Katia B: Só Deixo Meu Coração na Mão de Quem Pode

Beautiful Moments

It took a while, but here it is; Katia B’s second solo album, the much anticipated successor of Katia B. And it was worth the waiting. Katia surprises us with an impressive album, loaded with beautiful moments. Musically the cd continues on the road Katia took on her first album, now sounding even more convinced about that choice of direction. Bossa is a thankful source of inspiration in this case. A wonderful combination of Katia’s soft sensual voice and the tasteful and modest use of electronics.

The melancholic sounding title song opens the album. Rodrigo Campello’s 7-string guitar andcavaquinho form a lovely base for Katia’s talking voice. The song — in fact the whole album — carries the late sound-master Suba’s influence, which is no surprise with Katia’s musical past in mind. Something that gets even more noticeable in the composition “Descontrole.” BiD takes care of the samplers, Sacha Amback sounds perfect on the organ, while JR Tostoi (guitars), Kuki Stolarski (drums) and José Nigro (bass) complete the instrumentation. Suba would have loved this sound: soft and yet as contemporary as it can be! “Tanto Faz Para o Amor” is a song you can listen to again and again. Guest Lucas Santtana joins in the vocals, which has an air of bossa. The rap voice (René) seems like an odd addition, but it works remarkably! It gives the music a little abstract character, helped by the keyboards and synthesizers. Although this instrumentation could give the impression of sounding heavy, the contrary is true: never on this album the music sounds over-arranged; it’s always a matter of good taste and balance. Very cleverly done. The arrangement of “Outra Estação” is made special by the cuíca of percussionist Marcos Suzano. The typical sound dominates in the background. “Are You Sleeping” is originally an unfinished composition by Suba. Katia finished it with the help of BiD. This rendition is given another direction by Egberto Gismonti, playing piano, forming a contrast with the relaxed easy going percussion beat of Marcos Suzano. The sound of a telephone-of-the-hook plays another game with the rhythm. It’s an example of skilful arranging. Like “Segredo.” What a masterful rendition that Suba/ Katia B composition gets. The emphasis is on various percussion instruments (Tom Rocha), while in the chorus a guitar (JR Tostoi) reproduces the sound of the early pop music/Beatles era (60’s/70’s). The surprises continue on “One More Shot.” Who would expect punk star Supla to add (a little) voice on a friendly sounding straight ahead bossa? His voice pleasantly disturbs the masterful phrasing of Katia. On this composition Katia Bronstein confirms her perfect voicing, not distracted by the instrumentation. It is funny how recognizable Paralamas do Sucesso drummer (and Katia’s husband) João Barone sounds on “Último a Saber,” performed in an old fashioned trio setting (guitars, bass and drums). That leaves us with the only unmentioned song, “Parece Mentira,” which contains all the elements we heard throughout this outstanding cd. It’s Katia’s own composition that would have been perfect as the album’s closing song (but it’s the cd’s seventh track). As an extra, the track “Are You Sleeping” as heard on the Suba Tribute album has been added. A nice opportunity to compare the two versions. One little person was with Katia Bronstein during the whole process of the recording. While not even born, Vicente was a witness of his mother’s musical adventure. Not a bad way to start life! Born on January 6th, I’m sure he somehow left his little mark on this recording too.

ALBUM INFORMATION

Katia B
Só Deixo Meu Coração na Mão de Quem Pode
MCD World Music MCD189 (2003)
Time: 43’37”

Tracks:

Só Deixo Meu Coração Na Mão De Quem Pode (Katia B – Marcos Cunha – Plínio Profeta – Fausto Fawcett)
Descontrole (JR Tostoi – Katia B – Marcello H)
Tanto Faz Para o Amor (Lucas Santtana – Quito Ribeiro)
Outra Estação (Katia B – Marcos Cunha – Pedro Luís)
Are You Sleeping? (Suba – BiD – Katia B)
Segredo (Suba – Katia B)
Parece Mentira (Katia B)
Último a Saber (Katia B – JR Tostoi – Suely Mesquita)
One More Shot (Dé – Katia B)
Are You Sleeping? (Suba – BiD – Katia B) – Bonus track