DIVINA SAUDADE

Zezé Motta pours down her contralto timbre in Divina Saudade, a tribute-CD to Elizeth Cardoso (dead in 1990). Even though Zezé is not as dramatic as the Divina (divine), she elegantly reviews the bossa nova forerunner's repertoire. The best feature in the album is the production. It is chic - starting with the beautiful graphic design - and has economic arrangements by Roberto Menescal and Flávio Mendes (both are also the producers of the album). It is a rootsy MPB disc, playing a bit with nostalgia without smelling like camphor balls. The track list includes different phases in Elizeth's career, from the beginning with Canção de Amor, through the emblematic album Canção do Amor Demais (from which the songs Estrada Branca and Chega de Saudade were picked), the groovy sambas written by Baden Powell & Vinicius de Moraes (Consolação; Tem Dó); choros (Noites Cariocas; Lamento), sambas and ballads.

 

(Rodrigo Faour)