Six years is a long time to wait between albums from an emerging artist, but Luisa Maita, born in São Paulo, seems to have made the right choice in this case. Since the release of her highly acclaimed debut album Lero-Lero (Cumbancha), she has toured extensively (including many performances in the United States), collaborated with various Brazilian musicians, and collected several awards in recognition of that first album.
The formula of Lero-Lero was quite simple: a modern take on songs inspired by bossa and samba with a creative twist. When I heard that album, it reminded me a bit of Marisa Monte, who does a lot of experimentation with her music but maintains a firm control over more traditional beats. She could have simply continued down the same path and made more of that, but she clearly decided to take a completely different direction with her second album.
“Fio da Memoria” is more of a rock-fusion album: distorted guitars are prominent, but the rhythm is pure Brazil. For example, “Olé” has a lot of electronics going on, but the percussion is clearly influenced by the sounds of Brazil’s Northeast, while “Porão” has a Maracatu vibe. The title track is a refreshing electric samba (similar to the work of +2, the leaderless musical collective formed by Moreno Veloso, Kassin, and Domenico Lanceloti), while “Folia” is pure samba from Bahia, with a full percussion group behind Maita’s voice – and not much more.
“Fio da Memoria” requires a few listens to fully assimilate – although most of it is fun to listen to, it is also music that makes you think thanks to its clever arrangements and the way the instruments are played – there are plenty of surprises throughout the music. One example of this is “Volta,” a song that starts with layered vocals and a curious line – until the drums come in behind a three-part harmony that leads you to a slow funk influenced by the 70s.
In a year filled with so much music that made little sense, “Fio da Memoria” is quite refreshing – the music is intelligent and enjoyable, making this one of the best World Music releases of 2016.
ERNEST BARTELDES
Freelance Writer
https://ebarteldes.wordpress.com