Casa Da Mae Joana (Latin) [Audio CD] Old Guard of Portela

For lovers of samba, this is a wonderful retro-trip into the heart of the music, performed by a crew of old timers and their followers who get together at the home of Joana de Carvalho in Rio de Janeiro to share the music in all its acoustic glory. This is a straightahead brand of samba by a fine group of musicians playing guitars, cavaquinhos, reeds, flutes, and percussion, led by warm lead voices and exuberant responses. Highlights include a medley of three sambas by Wilson Moriera and Nelson Sargento; a number of tracks by lesser-known Monarco, one of the founders of Velha Guarda e Portela (the Old Guard of Portela), whose smooth, slightly muted vocals are a pleasure; and Guilherme de Brita, a romantic of the first order who delivers his lush vocals with the passion of a 20-year-old. The affair is one of laid-back simplicity, with no fusions or crossovers, just pure samba for the locals. --Louis Gibson