Vocalist, Simone Moreno has steadily been releasing material in her native Brazil since her self-titled debut in 1994. This, her fifth set is the first to be released outside of Brazil and was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden where she now resides. ‘Samba Makossa’ draws together a variety of influences from bossa nova and samba to Afro-beat and reggae. Although the album overall fails to capture my interest it does include pleasurable moments such as the funked up ‘Umbabarauma’ and the breezy ‘Meio De Campo’. Well worth investigating for these tracks alone.
