5 Stars for Samba Rock!!
M. Lee | Santa Monica, CA | 03/08/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Contrary to part of its title and for those of you who may not be so familiar with Brazilian music or Brazilian terminology of music, this is not a rock CD or in any way a fusion of samba and rock music. Instead it is a delightful collection of original, funk-soul-samba inspired songs with a dash of modern ingredients. Trio Mocoto is a wonderful, soulful group who performed with the great Jorge Ben in the 70's and had a lot of success during that era when funk-soul-samba fusion music was at an alltime high. They were and still continue to be one of the best groups from that era and have had more staying power than other equally talented groups/artists from that era (like Banda Black Rio, Azymuth, Wilson Simonal, Tim Maia, etc.), whom many of them unfortunately died out with the passing of the 70's and early 80's. A wonderful CD to revive the career of a wonderful group! Every song is energetic, original and equally as good as the other, I highly recommend checking out this CD. You will not be disappointed."
Otimo
howeb18 | Schenectady, NY United States | 04/26/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"~~~~~~~My first exposure to Trio Mocoto was a live show in Sao Paulo, and I, like the rest of the audience, was sweating from uncontrollable dancing after the second song. Their manic energy, tight rhythms, and great stage presence all made for a great show. I purchased this disc shortly thereafter and am quite happy with it. I love "Tudo Bem"; this cut alone justifies the purchase. As other reviewers have aptly pointed out, the tracks on this album are generally upbeat and fun, and there is~~ a high level of musicianship as well. Those Brazilians have it down. However, I would stop short of awarding this disc five stars on the basis of the lyrics. Lyrically, this group simply isn't up to par with other popular Brazilian musicians like Lenine and Gilberto Gil, who I consider to be excellent technical musicians as well as gifted writers. Buy this disc by all means: you will enjoy it. But don't expect it to move your mind, just your bunda.~~~~~~~"