Bebel Gilberto: Momento
Monday, 02 Apr 2007 17:35
Momento is Bebel Gilberto's third album
V2, out April 2nd.
In a nutshell…
An inoffensive Brazilian affair
What's it all about?
Momento is the third studio album from the woman often described as Brazil's most popular female singer. It features 11 tracks of downtempo Bosa Nova which could well finally break the singer in the UK.
Recorded across the globe, in studios in Rio de Janeiro, London and New York, and featuring production work from Bebel herself and a host of stars like Guy Sigsworth (Bjork's former producer) and The Brazilian Girls, the album sounds slick and well-produced in the extreme.
Who's it by
She might not be a household name in the UK yet, but Bebel is a bonefide star in her native Brazil. The daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha, and the niece of singer/composer Chico Buarque, the girl has been performing in Brazil since she was six years old.
Her previous studio albums have been well-received critically - with a Latin Grammy nomination in 2004 for her sophomore effort 'Bebel Gilberto'. Now she's produced a record of accessible Bosa Nova pop which could see her becoming much more successful in the UK.
As an example…
"Bring back the love" or something in husky Portuguese
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Well Bebel has already proved she's a success with the critics with her last album and this is going to do little to dent that reputation. World music is generally considered trendy at the moment and people like Nouveau Vague have made downbeat Bosa Nova the epitome of cool so it seems pretty likely that this is going to get rapturous reviews.
What the others say
"Easily one of my favourite albums of the year so far, in a very young year that's already spawned some great music." - prince.org
So is it any good?
World music gets something of a bad press – aside from the notable successes of Buena Vista and Talking Timbuktu, the genre is pretty much universally ignored by the mainstream here in the UK.
People like Nouveau Vague might have made Bosa Nova suitably hip with their quirky covers, but the UK has not paid much attention to Brazil's contribution to the world's musical palate.
Which is a bit of a shame really.
Bebel Gilberto's third studio album is polished and contains one song – Bring Back the Love – which has the potential to make her something of a star. It's unfortunate that the album will probably get picked up by restaurateurs the country over and end up soundtracking millions of second dates.
Before it gets played in every modestly trendy eatery and coffee shop in the country, it makes a perfectly acceptable accompaniment to a sunny Saturday morning in the garden.
Its problem is that, listening to it, you realise that a plethora of bland UK musicians have raided the genre for their inspiration so now it's impossible to hear it without the ghost of Corinne Bailey Rae hovering around. It's inoffensive in the extreme which makes it surprisingly easy to feel angry about the whole affair. This is a country where passion is supposed to infect everything, but all they can manage here is some jazzed up lounge music and a bit of a husky voice.
In truth, the record sounds like you'd imagine Dido would if she was brought up in a posh district of Rio, instead of a posh district on London
4 /10
James Cooper
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