Customer Reviews

Sol Negro

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't understand the Floridian review that claims that Virginia Rodrigues cannot sing. Brazilian singers are not like out american ones... they are throatier, and more natural sounding. the women have huskier voices, and the men have softer voices... a more androgynous sound, I suppose. But if you like caesaria evora, I would suggest getting this. I get chills when I hear Virginia's voice rise up into her higher ranges. Her voice is like nothing I've ever heard. The arrangements are beautiful... with artistic direction by the masterful caetano veloso, it would be difficult to go wrong. A very special album.

Since first hearing Virginia Rodrigues on CBS News' "Sunday Morning" program, I needed to hear more. This, her debut album, is a revelation! Her voice seems to belong to the world of Gregorian chant just as much as to the home of the samba. Stylistically, she is sofly reminiscent of the great Argentinian singer, Mercedes Sosa. However Virginia posesses a unique voice and style that must be heard, and on this recording she has a restrained instrumental backing which complements her enchanting (and note-perfect) singing.

I am ordering the third copy of this very well recorded CD to give to friends and family...

Virginia Rodrigues's album "Sol Negra" is as classy as it is beautiful. Rodrigues's is classic-sounding voice is haunting, wistful, and enigmatic and is a perfect fit to Caetano Veloso's arrangments that are played by Gilberto Gil. Milton Nascimento even accompanies her on a song. Listening to this cd, for some reason, reminds me of being in a cabana club in the 1940s/1950s (if I had been alive then!)

This is a wonderful cd. The arrangements lean toward the classical sounding samba to match Rodrigues's elegant voice. If you're looking for an updated rendition of Brazilian samba, then this is probably not the cd for you. If you're looking for something to dance to, then you probably won't like this cd. But, if you're looking for music to accompany an evening cocktail party, or to relax to, or are even feeling wistful - then this is the perfect cd for you.

This album is incredibly beautiful - from the simplicity in arrangement to the unique and surprising contralto voice of Virginia Rodrigues. I listen to it often and enjoy it much more than her second release.

A real gem.

I happened upon Virginia Rodrigues and am so happy I did. She has a rich voice that reaches out and pulls you into her magic. The instruments that accompany her, sometimes only a drum, showcase her remarkable voice. If you love soulful music, this is the ticket.

I first heard Virginia Rodrigues on "In Sessions" on NHPTV during the early morning hours. I was amazed at the power of her haunting voice. Virginia's vocals leap from her throat like silken waves, bathing your ears in angelic sound. Sol Negro is a blend of African-Latin music and traditional African folk songs that string together to make for a complete cultural listening experience.

Heard track #6 on NPR and was hypnotized and hooked; In contrast is the upbeat Adeus de Carnival with it's clear, crisp repetitive orchestral backup. Great to have playing on your CD-ROM while you're at your desk. I'm ordering extras for friends.

While not normally a "world music" fan, I bought this cd after hearing a review on NPR. What a voice! Rodrigues seems to combine a trained church choir sensibility with the sensuality of a samba.

I am a newcomer to the music of Virginia Rodriguez and I thank my lucky stars I found her! A long time lover of most all the music of Brazil, I was thrilled to come across this amazing talented vocalist. I like her more than the ever popular Cesaria Evora. Evora is a wonderful Cape Verdian lounge singer whose voice is like a gentle wind on a hot summer day and who transports the listener to a slow & easy feeling of sipping cool drinks on a Cape Verde beach. Rodrigues, however, will absolutely send you heavenward with her strong, smooth, gentle voice. Never mind that her lyrics are in Portuguese, it is her voice and the mesmerizing selections of music she sings that will have you wishing the recording would never end! I have not been this enamored of a singer in a very long time. If you love Brazillian music, you really must hear her sing. Talk about SOUL!

I could listen to Virginia Rodruiguez all day long. In fact, when a friend loaned me a CD, that is exactly what I did! Her voice reaches deep into feeling depths that I like being drawn into, and she never shocks me there, in that vulnerable space. There is wisdom, experience and feeling in that voice. I am especially entranced by the slower pieces. Lovely, sensitive arrangements, as Brazilian musicians can do.