Virginia Rodrigues: Nos

Virginia Rodrigues' 1998 debut Sol Negro was a thing of rare beauty. Brought to the world's attention by fellow Bahia, Brazil, native Caetano Veloso, she possesses a voice of astounding purity, lending her music an air of spirituality despite the secular nature of the songs. Set against spare, percussive arrangements, her voice soars, providing the melodic focus of her first masterpiece and offering new takes on a mix of traditional songs and Brazilian standards. Two years later, Nos ("us" in Portuguese) proves that Rodrigues' debut was no fluke. Apparently intended as a tribute to the Carnival music of Bahia, the music is surprisingly mournful and minor-key. Songs such as "Uma Historia De Ifa" and "Jelto Faceiro" (which features Veloso) are fleshed out with strings, acoustic guitars, and creepy mallet percussion rather than the traditional rolling Bahian drums. Rarely does the music, however gorgeous, approach anything that might be considered celebratory; Rodrigues' sad tribute is one of sedate reverence rather than exuberance. For this reason, it's hard to imagine her music blasting down the streets of Salvador, but it's equally difficult to imagine anyone not being moved by her vocals. Peruvian singer Susana Baca is another recent South American export, in her case brought up under the watchful eye of David Byrne. She offers similarly spare songs, but her music reflects a jazzier sensibility than Rodrigues'. It's appropriate, then, that Baca's second album, Eco De Sombras (Echo Of Shadows), enlists producer Craig Street (Cassandra Wilson, Me'shell NdegeOcello) and such established New York jazz names as guitarist Marc Ribot, organist John Medeski, and bassist Greg Cohen to round out the album. Rather than Westernizing (Northernizing) the music, the presence of these American interlopers enhances Baca's sound, warming the music to match her smoky voice and making Eco De Sombras sound like a logical step up from her fine debut rather than a digression.