At 35, the vocalist/composer
Paula Toller put aside her trio
Kid Abelha and recorded her first solo album. In spite of several renditions for classic sambas like "Alguém Me Avisou" (
D. Yvonne Lara), "1800 Colinas," "E o Mundo Não Se Acabou" (by Assis Valente, a hit in the voice of
Carmen Miranda's), "Onde Está a Honestidade" (
Noel Rosa), and also the classic Northeastern tune "Eu Só Quero Um Xodó," the album has a definite pop/rock outlook. Her singing has fully recovered from her early insecurity, and studio production is helpful there. But she avoided the connotation with MPB by including pop songs like
Guns N' Roses' "Patience." The renditions for sambas have nothing to do with samba (she even changes the lyrics, like "cara" for "gajo" in Valente's classic), but this is a flaw her pop audience won't mind. Her warm voice and the strong pulse of the pop arrangements are enough to provide entertainment for her fans. ~ Alvaro Neder