Passarinho is a joyous and samba-soulful tour of the musical mind of Brazilian singer João Selva. With the help of producer extraordinaire Bruno Patchworks, he reignites the vintage sound of black Rio fusing dance-floor influences from Brazil, Cape Verde, Africa and beyond, yet delivered with a cautionary note about the environment
Son of an Ipanema pastor, João Selva returns to the fore with his new long player Passarinho (little bird) transmitting 10 rapturous and funk fuelled, horn laden songs, with plentiful references to, and influences from, Selva’s Brazilian heroes like Marcos Valle, João Donato and Arthur Verocai as well as famed ‘70’s US soul-jazz icons like Shuggie Otis, Bill Withers and Johnny Guitar Watson. João Selva’s poetry draws on magical thinking and fantastic realism from South America, specifically Indigenous Brazilian leader, Ailton Krenak.
Conceived and named after the little bird and popular archetype in Brazilian culture, Passarinho draws reference to environmental collapse of the earth and the devastating loss of biodiversity. It’s a symbol of cultural resistance typical of the Northeast of Brazil, for those troubadours like the immense Luiz Gonzaga who made the bird a symbol to narrate on the human condition.
Originally from Rio De Janeiro (where he was taught guitar by bossa nova legend Wanda Sa)and now based in the countryside outside Lyon in France, João Selva released his album Navegar in 2021 receiving global plaudits for his unapologetically celebratory debut which saw him sail the Black Atlantic from Rio to the Brazilian Northeast, the Caribbean, Cape Verde and across to Angola. Passarinho spreads similar wings.
The 10 tracks on Passarinho go deeper, into the roots. From Angolan semba to Cape Verdean funaná, via Caribbean zouk or Congolese rumba and in the most (im)pure Brazilian tradition, he also digests the contribution of North American music and freely incorporates elements from elsewhere into the irresistible rhythms of Brazil.
Over the last 18 months Selva has, like most of us, been let off a leash and after over 70 live performances, including a recent showcase at WOMEX, he’s finding again his joie de vivre, travelling, collaborating and always using capoeira as his mental and physical balance guide. One such collaboration was with French producer Bruno Patchworks known for his work with David Walters and Guts and of course, producer of Selva’s debut and again, with new album Passarinho.
We’re excited to premiere ‘Sete Ventos’ a new school samba workout laced with celebratory horns that echo the chorus throughout. We particularly love the virtuosic conversation between the keys and saxophone towards the end of this feel good track. The rest of the album is sublime and a treat for fans of musical eclecticism. There’s a nod to the greats to the work of the Samba-Soul greats like Tim Maia, this is a beautiful body of work, we recommend that you listen from start to finish.
The title track Passarinho has a feel for Santana’s iconic Oye Como Va, a little Latin jazz, with strings and brass amplifying the dramatic intensity of the lyrics in a lush orchestral arrangement that could have been created in the golden age of psychedelic pop, in the 1970s. There is the contagious optimism of Cantar Cantar backed by a radiant groove, circa peak Marcos Valle. The psychedelic folk of Devendra Banhart is evoked on Mar de Estrelas and Cirandinha, carried by orchestral arrangements, yet at the core is the irresistible temptation to party with tracks like Seu Carnaval or Menina me Encanta, rich in Lusophone roots and culture.
Inspired by great Latin American authors, notably the work of Native American thinker Ailton Krenak, João Selva’s poetry draws on magical thinking and fantastic realism. The album cover, designed by Edson Ikê, extends this dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity since it refers to the heritage of traditional woodcuts from Brazil while adding a geometric conceptual touch reminiscent of Miró or Calder. The influence of native art is everywhere, both in the texts, the music and the visuals of this new creation, like the stop motion video clip of track Passarinho directed by Peter Themoon.
João Selva’s ‘ Passarinho’ is out on Vinyl, CD and Digital on February 3rd via Underdog Records. You can order your copy here.