Salomé de Bahia

Hip cats who’ve been bopping to acid jazz, sipping to bossa lounge, swaying their organic groove thangs to world-inflected dance music have already been dazzled by Parisian-based Brazilian chanteuse Salomé de Bahia. And chances are if you are one of the lucky who know of her, it’s via the international club hit, “Outro Lugar”—her glorious Brazilian cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Another Star”. This and fourteen other songs make up “Brasil,” the sunny, celebratory North American (Yellow Productions Recordings/Tommy Boy Entertainent) debut album by Salomé de Bahia. Brasil” is a cachaza-kissed carnival of bossa nova, samba, salsa, mambo and contemporary club music. Brazilian classics “Fio Maravilha,” “Lanca Perfume” “Voce Abuso” “Pais Tropical,” “Fiesta Para Um Rei Negro” and “Brigitte Bardot” mix beautifully with house-infused club tracks like “Taj Mahal,” “Outro Lugar,” (Tony Moran remixes to be released this summer) “Cada Vez” and “Copacabana” (yes, that “Copa-cabana,” but in Portugese!). Though not a live album, Salomé adds her own personal touch, dropping in brief comments (“Music is my life!”) or a rousing intro to the next song (“Do you feel alright?!”) Although France is officially celebrating “The Year of Brazil” from March through December of 2005 (and what better time to release “Brasil”?) Parisian producer Bob Sinclar (and his label Yellow Productions) fell in love with Salomé de Bahia over eleven years ago when he discovered her singing at Chez Felix, a famous Parisian jazz cabaret.