Cibelle and “Las Venus Resort Palace Hotel”: Brazilian bossa nova, jazz and electronics

“Las Venus Resort Palace Hotel”, the third album by the most gifted of Brazil's contemporary stars, is a true diamond: a collection of superb songs where bossa's retro charm is highlighted by subtle electronic make-up, vaudeville mischief coexists with jazz groove, and Cibelle's extraordinary vocal interpretations heighten the lyrical intensity. The surreal, decadent charm of this sonic poetry places the Brazilian alongside the Coco Rosie sisters.

Cibelle, more classically elegant and full of vitality, nevertheless shines with a unique light. She is not only the most beautiful of Brazil’s stars, but undoubtedly one of its most talented. She earned her performing credentials at the conservatoire in Sao Paulo, although playing in the city’s bars was her real education. Her debut album, recorded with the help of legendary producer Suba and support from Morcheeba’s musicians, did not quite reveal the young artist’s full potential.

Her latest, “Las Venus Resort Palace Hotel”, brilliantly develops the formula of “The Shine…”. Echoes of new folk from Coco Rosie and Joanna Newsom meet subtle Brazilian inspirations from Nara Leao’s bossa tradition, contemporary folktronica ideas and, above all, sophisticated pop melodies. Cibelle broadens her inspirations to Kurt Weil and Tom Waits’s legacy and a taste for bar-room jazz.

The sensually sung “Underneath The Mango Tree”, familiar from Bond classic “Dr.No” and originally sung by Ursula Andress, perfectly introduces a slightly unreal carnival mood. Yet the unsettling “Mam From Mars”, with its grime-like bass growl, warns that a holiday at the “Palace Hotel” in Las Venus is not all sunny relaxation. Extraordinary things are going to happen.

Cibelle invites you to a bar for a slightly deranged cabaret, rather than to a beach.

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