(Brazilian Jazz, Vocal Jazz) Zelia Fonseca - Impar - 2010, MP3, 320 kbps

Rosanna Tavares and Zélia Fonseca had been good friends since 1973. The girls wrote songs together, played concerts and finally moved from their home country Brazil to Portugal where they arrived with just 200 dollars in their pockets. Via Finland they moved to Germany in 1989 starting a successful career as “Rosanna & Zélia” with 4 CDs to their credit. Using musical elements from Brazil as well a s other traditions, their jazzy pop songs received rave reviews and a helping hand from such as Dino Saluzzi (bandoneon) and Howard Levy (harmonica). Rosanna & Zélia’s last album, “Águas Iguais”, was released in 2004. “Their fourth opus, ‘Aguas Iguais’, is an album to curdle up and listen to in front of a crackling winter fire. It thaws frozen hearts and warms numb winter minds pining for the beaches of Ipanema and Salvador do Brazil. Yet the sources for the twelve deliciously lilting melodies originate in the northern climates of Germany and the introspective, slightly melancholic, culture of Minas Gerais. Rosanna and Zélia keep faithful to the innovative explorations that were a feature of their three previous CDs. Their limpid vocal harmonics have always been open to new European influences, and elements of chamber music and ethno-jazz pepper the songs.” - Mondomix
The story of Rosanna & Zélia ended much too soon: In October 2006 Rosanna Tavares died after a long fight against cancer. “Rosanna’s death was a very heavy experience”, says Zélia Fonseca, “yet creative energies came out of it urging to continue our work that both of us had loved so much. I never wanted to stop making music or composing. New compositions came up, lightly, urgently, flowingly. How ever, the new album was the most difficult production for me – working without Rosanna’s voice, her joy and love for our music. It was not possible for me to replace her with a new singer.” This is what the album title means: “Impar” – odd, alone, without partner.
Zélia Fonseca has managed to modify the duo’s esthetics and adjust them to her own singing style. Due to her virtuosic guitar playing, her sense for original ballads and warm singing voice, each of the new songs catches the listener’s ear quickly. The sound mixture including horns, cello, electric guitar and percussion is innovative, unmistakable and convincing. Among the fine musicians involved are multi-instrumentalist Marcio Tubino (Gismonti, Zawinul), drummer lady Angela Frontera (Airto Moreira, Lou Bega), guitarist Kosho (Xavier Naidoo) and bassist Davide Petrocca (Randy Brecker, Richard Galliano). Rosanna & Zélia’s vision lives on.