Daniela Soledade - Pretty World (2022)

Rising-star Brazilian singer/songwriter Daniela Soledade offers love and optimism in the uplifting music on her luscious sophomore outing, Pretty World. She calmly soothes a refreshing new Brazilian soundscape that is tenderly nuanced and cheerfully intimate.

Pretty World captures her enchanting delivery of personal longing, sensual pleasures, the tranquility of nature and a longing to escape to a new world. Guest stars include trumpeter Randy Brecker, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, Brazilian percussion maestro Duduka Fonseca, and pianist Antonio Adolfo who wrote the Brazilian standard title track (“Sa Marina,” with English translation by Alan Bergman/Marilyn Bergman). She also collaborated with bossa nova icon Roberto Menescal, providing the Portuguese lyrics to the beauty “Como é Gostoso Sonhar“ (“It’s So Good to Dream”).

Daniela not only co-writes two sweetly lyrical originals with renowned guitarist, album producer and partner in life Nate Najar, but she also soulfully sings deep into music from three generations of her family’s rich and influential bossa nova aesthetic. “I come from a family of musicians who participated in the pre-bossa nova movement,” she says. “My grandfather Paulo wrote songs that became hits in Brazil. My father Paulinho was fully active in the music, and he recorded hits as well.”

Included in the nine-track mix is her legendary grandfather’s song, “Estão Voltando as Flores (The Flowers Are Coming Back),” along with “Down in Brazil” written by Michael Franks charmed by his visit to Copacabana, and in an alluring a cappella close to the album, she magically renders “Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar” composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius De Moraes, two of her musical heroes.

Born in Rio, Daniela grew up surrounded by music, spending a lot of time in her early years with her father in the session studios and at his home studio as producer for such artists as Ivan Lins and Gilberto Gil. She loved to sing so she participated with artists who needed background vocals. When Daniela was 13, she became infatuated with the sound of the flute and the next year attended the renowned Music Conservatory Villa Lobos. In 2003, her family moved to the Tampa-St. Petersburg area in Florida where she finished her schooling and following in the footsteps of her grandfather and father, her career aspirations began soon after.

In 2019, Daniela recorded A Moment of You, putting her on the jazz map as a new sound of bossa nova. With the world so dark and isolated in 2020, she teamed up with Nate to livestream a weekly duo concert series entitled Love & Bossa Nova, which they also perform live in concert. Lasting over a year, this helped pave the way for the new album.

Pretty World could very well captivate the spiritual, inspiring enchantment that we need to heal, recover and celebrate. Daniela’s sweet, compelling tales of potent love and moving poetry sung with honesty, romanticism and grace are remarkably valuable in our days.