Everything But Love). It is interesting to notice that, in spite of dealing with the same themes, Monarco’s songs are a long way from the current "romantic sambas", which are much more on the "romantic" than on the "samba" side.

By the way, the only song to mention a samba school in this album is the beautiful Mangueira e Suas Glórias, a respectful treatment for his own school’s formal opponent. Monarco works as a type of guardian for Portela’s history, being part of the school’s group of composers since age 15. Among the titles, O Quitandeiro, Lenço and Desengano deserve attention. To crown this sensitive disc, Monarco’s firm and tuned voice is backed up by some of the finest samba musicians in activity in Rio de Janeiro: Dino 7 Cordas, Zé Menezes (strings), Wilson das Neves (drums), Abel Ferreira (brass) and Marçal (percussion), among others.(Nana Vaz de Castro)