Jussara Silveira - Cancoes De Caymmi (1999)

This is one of the relatively few releases today that doesn't appeal to easy commercial clichés, reaching considerable depth in the interpretation of some of the best Brazilian classics. Faithful to Brazilian tradition, Jussara Silveira stuck to acoustic renditions of Dorival Caymmi's songs without being excessively reverent; the modern arrangements extend the tradition with better harmonies, reaching the original intentions of the genial composer, who, since early age, had a keen ear for chords, even if his poor musical background didn't provide for a full harmony understanding, which he had to try to compensate with his intuition.

Jussara, backed by some of the best musicians in Brazil, decided to balance some of the most widely known Caymmi's hits on this album ("Nem Eu," "Maracangalha," "Você Não Sabe Amar," "Quem Vem Pra Beira Do Mar," "Saudade de Itapoã") with less successful compositions, but which also had superior musical qualities, like the haunting, mysterious "O Vento." The inlay has all Portuguese lyrics. ~Alvaro Neder