Beautiful Bossas and svelte Sambas form the basis for Toco’s Outro Lugar, his 2007 sophomore follow up to Instalação do Samba.
The sessions were recorded in Rio with production by Italy’s S-Tone, and feature some wonderful acoustic guitar play from the legendary Roberto Menescal.
Menescal’s presence helps give the record a classic Bossa feel – there’s a distinct reflection of the true nature of the original Bossa beat, but with an updated style that keeps it fresh, without resorting to clichés.
Rosalia De Souza sings along on several of these songs giving this collection a warmer, jazzier personality than his debut release; It plays well over the rhythm and horn arrangements. French chanteuse Coralie Clement adds a retro, 70’s touch on ‘Contradiçao’, a slow Samba groove. Toco’s Outro Lugar shows that his New Bossa talents extend further than his voice and guitar. He has a real knack for writing pop songs with catchy hooks that encourage you to sing along.
Toco’s Outro Lugar is classic and contemporary
These sessions were recorded at Menescal’s island-based Estudio Barquinho in Rio de Janeiro – horns were added in Milan by Stefano Tirone, aka S-Tone who is also listed as the producer of the album.
While the generational rise of a brace of talented singer/songwriters has proved to be a saving grace for Brazilian pop, it’s clear that the New Bossa style has played its part in the complex maze that MPB has evolved into, and with albums like this – and with innovative musicians like Toco to advance the style – the music makes its own case.
Toco, who wrote 10 of Outro Lugar’s 12 songs, was a relatively new face on the scene in 2007, but he’s gone on to prove himself as a gifted musician and song writer.
All that needed to happen was for the public to start listening. They did, and today it’s easy to appreciate that by any measure, Toco’s Outro Lugar is an excellent Brazilian album.
And our One Track? Here it is:
