Virginia Rodrigues, Sol Negro (Natasha Records) 9
With song writing by Caetano Veloso, Carlinhos Brown, and guest appearances by the legendary Milton Nascimento and Gilberto Gil, Virginia Rodrigues has the best friends anyone in Brazillian pop could hope to have. But even without the help of these celebrities, Rodrigues would stand out and be noticed. The first track, "Veronica," is a startling a-capella number that nearly overwhelmed me with her unusually powerful, operatic alto. I wasn't sure if I liked the formality of her liturgical style, yet, when the dark, hypnotic music came in, it took me from church straight to bed. An eclectic array of horns, strings, Brazilian percussion envelop the force of her voice in a silky musical blanket. Blissful.
