’Equilibria’ blends sublime bossa nova and samba with electronica, hip-hop and r’n’b. It opens with a cover version of ‘Terra de Ninguem’ which immediately takes us into bossa, with great percussion, as well as flute and piano sections. Sabrina’s voice is not as rich as Bebel Gilberto’s or Cibelle’s, but it is perfectly matched with this song, and the album as a whole. The jazzy first track passes into ‘Love Sorte’ (Love Luck), which is somewhat reminiscent of nineteen sixties bossa, like that sung by Astrud Gilberto, but there is a modern sound too. ‘Saudade Rio’ (Missing Rio) was written by Sabrina, her father, and Daniel Maunick. There’s a funky thread running through this one. Maunick’s father, Bluey from Incognito, is on guitar.

’Maracatueira’ is underpinned by strong percussion, and ends with what is almost the sound of a party in the background. ‘Vibrasom’ (Vibrations) is one of the best tracks on the album, with brass from Leo Galdeman and Bluey again on guitar. ‘Passa’ (Passes) comes next and though not one of the best songs is certainly worth listening to. ‘Equilibria’ (Equilibrium) was written solely by Maunick, and is a song made up of single words strung together in a list. Silence, beach, sun, passion, and so on. The words are echoed in a whisper. ‘Equilibria’ has a great beat.

’Estrada de Chao’ (Grounded Road) is next, and has a flute and guitar intro, with piano. This is a song with a more classic sound, and brings to mind long beaches, sun, and relaxing heat. If nothing else, it demands to be listened to while lying back, a nice drink in hand. It has a beautiful ambience, and the jazzy flute adds that special something. Estação Verão (Summer Station), has a great samba/bossa sound. Again, there is a mix of the classic and the modern. Things pick up a bit in the cover version of Ana Mazotti’s ‘Eu Sou Mais Eu’ (I prefer myself). There’s a nice jazzy instrumental section in this track, and the translation of Mazotti’s lyrics are worth reading: “In the rat’s race, it’s the cat that always gets the trophy.”

‘Cadê Você’ (Where are you) has to be my favourite on this album. I’ve been playing it over and over again along with the album’s first track, having added the two of them to a favourites list on my computer’s media player. ‘Equilibrium’ and ‘Vibrasom’ will soon be joining them. ‘Cadê Você’ is just fabulous bossa, with a great beat, and a chorus that is very easy to sing along to, even if you’ve never spoken a word of Brazilian Portuguese in your life. Again, there’s Paulo Renato Franco’s wonderful flute, plus Kiko Continentino on piano, to enrich the sound of this sublime track.

’Capoeira Vai’ (Go Capoeira) is faster, with guitar and percussion carrying the higher tempo. Sabrina’s voice glides over the melody. This is one of the more modern tracks, and has a great brass section towards the end. The final song is ‘Não Quero Nem Saber’ (I don’t want to know), a funky, jazzy, electronica number. While that distinctive Brazilian style is still there, together with the flute, there’s also a twenty-first century element. Like so many of tracks on the album, it straddles the modern and the classic.

Sabrina Malheiros is a welcome addition to the modern pantheon of Brazilian singers. It remains to be seen whether this album will take on the classic status of Bebel Gilbert’s ‘Tanto Tempo’, which is a very difficult album for anyone to follow. And while ‘Equilibria’ is less experimental than Cibelle’s debut album, it nevertheless features a classic Brazilian sound.

Kara Kellar Bell is a film and media graduate from the West of Scotland, with a passion for European novels, French films, silent cinema, and Brazilian music (everything from Daniela Mercury and other pop stars through to bossa nova). As a writer, she likes to have room to move around creatively, so she’s not located in one genre. She writes realism and also stories of a more fantastic nature, usually grounded to some extent in the real world. She also takes delight in writing across the sexual spectrum, and as a bisexual, considers it important to remind people that things are not always black and white, either/or, in sexuality or in gender. She is currently completing her first novel. For a selection of Kara’s writing on the Showcase section of this site, click here

© 2005 Laura Hird All rights reserved.