The Best of Rosa Passos is an exquisitely sequenced collection that does an almost perfect job in sketching the ‘early days’ of her career: a singer/guitarist with the pretty alto voice and lilting acoustic guitar style.
Even in Brasil back then, Passos’ early recordings showed up only occasionally, but today, this album serves as a flawless introduction to the singer.
Delicately creative on her own terms, Rosa Passos is steadily rising out of the “best kept secret” category by virtue of her touring performances with Yo-Yo Ma her duet album with bassist Ron Carter and on Kenny Rankin’s award-winning Here In My Heart
The vocal star from Bahia has all the modern phrasing and techniques, but throughout The Best of Rosa Passos, she never seems too far away from those early samba vocalists of the 60’s.
As with all great female singers, Passos’ soulful warmth has grown from her early influences to bring forth a vocal presence that is immediately recognizable.
The Best of Rosa Passos became a hard-to-find classic when the Velas label abruptly ceased operations, but this “Best of” compilation is an exquisitely sequenced disc that does an almost perfect job in sketching the still evolving career of this singer/guitarist with the pretty alto voice and lilting playing style.
These selections serve as a perfect introduction to the singer for the Americans who may never have heard of her. And the compositions are by names even the most casual Brasilian music fan knows: Jobim, Djavan and Dori Caymmi.
As should be the case with a “Best of’ album, there’s not a bad track in this 14-song collection, and although the duets with Chico Buarque and Ivan Lins are natural highlights, and the cover of Edu Lobo’s “Zanga Zangada” shouldn’t go unnoticed either.
And our ‘One Track’ from this album? Check below!
The Best of Rosa Passos
01. Aquarela Do Brasil
02. Águas De Março
03. De Flor Em Flor
04. Zanca Zangada
05. É Luxo Só
06. Curaré
07. Feitiço Da Vila
08. Com Acucare Com Afeto
09. Caminhos Cruzados
10. Valera A Pena
11. Juras
12. Chovendo Na Roseira
13. Amor Em Paz
14. Abajur Lilas
Personnel includes: Rosa Passos (vocals, guitar), Lula Galvão (acoustic guitar, electric guitar), Carlos Malta, Andréa Earnest Dias (flute), Fernando Merlino, Itamar Assiere (piano), Sizão Machado, Jorge Helder (acoustic bass), Erivelton Silva (drums, Armando Marçal (percussion), Eduardo Hack, Leo Ortiz, Vidal (violin), Jesuina Noronha Passaroto, Jesuina, Eduardo Pereira, Stephany (viola), Jorge Kundert, Louis Fernando Zamith (cello), Ivan Lins, Chico Buarque (guest vocals)
String Arrangements on The Best of Rosa Passos by Waltel Branco and Leandro Braga
