Track Listing

1. Bom Sinal
2. Sem Resposta
3. A Origem Da Felicidade
4. The Night We Called It A Day
5. Meu Samba Torto
6. Febre
7. Consolacao
8. She’s A Carioca
9. Teu Sorriso
10. Slow Motion Bossa Nova
11. Minha Dalva De Oliveira

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52481 in Music
• Released on: 2003-03-17
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Although he's played a significant part in producing much of what is good in contemporary Brazilian music, Celso Fonseca is hardly a household name abroad. Natural is his first international release and should go some way toward remedying that situation. Fonseca's production credits include the likes of Gilberto Gil, Virginia Rodrigues, and Daniela Mercury and he played on Bebel Gilberto's inspired Tanto Tempo album, which, though more club orientated, is cut from a similar cloth as Natural.

It's his fifth studio album, and the first for Belgian label Ziriguiboom, champions of the "new bossa nova" which has found surprisingly few friends in Brazil. Fonseca's previous album with songwriting partner Ronaldo Bastos had fuller arrangements with strings and brass but Natural is a far more pared down affair and is all the better for it, with plenty of space for guests like pianist Daniel Jobim, grandson of the great Tom Jobim.

The material pits a sprinkling of classic bossas against Fonseca's own accomplished compositions, veering between the gentlest of sambas and bossa nova which, as he would say, is really just a kind of "slow motion samba". Fonseca's own acoustic guitar playing is understated but sublime throughout and although three tracks with English rather than Portuguese lyrics feels a little like one too many, his crooning vocals do suit the material down to the ground in either language. --Jon Lusk

Mojo, March, 2003
"It really comes down to some fantastic acoustic guitar and the whispering, sensuous vocals of Fonseca."

Mojo, March, 2003
"...real recommendation is that it sounded wonderful in January, so just imagine how cool it will feel come the summer."

Customer Reviews

Smooth, warm, mellow...
This is the bossa nova album I have been searching for for a long long time without knowing it...
It has the smoothest, warmest sound you're likely to hear for a long time.
The closest thing I can compare it to is a frothy latte on a lazy Sunday morning, chill out and enjoy!

Pure Brazilliance
Thinking of what's come out of the Crammed/Ziriguiboom stable of late you wouldn't go too far wrong by investing in this album. Celso Fonseca has been there with the best of them and this album demonstrates his ability to totally capture and captivate the listener. The album from start to finish is just the type of thing you want to hear when you want to relax on a warm summer day or just in a chill out mood.

I have to admit that I stuck this in my CD player at work one afternoon and three hours later it was still in there on continuous play. The music is timeless and has a quality that stretches back to Joao Gilberto's classic works. Very warm vocals, lovely light acoustic guitar and some excellent backing from the likes of Cibelle and a host of quality musicians. Check out the totally enchanting version of "The night we called it a day". Although I have mentioned that particular track there is so much more and it really is a listening experience for anyone that really appreciates glorious music.

Sublime Brasilian brilliance
An utterly wonderful album, and one which grows and grows on you so much that you will not only be playing it constantly, but you will find yourself sashaying about the room, hips swaying in time to the music, trying to hum out the deceptively simple harmonies, whilst at the same time trying to beat out the underlying luscious, sensual percussion. Tracks 11 and 12 proved just too much for me. I put everything down, got up and airdanced around the room for the 10 minutes or so that it took for this musical perfection to end. Fonseca's voice and elegant, understated singing style are highly reminiscent of Caetano Veloso, and anyone who has ever loved Caetano, will embrace Censo Fonseca's Natural. Buy it and you will not be disappointed.