Clementine - Couleur Cafe (1999)

Clementine is very charming singing in Spanish, but there are also some songs in French. I find the trumpets at the beginning of "Sabor A Mi" a bit grating on the ears, but the singing is fine. Somehow my favorite part of "In the Stars" (En Las Estrellas) is her one line in English. There's a kind of bouncy optimism to this song that I really like. "Couleur Café" is a strange arrangement with her daughter. She (her daughter) really can't sing in this song, but she really sounds like she's trying. When she's singing with Clementine and the chorus towards the end of the song there's a nice kind of cameraderie that seems to say, "it's all right if you can't sing, we're having fun anyways!" Sina is a pretty unremarkable duet. J'retourne Chez Moi is my favorite song on this album. It sounds so good in my car. It starts out sounding like some kind of theme song for a spy movie. Then Clementine starts singing in French and it sounds so sexy. Sometimes the percussions reminds you that it's still a bossa nova song.

The instruments really complement Clementine's voice. "Caminhos Cruzados" is another duet that actually works. The opening notes sounds as if there's a moral to the song. Marcio Faraco and Clementine sing in Portuguese. Nothing really remarkable, but they really sing well together. "Sandalia Dela" is a very catchy song about some sandals. I find myself singing this song in the car every time I hear it. If there's only only Portuguese song that's easy to sing, this is it. "El Manicero" is another catchy song. Clementine seems to rush this song, but maybe it's supposed to be sung at a fast pace.

"Fiel E Insistente" is wholy unremarkable. It makes me feel a little cold, as if the clouds have come. "Retrato em Branco E Preto" is a very sexy duet. It seems to be a very formal song, and Clementine plays her part really well. It's like a mating bird song. I actually like Marcio Feraco even more than Clementine. He really puts passion in his singing. "Eu Sei Que Voi Te Amar" is okay. It's sung optimistically, the piano playing separates the vocals now and then. "Bienvenido" reminds me of an early morning sunrise in Mexico, but when Clementine sings it sounds as if it's a farewell song. ~Beneaththestars