Salmaso uses her voice for the classics

— By J. Jota de Moraes
Jornal da Tarde, São Paulo, Brazil, 11/21/1999

Voadeira, Monica Salmaso’s new record, places the young singer at the top as interpreter of Brazilian popular songs.

This CD which she recorded for the Eldorado recording company – as winner in the Vocal category of the second Visa MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) award of the competition held in the first semester of this year – gives continuity to her work, which can only be classified as exceptional.

Unique Coloring

Mônica Salmaso has a very personal voice. Its timbre, perfectly homogeneous from low to high tones, has the fluent and rounded colors of an instrument, both coherent and flexible, at the same time. Her voice sounds natural, as if it were a privileged extension of her speaking voice, of breathing itself.

And being sweet and penetrating at the same time, it is an involving voice because of its unique, unmistakable coloring.

With her clear throat, but far from any kind of exaggeration, Mônica Salmasso emits sounds adverse to any type of imprecision.

And she places this moldable material at the service of a particularly sharp musical sensibility. Thus, there is never shouting or blustering.

With a bright intelligence, she seems to prefer being convincing through a song sometimes practically murmured, that reaches deep down into the attentive listener’s heart, as if it were a kind of blessing, or confession.

A new musical outlook

Mônica Salmaso radically appropriates the songs she interprets. She recreates what she sings effectively, giving each song a new life, a different twist.

As her repertoire is distant from the usual sameness, it ends by supplying an unexpected and fresh outlook of songs, this very Brazilian art.

In Voadeira, the singer dares to tackle some very well known pieces that are already part of the traditional repertoire.

Getting rid of the dust deposited in them through habit, she transforms them into new information. These include the famous Ave Maria no Morro (Herivelto Martins), Minha Palhoça (J. Cascata), Ilu-Ayê (Cabana/Norival Reis) and Valsinha (Vinícius de Moraes/Chico Buarque).

Contemporary Reading

Mônica rescues this delicious A Violeira (Tom Jobim/Chico Buarque) from being forgotten and suggests surprisingly different versions of O Vento (Dorival Caymmi) and of Cara de Índio (Djavan).

And she surrounds these “classics” with new and/or unheard of pieces, such as Dançapé (Mario Gil/Rodolfo Stroeter), Canto em Qualquer Canto (Ná Ozzetti/Itamar Assumpção) and Beradêro (Chico César).

Marcílio Godoi’s beautiful graphic design, the participation of excellent musicians and Rodolfo Stroeter’s imaginative production turn Voadeira into a more than special project.