Sonantes

On a break from her bristling, Grammy-certified solo career, soulful Brazilian songstress Céu unites with likewise vacationing integrants of stalwart groups Nação Zumbi and Insituto for a delicate sonic experiment that finds each musician trying their hand at a sound beyond the tendencies of their respective main gigs. Keeping the overall tone to a slow-simmering groove, Sonantes slide back and forth between traditional stylistic endeavours and the more current rock root inflections of their São Paulo environs, from the maracatu rhythms of "Quilumbo Te Espera” to the slinky dub vibe of "Carimbó.” Mestre Ambrosio alumnus Siba lends distinctive vocals to the sparse percussive arrangement of "Toque de Coito,” while time-honoured North-eastern Carnaval melodies receive a jazzland horn injection on "Frevo de Saudade.” For the most part, the music fails to progress beyond that of an unremarkable, indecisive bar band, with Céu’s vocals sounding uncharacteristically lost and lifeless throughout. It’s an interesting experiment but you’d do far better to listen to the players’ home groups.