With its amazing mix of Portuguese, African, and Indian musical genres, dances, and instruments, Brazil's pop scene is unique because so much of it is acoustic. This disc is a pleasing potpourri of mostly non-electronic tunes sung by some famous and not-so-famous artists. Of course, the samba--the country's most dominant genre--and its offshoots are well represented here. The disc includes some well-known, previously released selections, including the Bahian, Tropicalismo pioneer Caetano Veloso's existentially poetic "Cajuina," guitarist Marcio Faraco's festive, Nordeste-nuanced "Ciranda," with the superstar vocalist Chico Buarque, and the perky, Maranhao-born Rita Ribeiro's samba-reggae number "Tem Quem Queira." Some lesser-known artists include the Arab-Brazilian vocalist Glaucia Nasser, Lula Queiroga, and Monica Salmaso, whose "Moro Na Roca" is a powerful, Angola-derived lundu/jongo homage to the legendary Clementina de Jesus. This disc adds credence to the phrase, "keep it real." --Eugene Holley, Jr.

1. Aquele Frevo Axe - Gal Costa
2. A Voz Do Povo - Paulinho Da Viola
3. Samba Triste - Anna De Hollanda
4. Ciranda - Marcio Faraco
5. Meu Mundo E Hoje (Eu Sou Assim) - Teresa Cristina
6. Quando Eu For Eu Vou Sem Pena - Chico Buarque
7. Tem Quem Queira - Rita Ribeiro
8. Cajuina - Caetano Veloso
9. Moro Na Roca - Monica Salmaso
10. Mensagem De Amor - Lucas Santtana
11. Labios De Cetim - Glaucia Nasser
12. Noite Severina - Lula Queiroga