Ubalafon

Hailing from Salvador de Bahía, Felix takes elements of bossa nova, samba, reggae, Afrobeat and more to mould them smartly into a polyrhythmic distillation of the Afro-Brazilian experience. Recorded in Stockholm and Bahía with an international cast of musicians drawn from three continents, his relaxed, warm voice perfectly suits the smooth dance grooves of these seven, sun-kissed songs that might be dismissed as easy listening, although in the best possible sense of the term. The opening title-track surfs on a burnished horn riff and a bubbling balafon rhythm and ‘Depois Que o Ilê Passar’, with its infectious female chorus, was written by his compatriot Milton Souza as a tribute to the ground-breaking Afro-Brazilian percussion group Ilê Aiyê. ‘Mairê’ is a sparkling Afro-pop gem while on the gently swaying rhythms of ‘Pai Pirou’ and ‘Vento Que Leva’ we are transported effortlessly to the heart of a Bahía carnival.