Caravana Sereia Bloom

2012 release, the boldest work to date from the Brazilian singer/songwriter. Eschewing much of the laid-back, loungey electro-Bossa nova and samba of her debut, C‚u seems to have more in common with the psychedelic oeuvres of early Tropicalia artists and Os Mutantes than the restrained musings of Jobim. Producer Gui Amabis does a fantastic job of allowing stripped down guitars to convey a constant sense of momentum. Pieces of Peruvian chicha are embedded in lush reggae grooves. A lifelong fan of Bob Marley and all things Jamaican, C‚u stretched her musical vocabulary throughout this release to draw inspiration for each song, exploring a multitude of Latin Amencan sounds: cumbia, lambadas, carImbos, bregas and guitan-adas.