Simone has received much success with a cheesy repertoire, abusively commercial, of corny romanticism. In this release, for some reason, she opted to dispute the competition in the "serious MPB" category. The impeccable selection of songs has old classics by major composers ("Fica Comigo Esta Noite" by Adelino Moreira/Nelson Gonçalves, "Que Queres Tu de Mim" and "Sentimental demais" by Jair Amorim/Evaldo Gouveia, "Nervos de Aço" by Lupicínio Rodrigues); later composers like João Donato/Chico Buarque ("Cadê Você"), Vinícius Cantuária/Chico Buarque ("Ludo Real"), Alceu Valença ("Anunciação"), João Bosco/Abel Silva ("Desenho de Giz" with special guest João Bosco), and the most contemporary generation of good composers Zeca Baleiro ("Boi Da Haxixe" and "Lenha") and Lenine/Dudu Falcão ("Paciência"). The arrangements are good, with the excesses committed in "Nervos de Aço" seeming strange after 30-plus years of bossa nova, but, in fact, Lupi was a dramatic man, and the original orchestral arrangements were the inspiration for these ones here. The northeastern tunes have properly swinging recreations of frevo and other regional grooves, where she is not at ease, even her being a Bahian by birth. Therefore, more important than to look for some hidden motives to a re-approach with MPB is to salute the changing of times that make possible the necessary reverence to the important composers and pearls of this music, so easily forgotten in favor of fashionable novelties devoid of artistic significance.
© Alvaro Neder /TiVo