"Here is a pleasurable excursion down musical Brazilian avenues, with our tour guide, this talented vocalist. She lushly celebrates the extraordinary compositions of Caymmi while offering the listener a cultural lagniappe -- the happy excitement only Carnival can inspire."

CD Review: Kenia Celebrates Dorival Caymmi on Mooka Records
CD Review: Kenia Celebrates Dorival Caymmi on Mooka Records
Adding zest to her CD project, Brazilian songstress Kenia celebrates the exquisite and memorable compositions of Dorival Caymmi. The music is both infectious and joyful. Caymmi's compositions offer us a glimpse of carnival sung by Kenia with repetitious exuberance and childlike abandonment. The cultural sounds of both artist and composer bring alive intriguing and hypnotic Latin rhythms with romantic, passionate melodies that float above rich percussion.

Caymmi is credited with being one of the most prolific Brazilian songwriters of his era (April 30, 1914 - Aug 16, 2008). Although he was born in Bahia, Caymmi relocated to Rio de Janeiro in the 1930s and never returned to what is commonly referred to as 'Home of the Drum.' His musical legend paints a rich portrait of Brazil steeped in rhythms of his beloved Bahia, a place often referred to as the stronghold of Brazil's vibrant African culture. In Bahia the Samba Chula style was developed and is to Brazil what the Delta Blues are to the United States.

Kenia has chosen a scattering of the composer's prolific songs for this album, mostly Sambas. On a few songs, Caymmi collaborated with recognizable musicians like Mangione, Antonio Almeida and Ray Gilbert, as in the tune "And Roses And Roses." You may remember this haunting melody with memorable lyrics being sung by Andy Williams, Perry Como and the sultry Sarah Vaughan. In addition to this Brazilian standard, Kenia has selected a number of dance-inspiring Sambas to celebrate the songwriter's distinctive style.

Kenia's vocals are husky and deeply emotional. Even though all but one of the songs are sung in Portuguese, Kenia manages to transmit to the listener pure emotion and sincerity. We do not need to understand the language to feel her passion. The music is simplistic, happy, danceable, repetitious and celebratory. There's no lavish production on this CD. The musicians are supportive and tenderly compliment Kenia. She provides excellence with her crystal clear vocals and emotional delivery. It is her unique voice that lends timbre and sincerity to every melodic line.

Kenia seems to step into each song like a pair of comfortable, custom-crafted slippers. Her performance evokes empathy with each husky twist and twirl of her voice, while a driving percussion presence by one of the most recorded Brazilian instrumentalists, Airto Moreira, feeds the spirit of the artist. Also on percussion are Jay Ashby and son Lucas. On "O Dengo Que A Nega Tem"the melodic notes tumble over each other like playful puppies rolling down a hillside. Some may remember this song was first popularized by the unforgettable singer-actress, Carmen Miranda.

On cut eleven, "Nunca Mais," Kenia's sexy rubato verse at the top of the tune whispers softly in the listener's ear. Caymmi's song unfolds, a slow rhumba ballad, but without the pronounced bass drum. Instead, Fernando Merlino's piano, Traversa's bass and soft percussion support Kenia's rich and very lovely rendition of the melody. Jay Ashby plays both percussion and trombone on this cut, his horn singing unobtrusively in the background.

This satisfying project is a culmination of Kenia's three decade long career. Here is a pleasurable excursion down musical Brazilian avenues, with our tour guide, this talented vocalist. She lushly celebrates the extraordinary compositions of Caymmi while offering the listener a cultural lagniappe -- the happy excitement only Carnival can inspire.

DeeDee McNeil
September 2010

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