Rose and Charcoal

1	Maria de Verdade 3:54
2	Na Estrada 3:33
3	Ao Meu Redor 3:56
4	Segue O Seco 5:01
5	Pale Blue Eyes 5:10
6	Dança da Solidão 3:36
7	De Mais Ninguem 3:30
8	Alta Noite 3:54
9	O Ceu 3:35
10	Bem Leve 2:32
11	Balança Pema 3:05
12	Enquanto Isso 4:30
13	Esta Melodia 6:43

Barnes & Noble

Marisa Monte has a voice like Marilyn Monroe had curves -- equal parts softness and sexiness. On her widely acclaimed third album, Monte uses her gorgeous instrument to explore various Brazilian genres, all of which are built around acoustic guitar, percussion, and voice. The result is a lush-sounding, thoroughly modern representation of Brazil's melting pot musical heritage. On the dark, steamy "Dança Da Solidão," Monte trades silky vocals with Gilberto Gil over a soft bossa shuffle; on "Balançe;a Pema," Parliament/Funkadelic's Bernie Worrell engages his squiggly organ lines in a duel with a cuica friction drum; and, of course, there are several sambas. The album closes with the wistful "Esta Melodia," whose fade-out will leave love-struck listeners with the feeling of saudade, the bittersweet nostalgic essence at the core of the Brazilian heart. Monte also successfully expands the boundaries of what a Brazilian singer can do. There's the Beatlesque "Enquanto Isso" with Laurie Anderson, the sophisticated rhythmic matrix of "O Ceu." Then there is the slow, dreamy beauty of "Alta Noite" (Deepest Night). Monte herself has said she has special affection for this album, which she worked on so hard to polish and perfect. The result is a modern Brazilian pop classic. Marty Lipp

All Music Guide

Marisa Monte is one of the best figures of today's Brazilian pop (a category that does not comprise pure samba, choro, canção, baião, and other Brazilian popular musics). While most new bands and interpreters center their work on futile material and focus on easy formulas and clichés, she is concerned in really adding something to the superb tradition of MPB, which is quite a challenging task. This is her third album, where, with special guests Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Gilberto Gil, Paulinho da Viola, Velha Guarda da Portela, Época de Ouro, Naná Vasconcelos, Carlinhos Brown, and others, she delivers some of her hits: "Maria de Verdade," "Na Estrada," "Segue o Seco," "Dança da Solidão," "De Mais Ninguém," "Bem Leve," and "Balança Pema." One of the best pop albums from the '90s, she makes clear that she is after a new language in which the respect for the rich musical tradition of Brazil is evident. Alvaro Neder