Search - Djavan :: Na Pista

Not Essential but Still Well Worth a Listen

Tom | Toronto,, Ontario, Canada | 12/23/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a curious album of rerecordings and remixes of some of Djavan's most popular songs, an album that seems to be garnering relatively modest attention, even in Brazil. Maybe listeners just don't quite know what to make of it. The techno touches work most of the time, but still it is difficult to figure what the intent is here or why Djavan thinks this is a good way to spend his creative energy. His music doesn't really need the sort of embellishments that it receives here. Yet, that being said, for the most part this is a very listenable "update" of some of his best work, with many of the songs being more dancehall friendly than they were in their original versions. Purists may wish to take a pass on this one, but for most of the rest of us there is much here to like. For people unfamiliar with his work, this CD may be a bit misleading, but the songs are so impressive to begin with that Djavan's strengths as a composer and arranger remain strongly in evidence even among most of the more radically remixed pieces. For those people familiar with his work, this CD may seem far from essential and may take some time to get used to, but it is well worth the effort, if only to hear Djavan's willingness to experiment successfully with some of his best work."