Sotak

Now living in Lisbon and playing much of her music in Portugal and France, Karla Da Silva was born in Madureira, a working-class neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro that is steeped in its samba roots. No surprise perhaps then that this, her fourth album, is good, traditional samba and a tribute to Brazil’s Afro-Portuguese heritage. It’s also inflected with reggae, rock and samba de roda (the ‘wheel’ of call-and-response and clapping samba style from Bahia, northeast Brazil). Da Silva has a beautiful voice: clear, smooth and sometimes bringing to mind the great Brazilian singer Alcione (of ‘Sufoco’ fame). She wrote most of the tracks on the album, many of which are deeply personal, such as the stand-out song: ‘Todo Esse Tempo Foi o Samba Quem Cuidou de Mim’ (All This Time Samba Took Care of Me). It’s as if Da Silva is saying, ‘Now it’s my turn to give something back, with my samba.’ She really does.