Sim Sim Sim

Sim Sim Sim, the Latin Grammy-winning debut from Rio de Janeiro-based Bala Desejo, conjures a cornucopia of Brazilian styles including 60s samba, bossa nova and tropicália, 70s psych and, more recently, música popular brasileira (MPB). Originally, Dora Morelenbaum, Julia Mestre, Lucas Nunes and Zé Ibarra – all prominent within Rio's independent music scene – formed Bala Desejo to perform at a festival in 2021. When the festival was cancelled due to COVID restrictions, the quartet switched the objective to producing an album. The resulting 13 songs are a warm, joyous, brightly shining example of art prevailing over adversity. Sim Sim Sim (Yes Yes Yes) kicks off with an ad-hoc invitation to join the festivities, which leads naturally to ‘Baile de Máscaras’, a song that perfectly captures Bala Desejo's sexy, brassy arrangements, exuberant vocal presentation and playfully choreographed antics. ‘Passarinha’ showcases the band's affinity for the softer, more romantic inclinations of the Brazilian psyche, while nods to reggae (‘Clama Floresta’), techno-funk (‘Faixa Técnica’), and soul (‘Muito Só’) also find their way in. Yes, yes, yes.