Samba isn't the only rhythm that came out of Brazil, the country that gave everything from choro and frevo to baião and forró. But it is definitely the country's most famous. From traditional samba schools to Brazilian jazz to contemporary Brazilian pop (musical popular brasiliero or MPB in Portuguese), the samba rhythm continues to be a main ingredient of Brazil's musical diet. On
Se Tem Que Ser, Será, the Rio de Janeiro-based ensemble
Toque de Prima shows us how uplifting samba can be. The participants on this CD include Brazilian pop artists as well as members of Rio's samba schools, and they generally favor the sort of exuberance one would expect to hear at the huge celebration known as Carnaval. While many of Rio's bossa nova and MPB artists have been known for taking a subtle, caressing, gently introspective approach to samba,
Toque de Prima tends to be the exact opposite. On tracks like "Quem É Que Me Chama?" and "Tudo Liberado," the cariocas are about as extroverted as it gets.
Toque de Prima goes for a very big sound -- big drums, big percussion, and big group vocals during choruses.
Se Tem Que Ser, Será isn't innovative or groundbreaking, but it's a consistently rewarding disc that will appeal to anyone with a taste for samba. ~ Alex Henderson