
Mariza is an artist known as much for the striking contrast of her snow blonde hair, as her impact on Portugal's Fado music. On Terra, you'll find no shortage of smokey, Latin drama, and there is no way to mistake it, these are pure Latin sounds constructed of Mariza's strong vocals, Spanish acoustic guitar, and soft percussive accents.
Track Listing:
Ja me deixou
Minh alma
Rosa branca
Recurso
Beijo de saudade
Vozes do mar
Fronteira
Alfama
Tasco da mouraria
Alma de vento
Se eu mandasse nas palavras
As guitarras
Pequenas verdades
Morada aberra
Smile
The sound of Terra isn't a blend of anything electronic. At times its very Latin folk foundations take over, while at others you'll almost be moved to grab your partner for a tango, or you might imagine yourself in a dark, Argentinian bar in 1924. More often than not, the leading element is Mariza's voice and melodies. Born in Mozambique, growing up in Portugal singing gospel, soul and other styles, and later embracing Fado, which she then blended with popular Brazilian rhythms, Mariza has certainly adopted all the world around her and distilled it into her music. She even ends the album with the only song bearing English lyrics, the old Charlie Chaplin standard "Smile".
There is a steady rhythm to her music on this album that make it entirely enjoyable to just listen to from start to finish. The few moments when her melodies take on a western pop-driven melody are the album's weakest, but in truth, they are the rare exception to otherwise beautifully structured Portuguese vocal phrases, mixed seamlessly with Flamenco, Brazilian and African influences. Throw this album in a mix with Federico Aubele, Natalia Clavier, Bebel Gilberto, and Rosalia De Souza and just enjoy.