Luísa Maita Remixed

Liner Note Author: Jacob Edgar.
Photographer: Joao Wainer .
A good remix can be a work of art, and there are seven of them on Luísa Maita Remixed. The original versions had a brash joy, but these versions take Maita's music in different directions, while still respecting the roots. Baile funk veteran Tejo offers a percussive take on "Alento," for instance, with a small nod to the axé style as well as his home turf, neatly stripped down and rocking before turning sweetly funky. By contrast, Maga Bo turns spacy (but equally percussive) with a re-imagining of "Fulaninha." Especially interesting are the three very different remixes of of "Lero-Lero," going from neo-samba insistence (Seiji) to something that seems far more languid and tropical than its 150 bpm would suggest (DJ Tudo). Perhaps the best part of all is that the remixers never forget that this is a singer's album. She might be chopped about a bit, but Luísa Maita Remixed remains about her, rather than the egos of those behind the boards. A stunning success of imagination meeting content. ~ Chris Nickson