Bossa Nova
(Verve)
By Sheng Yuen
How can one go wrong with an album full of bossa nova sounds? That immaculate fusion of Brazilian samba and cool jazz, which makes one want to make like a palm tree and just sway in the breeze.A failsafe formula that works again,"Bossa Nova"the soundtrack plumbs the heights and depths of romance with an added dose of amour exotica to make one pine for close encounters of the"Love Boat"variety. The movie itself is set against the swoon-worthy backdrop of Rio de Janeiro, home of sun-kissed suitors whose days are filled with robust romancing, while the nights are reserved for moonlit serenades.Aptly, the main selling point of this soundtrack are the songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim, long revered as the"Casanova Of Composers"for his lush, frolic-by-the-seaside-friendly tunes. His seminal"The Girl From Ipanema"is probably one of the best-known and best-loved foreign exports to have won a"Grammy Song of the Year Award"in 1964.Extending a heartfelt homage to Jobim is the soundtrack's original score-composer, Eumir Deodato, who succeeds in capturing the essence of Jobim's creations in a new work,"Suddenly."Sung to perfection by Carol Rogers, and with music and lyrics that ensnare one's soul the way a creeper entwines itself around a tree, the track positively bedazzles. Deodato is by no means a stranger to the film-scoring scene, having already worked steadily on various Brazilian movies, as well as commercially viable Hollywood flicks like"Ghostbusters II."He also produced a successful adaptation of Strauss'"Thus Spoke Zaratustra"for Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece,"2001: A Space Odyssey."Pop icon Sting, who has been showing increasing interest in indigenous music forms, makes an understated appearance here on"Insensitive,"a posthumous reworking of Jobim's classic tune that features Jobim's voice.Much of the beauty of bossa nova is fully realized in this album -- that spirit of lazy romanticism that is so good-natured and dandy you would be foolish to resist. So indulge, drink up, and let wanderlust fill your heart as you enjoy this gem of an album.
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