4.0 out of 5 stars
Outside Hollywood: Miranda's Brazilian Recordings, August 9, 2011
As I am old enough to remember those black and white and brightly hued Carmen Miranda movies on my TV, this singer for me was a touch of the exotic. Only later did I realize that her fun tunes and colorful, exaggerated costumes were to a large extent Hollywoodized. You will not find those stereotypic songs in this collection. These instead hark back to the late 1930s and 1940s and are Brazilian recordings for that population. It documents what got Hollywood interested. Sound engineering there and then were much to be desired and listening here, you feel like discovering some dusty archive. But the music itself takes you back to the transitional period of choro and samba, of romantic art deco and early modern. The On-demand CD-R lacks any liner notes, any history or perspective. This album enlarges the perception of this popular star and onetime symbol of Brazil [buy a banana you may see a legacy of her American act]. We can well understand why the title track, Q Que e Que a Baiana Tem, became a major hit, as did Alo..Alo..? and the samba Preto e Branco. If you enjoy music of early romantic eras, as that of Carlos Gardel of Argentina and Edith Piaff of France, and even Fred Astaire of the United States, this fine anthology is your time machine.
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