1  Bárbara 3:14
2  Na Bahia 2:54
3  Do Mar 2:56
4  Encanteria 2:46
5  Saudade Dela 3:28
6  Linha De Caboclo 2:26
7  Estrela 3:04
8  Minha Rede 3:15
9  Doce Viola 3:06
10  Ê Senhora/Batatinha Roxa 3:21
11  Trovas 2:43

Maria Bethânia - Vocals
Jaime Alem - Viola, Viola Caipira, Violao
Pedro Amorim - Bandolim, Cavaquinho
Cristóvão Bastos - Piano
Maurício Carrilho - Violao
Marcelo Costa - Drums
Jorge Helder - Baixo
Magno Júlio - Agogo, Surdo
Everson Moraes - Trombone
Ana Rabello - Cavaquinho
Luciana Rabello - Cavaquinho
Denize Rodrigues - Sax (Alto)
Glauber Seixas - Violao
Celsinho Silva - Pandeiro
Marcus Thadeu - Pandeiro
Andre Vasconcelos - Bass 

From the late '60s to the early '90s Maria Bethânia was one of Brazil's best, but also most successful, female singers. In many ways, the fading of her commercial appeal represented a liberation of sorts for the magnificent Bahia singer. No longer forced to please a massive audience, in the 21st century Bethânia positively embraced her new creative freedom through a series of outstanding artistic projects, admirable in both their aesthetic coherence and their peerless realization. At 63, a thoroughly rejuvenated Bethânia is also still amazingly prolific, as attested by the simultaneous release of her two new 2009 studio albums, Encanteria and Tua. As it is the norm in this new phase of Bethânia's career, each album has an overall theme or concept: love for Tua, and devotion for Encanteria. In an enchantingly (and all-too Brazilian) counterintuitive way, the former is a stately collection of autumnal ballads, while the latter is quite an upbeat affair. Indeed, Encanteria draws its inspiration from Brazilian regional religious festivities -- particularly from Bahia, of course -- and the overall mood of the record is of joyful celebration. A collection of sambas in their multiple regional variations and derivations (samba de roda, samba macumba, xote), Encanteria effortlessly accommodates several compositions by new rising stars such as Bethânia protégé Roque Ferreiro and Vanessa da Mata, as well as tributes to old composers or performers such as Edith do Prato and Jaime Alem. As if all that were not splendid enough, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil drop by to join Bethânia in "Saudade Dela," by default turning it into the automatic highlight of this album and gifting Brazilian music fans worldwide with the chance to hear these three colossal artists and lifetime friends singing together one more time. Sheer magic. ---Mariano Prunes, Rovi

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01 Lagrima
02 O Velho Francisco - Lenda Viva
03 Vive
04 Casablanca
05 Calmaria - Nao Sei Quantas Almas Tenho
06 Fado
07 Barulho 0
08 Lagrima - Calunia
09 Carta de Amor
10 Salmo

Oásis de Bethânia is another entry in the series of fine albums Maria Bethânia has been making for Biscoito Fino over the past ten years. Freed from the pressure of being expected to deliver hits -- Bethânia was one of Brazil's biggest-selling artists for much of her career -- she is now happily enjoying a period of creative renaissance, and seems to feel more at ease in her role of superb interpreter of art songs than as pop star. Made in collaboration with bassist Jorge Helder, Oásis is Bethânia's 50th album, and like all of her recent work, is an understated, minimalist affair. This is a singer's album, backed by essential but unerringly gorgeous arrangements, rarely featuring more than one or two instruments, mostly piano, classical guitar, or viola caipira (a Brazilian version of the Portuguese guitar). It even includes one selection, Jota Velloso's "Calmaria," for only voice and berimbau, as well as a few bits of spoken poetry -- a constant throughout her career, in particular her live performances. Contrary to her latest offerings, however, Oásis does not have a unifying concept or running theme. This may very well be the main reason this record seems to suffer slightly by comparison. As each song stands on its own, the gap between the lesser ones and the great ones becomes more noticeable. Still, any possible objections quickly become a matter of splitting hairs, as Bethânia's supreme vocal skills, paired with the undeniable elegance of the arrangements, makes it impossible for Oásis to be less than a work of stately beauty and ultimate class. As usual, Bethânia relies on a blend of material from young composers she champions (Jota Velloso, Paulo César Pinheiro, Roque Ferreira) and classics or obscure gems from the bottomless annals of Brazilian popular music, such as her simply exquisite version of "Lágrima," which Orlando Silva made famous back in 1935, or Chico Buarque's "Velho Francisco," with special guest Lenine on guitar. Djavan also shows up to play guitar on "Vive," a song he wrote especially for Bethânia. ---Mariano Prunes, Rovi

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01. É O Amor Outra Vez (Dori Caymmi e Paulo César Pinheiro)
02.Tua (Adriana Calcanhotto)
03. Mao Do Amor (citação) (Roque Ferreira)
- O Que Eu Nao Conheco (Jorge Vercilo e J. Velloso)
04.Ate O Fim (César Mendes e Arnaldo Antunes)
05.Remanso (Moacyr Luz e Aldir Blanc)
06.Fonte (Saul Barbosa e Jorge Portugal)
07.Dama, Valete E Rei (citação) (Ruthinaldo de Oliveira e Silva 
e Pelopidas Guimarães Brandão Gracindo)
- Voce Perdeu (Márcio Valverde e Nélio Rosa)
08.Guriata (Roque Ferreira)
09.Saudade (Chico César e Paulinho Moska)
Participação especial: Lenine 
10.Lamentacao (citacao) (Mauro Duarte)
- O Nunca Mais (Roberto Mendes e Capinan)
11.Domingo

Maria Bethânia - Vocals
Jaime Alem - Viola Caipira, Violao
Joao Carlos Assis Brasil - Piano
Kiko Continentino - Piano
Marcelo Costa - Drums
Hamilton de Holanda - Bandolim
Jorge Helder - Bass
Andre Vasconcelos - Bass

The twin release to the festive Encanteria, Tua is a collection of reflective love songs by Maria Bethânia that only confirms her creative renaissance in the 2000s. As in all of her recent offerings (and in stark contrast to some of her over-produced 1980s albums), the intimate settings work wonders for Bethânia's interpretative prowess. As usual, Bethânia's composers and collaborators are among Brazil's finest: Arnaldo Antunes, Adriana Calcanhotto, Dori Caymmi, Paulo César Pinheiro, Aldir Blanc, Chico César, José Carlos Capinam, and several others. This is subtle, exquisitely romantic music, mostly based on understated piano or acoustic guitar figures, brightened with perfectly timed touches of accordion or bandolim. If a collective celebration was at the heart of the more percussive Encanteria, Bethânia the singer takes center stage in Tua. Other than in the beautiful duet with Lenine in "Saudade," the album is dominated by Bethânia's supremely expressive voice, one that with the years has grown more nuanced and less melodramatic. That Maria Bethânia is a formidable singer was never in doubt, yet over at least the past decade it is becoming indisputable that she is also a formidable artist on the evidence of her superb releases for the Biscoito Fino label, of which the 2009 diptych Tua/Encanteria is another fine example. ---Mariano Prunes, Rovi

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