Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Celia Malheiros: Sempre Crescendo

Celia Malheiros: Sempre Crescendo

By Jerry D'Souza
August 2, 2002
View read count

The words Sempre Crescendo mean Ever Growing and they seem apt for Celia Malheiros. The Brazilian singer has been active in the Bay Area and her first album should help strengthen her credentials as a singer and composer.

The music naturally devolves on the samba and the other lilting pulses that give Brazilian music its indelible character. Malheiros adds impetus by introducing African rhythms into her music. Consequently, the album dances, struts, flexes and radiates joy and happiness. But there are also softer moments, after all love does have a gentle side!

Malheiros has a great band working with her. Among them is Hermeto Pascoal who plays the piano with a radiant, open structure, the perfect complement to the serene vocals of Malheiros on Sempre Crescendo com o Mestre. He switches to the melodica on the upbeat, swaying Fremeto, that is made all the more enticing by the shifting time structure.

Malheiros plays several instruments on Woman Being. Her arrangements are nifty and her wordless vocals, with a chorus coming in on the bed of her instrumentation, makes this a standout. Her singing on Soul Longing an English version of Saudade is supple and not without a yearning. And for one more from the many outstanding tracks there is Yemanjá, which is downright heady. The mood is manifested by an exemplary flute solo from Marcelo Bernardes, and a traditional vocal chant by Mestre Caboclinho. This is a lovely debut, indeed.

Track Listing

Ao Mestre Cartola; Amazon; Yemanj

Personnel

Celia Malheiros

vocals

Celia Malheiros

Album information

Title: Sempre Crescendo | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Sempre Crescendo Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Fant
< Previous

The Edge of the Pond
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.