Sina Sta Scrivendo

Ståle Kleiberg’s concertos unfold in the space between poetry, passion and playfulness. This is contemporary music with which listeners can easily engage, but which does not for one moment compromise artistic quality. “I try to form the musical expression so that it corresponds with my experience of life; or, to put it another way, to form it so that it is in accord with my conception of what it means to be a human being,” says Kleiberg about himself and his music.

This album marked Djavan's association with American producers. After signing with CBS, he recorded this album in the U.S.A. (in Portuguese), which was produced by Ronnie Foster. For that occasion, Quincy Jones acquired the publishing rights of many of his songs through Djavan's own publisher Luanda. The album is divided between a romantic section and swinging tunes. "Pétala" and "Açaí" (pop ballads), "Nobreza," and "Banho de Rio" (orchestral canções) take charge of the romantic part. "Luz," "Capim," "Sina," "Samurai," "Esfinge," and "Minha Irmã" are the swinging segment. The interesting harmonies/melodies and the jazz-like arrangements of this section aroused interest for Djavan's music in the U.S.A. and some of these songs and others were recorded by Manhattan Transfer, among others.

In the early '90s, in the middle of his mandate as councilman for Salvador, Gil was again concerned with the Afro roots of Brazilian people, and this album strongly reflects that. "Madalena" brings social criticism through Afro soca grooves. "Parabolicamara" builds a discourse about communications over a beautiful ponto de macumba melody with enriched harmonies. "Um Sonho" is a doleful toada about the lack of understanding of the popular soul by politicians and technocrats. "Buda Nago" is a tribute to Dorival Caymmi in Afro-Bahian style, which features the guest singer Nana Caymmi (Dorival's daughter and Gil's former wife).

Portuguese singer Misia's fifth album (though only her second American release) moves away from the traditional fado of her earlier albums into a more electric and varied sound. Usually this is a really bad sign that means the artist is trying to break the U.S. pop market through a watered-down, Americanized version of what had made them interesting in the first place. Happily, this is not the case with Paixoes Diagonais, which isn't fado lite, but simply fado with a few twists. Starting with the strictly traditional title track, the album slowly adds non-traditional elements like subtle string sections, unobtrusive keyboards and electric bass. Thankfully, they avoid the chattering sequencers and electronic beats that have ruined so many so-called world albums since the '80s. Even the least traditional track here, the almost Kate Bush-like "Nascimento de Venus" is rooted in traditional Portuguese fado, and Misia's spellbinding voice remains front and center throughout the album. While perhaps not for hard-line purists, this album is a terrific introduction to both Misia and fado in general.