Forro in the Dark
Bonfires of São João
(Nublu)
This is a finely played, fun album. Bonfires of São João offers a dozen vocal and instrumental tracks mixing the always-inovative Brazilian take on pop, jazz, blues, folk and acoustic-dance. Jorge Continentino’s pifano (described on the band’s website as a “breathy flute”) and producer Mauro Rofosco’s zabumba (a “bass-y drum played with a mallet”) provide the high and low ends. Twin guitars, sax, triangle, singalongs and hand claps fill in this rich sound. David Byrne sings on two tracks, as does Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatori. Fans of Beck, Byrne’s Luaka Bop label and, especially, Tom Waits (some Forro members played with him: it shows) should seek this out.
Sean Flinn
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
