November 21, 2009
UTNE READER

Divas Deluxe

(Page 2 of 2)

September/October 1997
Keith Goetzman Utne Reader 
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If Evora, in her 50s, is the voice of maturity, Brazil's Marisa Monte is the voice of youth, brash and sexy. Monte, 30, is less concerned with cultural purity than Evora, especially on her new album, A Great Noise, which prefigures the 21st century with such decidedly nontraditional songs as 'Cerebro Electronico' and 'Tempos Modernos.' But even with her pop persona and artsier trappings, she is a quintessentially Brazilian star--'la gran diva de Rio de Janeiro,' as she has been called. Her voice, trained for opera, is breathy and precocious, a technically brilliant tease that skims and coos over the bossa nova backing of her band.

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A Great Noise, recorded partly on her worldwide Rose & Charcoal tour, is a fetching collage of Monte's many faces. 'Arrepio,' written by frequent collaborator Carlinhos Brown, is simple but seductive, thanks to her mantra-like repetition of the minimal lyrics. Strings and horns add a sumptuous sheen to 'Magamalabares,' while 'Maraca' is all cool funkiness.

Monte fully indulges the showiness that Brazilians love--and she knows how to cause a stir. The CD booklet for A Great Noise, for example, features vintage soft-core comics by the controversial Brazilian underground artist Carlos Zefiro. (The naughty bits on the cover were blacked out for its U.S. release.) Monte is a sex symbol, albeit within her own cultural millieu and on her own groundbreaking terms.

In a world cluttered with two-dimensional pop stars, it's refreshing to listen to singers who can really sing, singers who can transport you to their worlds on the wings of their magnificent voices. Whether you prefer Evora's elegaicpathos or Monte's steamy allure--and this might depend on your mood at the moment--you'll know when you hear them that these are two of the great divas of our day.

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