Nos

Performer: Virginia Rodrigues
Artist: Caetano Veloso; Ile Aiye
Engineer: Denilson Campos; Mario Possollo
Producer: Celso Fonseca
Distributor: Ryko Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Virginia Rodrigues, Caetano Veloso, Ile Aiye (vocals); Celso Fonseca (guitar, calimba, tamboura, bells, lyre, bottles, background vocals); Mauro Senise (flute, bass clarinet); Ze Canuto (flute, alto saxophone); Dirceu Leitte (clarinet); Daniel Garcia (tenor saxophone); Henrique Band (baritone saxophone); Vikor Santos (trombone); Philip Doyle (horn); Ramiro Musotto (berimbau, calimba, percussion); Robertinho Silva (percussion); Adriana Maciel, Thiago Braga, Milton Guedes, Gabriela Azevedo, Gui Rodriquez, Bruno Levinson, Patricia Maranhao, Eduardo Prado, Nair Candia, Elisa Quieroz, Bettina Graziani, Evaline Hecker (background vocals). Strongly informed by Rodrigues' allegiance to the Condomble religion, a Yoruban/African-derived faith with similarities to Haiti's Santeria cult, Nos finds the Brazilian singer once again weaving her powerfully spiritual voice through a supple backdrop of Bahian rhythms and tropicalismo flourishes. The disc appropriately begins with a song to Exu -- the Condomble goddess who enables communion with the high deities -- with Rodrigues' operatic voice ideally set off by a percussion-only backdrop. What follows is a varied and stunning dance with the musical muses, ranging from the chamber-like intimacy of "Uma Historia de Ifa" to the samba and bossa nova pop sounds of "Afrekete." This song and the more somber "Salvador Nao Inerte" are reminiscent of fellow Bahian native Caetano Veloso's recent work; Veloso, in fact, was instrumental in discovering Rodrigues and contributes here on the duet "Jeito Faceiro." And besides a coterie of musical alumni from many stellar Brazilian sessions, including ones by Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Milton Nascimento, producer Celso Fonseca (who also manned Rodrigues' Hannibal debut, Sol Negro) provides tastefully updated samba backdrops full of stellar string and reed arrangements. One of the most impressive international releases from the last few years. ~ Stephen Cook

Spin (4/00, p.201) - "...[an] ornate mix of new-world strings and old-school percussion...featuring 'artistic direction' from original art-folkie Caetano Veloso..." Q (4/00, p.99) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Breathtaking from start to finish....her classically trained, serene contralto and 'chamber samba' style [achieves] astonishing results..." Down Beat (8/00, pp.70-1) - 4.5 stars out of 5 - "...A musician, and not a diva, Rodrigues knows how to make a whisper as powerful as an aria."

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