Search - Various Artists :: Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon

Solid Mix of Portuguese Styles

bordersj2 | Boston | 05/15/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I feel the same way about most of this CD as the previous reviewer. I always sort of looked at this as a companion piece to Red Hot & Rio. Both are on the same "Red Hot" label, and this one came out three years later - I had to get it when it came out... so impatient I was! But which is better? I also liked Red Hot & Rio more but I definitely also enjoyed this one because it is VERY different. Only thing I can't quite see is Nina's voice being like Bebel's, but do think that both are terrific singers. Nina's voice reminds me more of Wanda Sa - but sweeter.The CD starts out with an interesting David Byrne/Caetano track, followed up with probably my favorite band, Smoke City. The version of O Cara Lindo is different than the one on their feature album too; I dig this one better. Also in here is a Tribalistas cut (Monte/Brown at least - Arnaldo appears later in this ablum) which I enjoyed. Lura had a slow and sensual cut, KD Lang had some Portuguese Fado and there were some other solid cuts here too. I think my favorite cut is Madredeus's "Os Dias Sao A Noite" remixed. This is vastly different than the original on "O Paraiso", but so haunting and beautiful is the arrangement. Theresa Salguiere's vocals are sweet as always. Another good cut to me was "Sem Voce". One of the things I enjoyed about this was looking at the artists - Moreno Veloso, DJ SPooky/Vinicius Cantuaria (what a guitarist he is!), Smoke City (Christian Franck - another great guitarist)and so on.The downside? Some of the Africa cuts weren't up my alley. I know the history of Portuguese speaking African nations and Brasil and Portugal well, its in my heritage. But it just wasn't for me. Some of the other songs didn't grab me either and its hard to say that this will be as timeless a release to me as Red Hot & Rio. Finally do be warned that this is a rather DARK cd - given the cause of the Red Hot organization, it sort of fits. If you enjoyed this, certainly check out Red Hot and Rio, Brasil 2Mil and work by Tribalistas, Madredeus, Vinicius Cantuaria, Caetano Veloso and maybe Da Lata's album titled "Serious"."

Interesting... but Red Hot+Rio is better

Estrelinha | 04/02/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this record yesterday, mainly attracted by the names of Vinicius Cantuaria and Caetano Veloso in the list of songs... I'm not a great fan of electronic post-bossa and fusion monsters like Arto Lindsay or Carlinhos Brown, but after the nice experience I had five years ago when I bought Red Hot+Rio I check out new lusophone music compilations every now and then... After all, David Byrne's musical taste isn't bad even if sometimes strange. Speaking about Red Hot+Lisbon, I did not expect too much from it, so I'm not too disappointed - the only disappointment is that Vinicius Cantuaria does not sing on this compilation but only plays the guitar... I thought he would sing the song with such a romantic name, Luz de Candeeiro (Candlelight), in his own voice, so silky and sensual, but the one who sings it here is Nana Vasconcelos... Frankly speaking, I didn't like it, neither Nana's voice nor the rendition of the song. Among the ones I liked, I would mention Marco de Canaveses, a marvellous duet between Caetano and David Byrne, and Lura's morna Nha Vida (marrrveloussss... I'll find out more about this girl!) Smoke City's O Cara Lindo, Paulo Braganca's A Nevoa and Filipa Pais' Fado da Adita are quite good, too. Nina Miranda sounds much like Bebel Gilberto... Antonio Chainho's Portuguese guitar is mellow and beautiful. The other songs didn't impress me - "neo" arrangements of that type rather spoil the songs than make them more beautiful - the reason, I suppose, is that they contradict the sensual and dreamy nature of most Portuguese and Brasilian music, they're too harsh (I'm so glad that Sem Voce sung by Antunes and Lindsay is not Jobim's lovely Sem Voce that Maria Bethania recorded for his songbook... if it were a version of THAT VERY Sem Voce, I would be horrified). I'm not speaking about the African pops - not my type of music at all (however, Mulemba Xangola is good for dancing). Red Hot+Rio is much better in terms of arrangements - softer and more romantic."

Amazing tunes from another world

Estrelinha | 07/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD was a wonderful find that I spontaneously bought after a summer trip to Lisbon. Although much of the music is not from Portugal, the mad pace of the dance songs and the strange melodies of the slower songs will remind you of far-off lands. I could not recommend this CD more highly, especially for those with an interest in international, Brazilian and Latin tunes. This CD will make you think, move and feel."