Ginga

The fifth album by Brazilian singer-songwriter Flavia Coelho is brimming with uplifting, catchy melodies, which have become her signature appeal. Coelho launched her music career upon moving to France over ten years ago, where she met French producer and arranger Victor Vagh-Weinmann. Ginga’s theme is largely one of womanhood. ‘Nordestina’ is a tribute to the maternal women of the historically harsh Northeast region of Brazil: ‘Mulher maravilha… a moca bonita, a pele morena … menina da terra, leoa da selva…’ (Wonder woman… beautiful, dark-skinned girl … child of the earth, lioness of the jungle). ‘Sistema Solar’ is a dreamy ballad of the immersive pull of a woman’s love; imbued with Coelho’s velvety smooth, sexy vocals. And in ‘Mama Santa’ Coelho sings of the challenges faced by women, as embodied by her mother, as well as of her own self-determination. The ten tracks take us on a tour through Coelho’s musical versatility; from funk, house and reggae, to the more traditional MPB samba beat, such as in the infectiously danceable ‘Mais Amor’. The orchestration woven around Ginga’s silky vocals is impressive too; from playful brass riffs to psychedelic synths and Afro-Brazilian percussion; all composed by Coelho and arranged with Vagh-Weinmann.