Maria Rita: A Festa
Musicians:
Maria Rita (vocals),
Tiago Costa (accordion, piano), Fábio Sá (bass), Marco da Costa (drums), Léo Leobons (percussion), Tom Capone (banjo, viola)
.Composed by Milton Nascimento
.Recorded: May 19-July 27, 2003
Rating: 89/100 (learn more)
Maria Rita has an impressive lineage. Her mother was the late singer Elis Regina, not a household name in the U.S. but a legendary figure for those who love Brazilian music. Her father is pianist/arranger (and Grammy winner) César Camargo. Her brother is Pedro Camargo Mariano, who has a few hits to his credit, too.
Maria Rita, however, impresses not just with her family tree, but especially with her voice, which is light and airy yet full of vitality. Here she takes one of Milton Nascimento's finer compositions, "A Festa" (translates as "The Party"), and makes it totally her own. Some have compared this singer to Ella Fitzgerald, and to some extent she shares the latter's clean intonation and luminous delivery. Ah, if only the U.S. were more like Rio, where music of this quality also sells well. This song was a huge hit in Rio, and deserves an attentive global audience.
Reviewer: Ted Gioia
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