Maria Bethânia

Maria Bethânia is an extremely talented singer with a unique and dramatic voice, but on too many occasions during her long career, her talent has been wasted on mediocre material. This is again the problem with some of the tracks on this album, but there are also some really excellent songs here, which show Bethânia at her very best. Vanessa da Mata's "O Canto de Dona Sinhá," where Bethânia sings together with Caetano Veloso, is a gem. "Quando Você Não Está Aqui," which has an unexpected kind of soft pop/rock sound, is also very beautiful. "Juntar o Que Sentir" and "Noite de Estrelas" are two beautiful ballads. The elegant samba "Se Eu Morresse de Saudade," written by Gilberto Gil, and the simple percussion-driven title track are also a fine moments. But the overall impression of this album is somewhat lessened by a couple of rather stiff ballads, drenched in overly elaborate string arrangements. ~ Philip Jandovský, All Music Guide