Today
Label: DRG
Length: LP
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: Today
Brazilian singer Gal Costa has reigned as her country’s premier female vocalist for much of the past four decades, belonging to a cosseted musical elite that dominates Brazil’s sonic output abroad. Costa has had her share of lackluster releases, but for the most part she’s successfully escaped the inevitable rut with grace. On her latest album, Today (originally released in Brazil in 2005 as Hoje), Costa breaks the mold once again, showcasing the compositions of young, up-and-coming songwriters and interpreting new songs from old friends Caetano Veloso and Chico Buarque. The experimental spirit of the short-lived ’60s Tropicália movement that she helped define is captured in Today, a jazz-infused smorgasbord that underscores Costa’s willingness to try new things. Subtle sambas and breezy bossa novas are complemented by the Congolese singer/songwriter Lokua Kanza, who provides three tracks that range from rhythmic, earthy grooves to a dramatic pop ballad in crescendo called ‘Sexo e Luzâ?�. At 60, Costa’s vocal range remains intact, though her voice has shed some of its signature high-pitched trill, giving way to a fuller timbre that emanates the kind of sensual warmth that comes with experience.
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2006.