Universo ao Meu Redor: Samba

1	Universo ao Meu Redor 3:11
2	O Bonde Do Dom 4:03
3	Meu Canário 3:13
4	Três Letrinhas 4:10
5	Quatro Paredes 3:14
6	Perdoa, Meu Amor 3:05
7	Cantinho Escondido 3:50
8	Statue of Liberty 1:13
9	A Al Alma E a Matéria 3:29
10	Làgrimas E Tormentos 4:31
11	Satisfesto 3:09
12	Para Mais Ninguém 3:16
13	Vai Saber? 4:00
14	Pétales Esquecidas 2:34
15	[CD-Rom Track]

Barnes & Noble

When Marisa Monte decides to record a collection of sambas, you can be sure that it won't sound anything like you'd expect. The Brazilian star, who took a hiatus after her Tribalistas album with Carlinhos Brown and Arnaldo Antunes, spent a few years researching forgotten songs, tapping her resources as producer of Velha Guarda de Portela, a storied samba school that included her father at one point. With her old pals Brown, Antunes, and others, she wrote a few sambas of her own. Then she tapped Mario Caldato, the producer known for his work with the Beastie Boys and Beck, to give the material a decidedly modern feel. While the percolations of samba are never far from the songs, it's a joyful mashup that Monte and Caldato make, as beatboxing and Theremin meet cavaquinho and Brazilian percussion (that's just "Statue of Liberty," her duet with David Byrne). Lyrically, the music is riotously Brazilian, liltingly limning the emotive power of science on "A alma e a matéria" alongside pastoral odes to love lost or unrequited. While Monte's gorgeous voice and warm production style have never recorded a note that's hard to take, Universo is her most accessible and focused album in quite a while. Even when she drifts into lounge territory, as on the retro-flavored "Lagrimas e tormentos," it's easy to hear the difference between any old soft Brazilian singer and an artist -- Saravá! Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

After four years of silence, Marisa Monte reappeared with two simultaneously released albums, Universo ao Meu Redor and Infinito Particular. On Universo ao Meu Redor, Monte thoroughly explores, and in her own way interprets, the sound of Brazil's most famous music style, samba. This was a much anticipated project, as Monte's few earlier samba recordings turned out splendid. And Universo ao Meu Redor doesn't in any way leave the listener disappointed. Timeless and modern at the same time, it is a mature album of gentle sambas, replete with rare elegance and beauty. The bulk of the CD was composed by the now firmly established and highly acclaimed songwriting trio of Arnaldo Antunes, Carlinhos Brown, and Monte herself. Sprinkled in between though are a couple of older, tastefully reinterpreted samba classics by other composers and there are also two newly written (and inspired) songs by Paulinho da Viola and Adriana Calcanhotto. The soundscape, melodies, and lyrics are all very traditional, but the music has the same soothingly dreamy atmosphere that characterized Tribalistas. Thanks to the excellent production, there is also an ever so slight spark of psychedelia to the album, which helps in creating the general escapist mood. Monte's vocal performance is flawless as ever, with her voice floating effortlessly and in perfect harmony with the rest of the music. Songs such as "Bonde do Dom," "Três Letrinhas," "Vai Saber?," "A Alma e a Matéria," and "Universo ao Meu Redor," all enchantingly beautiful, are as close as you get to perfection in form of samba. A somewhat amusing detail is David Byrne's cameo appearance as vocalist on "Statue of Liberty." Universo ao Meu Redor is Monte's most mature, even, and ultimately impressive album to date. ~ Philip Jandovský, All Music Guide

Billboard

One of the most captivating voices in Brazilian music.... Monte's vocal performance is unfailingly charming. Philip Van Vleck