Lenine, according to Rolling Stone Magazine, had "one of the hottest sets of this year's South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas", Which might interest you, but it also might make you question why he is being reviewed here.

1. Jack Soul Brasileiro
2. O Dia Em Que Faremos Contato
3. Rosebud (O Verbo E A Verba)
4. Na Pressão
5. O Marco Marciano
6. Tubi Tupy
7. Nem O Sol, Nem A Lua, Nem Eu
8. O Homem Dos Olhos De Raio X
9. A Rede
10. Lavadeira Do Rio
11. Alzira e a Torre
12. Hoje Eu Quero Sair Só
13. Distantes Desmais
14. Sonhei
15. Paciência

Well, although Lenine is a singer/songwriter who backs up his Portuguese vocals and acoustic guitar with sampled beats. The songs on this first US release are a compilation of three of his earlier albums. On some tracks, it is just him with his guitar backed by samples, while other songs include organic percussion, horns, accordion, and/or electric guitar.

There is much written on the Six Degrees website and elsewhere about how Lenine is moving Brazilian music forward for the next generation. Personally, I think he is a rather traditional performer, quite a talented one.

He never lets the beats or samples get in the way or detract from his songs. They make his work more interesting, however. No matter how talented, a single performer tends to get repetitious with just his voice and guitar. Lenine also has a more aggressive style than most Brazilian artists, perhaps warranting comparisons with rock.

An example of Lenine's creativity is the beautiful "Nem O Sol, Nem A Lua, Nem Eu", on which there is only him and Steve Turre playing a conch shell. That is the type of thing that will lift Brazilian music more than manipulations with Pro Tools and PCs.

~ Dave Howell

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