Amazon.com essential recording
Marisa Monte's light but authoritative vocals could easily make her just another Brazilian pop sensation, but her choice of material and the company she keeps make her an artist to be reckoned with. Producer Arto Lindsay provides innovative and breezy backdrops (mostly in the samba vein) for the poetically surreal and romantic lyrics of Monte, Nando Reis, Carlinhos Brown, Paulinho da Viola, Arnaldo Antunes, Jorge Benjor, and even Lou Reed. Many of Brazil's superstar musicians are present, along with guest contributions from Laurie Anderson, Phillip Glass, and keyboardist Bernie Worrell from Parliament, melding well with Monte's enticing and totally Brazilian contemplations on life and love. Rose and Charcoal is elevated from easy listening by the magical imagery of the lyrics, freely translated in the liner notes. --Derek Rath
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Rose and Charcoal
- Audio CD: 0 pages
- Publisher: Blue Note; 1994-10-18
- Label: Blue Note
- Studio: Blue Note
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 28 reviews
- Sales Rank in Music: #32623
Avg. Customer Review:
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best album of Brazil's best female singer 2007-12-26
Comment: I LOVE Ms Monte's voice, it's extremely expressive and has great range. Her voice has a plaintive, almost "little girl lost" quality that is particularly endearing. It's the kind of voice you never tire of listening to.
The only minor defects in Rose and Charcoal are first, the producers allowed some instrumentation to overwhelm Ms Monte's vocals (Segue o Seco; Ao Meu Redor), and second, the lyrics sometimes descend to the level of senselessly obscure (Maria de Verdade) and the callowly banal (Pale Blue Eyes).
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Will seduce you 2007-08-31
Comment: Marisa is a huge star in Brazil and this CD personifies why.
She has the most incredibe voice I have heard, (yea - better than Ella, and Cesaria) for me!
I have all of her CD's - this is my favorite
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal! 2005-09-10
Comment: This CD is awesome all the way thru. The voice, the instrumentation, complex and subtle at the same time. This CD could not be done any better in my opinion. I've listened to this title over and over and over, have gone out and bought all other titles (all are fantastic, I like R&C and Mais the best). When she came to the USA I went to see her show. Highly recommend buying Rose and Charcoal.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best pop album I've ever heard 2004-09-17
Comment: I am a classical musician and was on tour of Brazil in the late 1970's, where I developed interest in the rhythms of traditional and pop music of Brazil.
Years later, I heard Marisa Monte's ROSE AND CHARCOAL and like most others who have written, was absolutely entranced. Her voice, her pronunciation, the arrangements. It is the best album of popular music I've ever heard. Unlike an other reviewer, I find the first song, Carlinhos Brown's "Maria de Verdades" to be hypnotic; the marriage of a beautiful soulful voice, lyrics, and instrumentation just doesn't get better than this.
This transcends music to the realm of dreamtime and Monte's voice is like a breeze.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Sublime 2004-05-02
Comment: You absolutely must own this album. I can't think of any other CD that I have enjoyed more. Buy it, buy it, buy it!
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Rose and Charcoal
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