Mãe da Lua

This loose collective of multicultural musicians is fronted by Brazilian poet, singer and musician India Mãe da Lua. Her resonant yet tender voice is ideally suited to conveying the themes of universal love, environmental concerns and the meaning of life in general that are central to the band's ethos. The arrangements here are complex yet the vibe is gentle and positive, with each track presenting a further experiment in cultural cross-fertilisation.
For example, the instrumental ‘Indignawa’ finds a sun-dappled clearing in the rainforest to bring together Gnawa gimbri-driven blues with traditional South American music via some agreeable flute work. Elsewhere, you get Tuvan throat singing, field recordings of tropical birds and even one track that hints at the Chicago blues. But it's all a little too syrupy and tasteful – a kind of Sesame Street or Putumayo take on world music. In other words, nothing that's going to scare the horses, mules or camels and therefore nothing that really grabs the attention. But if pretty melodies set against unobtrusive webs of delicately struck percussion and tastefully plucked koras, ouds, setars and cavaquinhos is your thing, this is a flawless work of that particular genus.