CéU

Ever since the likes of Brazilians Bebel Gilberto and Fernanda Porto started infusing bossa-nova and samba with light electronica (and drum & bass in Porto’s case) to critical acclaim and sales, there have been a number of dreamy, Portuguese-voiced female vocalists specialising in the art of seducing listeners to lands afar and the just maybe, the chance of romance, even if you don’t make it out of your living room. Coming from a family stepped in Brazilian music, and like Gilberto, plied her trade in NYC singing bossa-nova standards, CéU, (Portuguese for "sky”) is Maria do Céu Whitaker Poças’ self-titled debut, and homage to the giant, industrial but cosmopolitan city of São Paulo. CéU’s lyrics and voice, caught somewhere between Gal Costa and Lauryn Hill, paint intricate pictures of life in the city, and like her predecessors, are layered in light beats and scratches. However, she employees some of the country’s most talented new musicians in keeping very organic and fresh, jazzy instrumentation, best displayed on songs like "Rainha” and "Mais Un Lamento.” And a breezy version of Bob Marley’s "Concrete Jungle” comes off as more relevant today than 30 years ago.