Studio 105

Mayra Andrade has released just two albums:her spellbinding and multi award-winning 2006 debut Navega and its lusher 2010 follow-up Stória Stória. So it seems a little early for a retrospective, albeit a live one. Both the CD and the accompanying film, which together comprise Studio 105, expose the somewhat threadbare nature of her repertoire. She has been touring almost constantly over the past five years, with little time, it seems, to recuperate, take stock and write. Songs from her sparse back catalogue are played in new arrangements by an equally sparse acoustic band comprising Brazilian guitarist Munir Hossn, Rafael Paseiro on bass, and Zé Luis do Nascimento on percussion. Previously recorded songs like ‘Dimokransa’ or ‘Stória Stória’ are resurrected as pleasant, gentle renditions. But they lack the sparkle, the intimacy or sultriness of her studio recordings. There's a smattering of new material, but it is either lacklustre or feels like padding. The opener, ‘Kenha ki Ben ki ta Bai’, sounds tentative rather than rousing; ‘Odjus Fitchadu’ is a puzzling re-working of a track from Stória Stória, as a limp duet with Hugh Coltman; and ‘Michelle’ is a cheesy Beatles cover which Mayra seems to wonder whether she should sing in French or English. It would have been better not to have sung it at all. But uninspiring though it may largely be, Studio 105 has choice moments. Gainsbourg's ‘La Javannaise’ is smoochy and husky, while Mayra is at her stirring, passionate best on ‘Dispididal.’ She has fun on ‘Lapidu na Bo’, and is deliciously wistful on ‘Tunuka’. All of these are well worth a download and compare very favourably with the versions on Navega.