Rosa Passos - Morada Do Samba (1999)

After three years since her last album with original songs (Pano Pra Manga), Rosa Passos released Morada do Samba with a good repertoire . Eight tracks here give listeners Rosa Passos’ fine songwriting skills. The remainder of the album contain music by Walmir Palma (one of Rosa’s collaborators), Djavan, Dorival Caymmi and Paulinho da Viola. As a preview of a forthcoming album with Dorival Caymmi’s music (Rosa Passos Canta Caymmi), Rosa selected two classics by the most famous Bahia composer: “Lá Vem a Baiana” and “Saudade da Bahia.”

Opening this release, a bouncy and brassy arrangement of Djavan’s “Beiral” gets things going in a lively way. Idriss Boudrioua’s alto sax, Sérgio Galvão’s tenor sax and Nelson Oliveira’s trumpet spicy up Lula Galvão’s arrangement. Taking things down a notch to a lovely slow samba, we then hear “Esmeraldas,” the first of Rosa’s original songs in the album co-written with her long-time collaborator Fernando de Oliveira. The same team still gives us three other songs here. “Esmeraldas” makes reference to that moment one falls in love upon “stumbling onto those green eyes.” It is a fall from which one never recovers. The second Rosa/Fernando song, “Pequena Música Noturna” reminisces about a rainy night when two people fell in passionate love. Picking up on the rain theme and paying tribute to Tom Jobim, Rosa and Fernando dedicate “Roseira” to Tom. The music and lyrics are clearly echoing Tom Jobim’s own “Chovendo na Roseira.” It is a beautiful and touching tribute in which Gilson Peranzzetta’s piano and Ricardo Pontes flute solos take us all waltzing. The last of Rosa/Fernando’s collaboration in the album, “Alma de Blues,” is another love song. Even though the lyrics claim that “the theme as always — our love — is getting old fashioned,” it is really not true. How can we tire of hearing Rosa singing beautiful verses such as those? Another partnership featured here is the one between Rosa Passos and Walmir Palma: “Primavera” and “Morada do Samba.” The bolero “Primavera” is my favorite. It adds another season to Rosa’s repertoire (she already has “Outono” and “Verão” in previous albums) and blooms both musically and lyrically. The words paint images of flowers, butterflies and birds as well as Monet and Stravinsky. Spring, the lyrics say, is an exuberant woman, and Peranzzetta’s arrangement and accordion accompaniment fit this song like a silk glove. A third partnership presented here is Rosa Passos with Sergio Natureza: “Marco” and “Nada Igual.” Now, really saving the best for last, Rosa Passos presents us with one of Paulinho da Viola’s most beautiful songs, “Retiro.” As the last verses go, “you know my soul and whenever you feel like it, you come by to see me.” Morada do Samba is a good way to get to know Rosa Passos’ soul. You will likely come back for more after you hear this album.