Brazil seems to have an endless supply of musical talent that has found its way to the States ever since Antonio Carlos Jobim introduced us to bossa nova by way of Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd and Frank Sinatra. In recent years, there’s been no shortage of Brazilian artists discovered by American audiences, including Bebel Gilberto, Cybelle, Apollo 9, Seu Jorge and Daniela Mercury.
One of the most recent imports
is Pernambuco-born singer/songwriter Lenine, who arguably might just be the most prolific to have emerged in the last decade. Even before his recording career had taken off proper, he quietly made his own albums back home, and his songs (he has a huge catalogue) had already been recorded by the likes of Milton Nascimento, Ney Matogrosso and Maria Rita, who made a hit out of his “Lavadeira do Rio” (River Laundress) a couple of years ago.
In a live setting, Lenine expands his northeastern Brazilian roots, dabbling into heavy funk, hip-hop and rock territory, further meshing these with other Latin influences and is known to deliver a fiery, high-energy performance that transcends language barriers. He has fine guitar skills and also brings forth a strong stage presence, as can be heard on last year’s Latin Grammy-awarded live CD, In Cité, which documents a 2004 Paris performance.
His self-titled U.S. debut showcases a collection of the best of his studio recordings, culled from three of his earlier Brazilian releases. The funk-inflected “Jack Soul Brasileiro” is a tribute to Jackson do Pandeiro, one of the greatest—and most underrated—of Brazil’s innovators during the ’50s. The Afro-Cuban ballad “Rosebud” narrates a tragic love story about money and love and features NY-based band Yerba Buena, who take the song to a completely different dimension.
There are some quieter moments, such as “Nem O Sol, Nem a Lua, Nem Eu” (“Not The Sun, The Moon nor Me”), a slow, bossa-nova inspired tune that features only Lenine’s guitar and Steve Turre’s conch shells, and the melancholy “Hoje Eu Só Quero Sair Só” (“I Just Want To Go Out Alone”), a song that speaks of seeking solace by momentarily getting away from those around us.
August 6. Central Park SummerStage, Rumsey Playfield (at E. 72nd St. and 5th Ave.), 212-307-7171; 7, Free. (also Joe’s Pub August 8)
