In her native Brazil, Rosa Passos is known and loved as “a feminine Joao Gilberto.” For a singer/songwriter who carries the soulful cool of bossa nova into a new age, there can be no higher compliment. Mingling the classics of Gilberto, Jobim, Barroso and other masters of Brazilian song with her own enchanting works, Passos sings in a sweet, warm, totally-in-tune voice. That voice and that style, which Brazilian fans have known for years, are pleasures international audiences are now getting to know a little better.
Rosa Passos grew up surrounded by music in the city of Salvador, in the Brazilian state of Bahia. Inspired by Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim – the godfathers of bossa nova – she switched from piano to guitar and began writing her own material as a teenager. Passos’s songs (written with her longtime lyricist Fernando de Oliveira) appeared on her first recording in 1979. After taking several years off to devote herself to her husband and children, she returned to performing and recording in 1985, jump-starting a career that has been on the upswing ever since.
Especially since her American debut in 1996 (at the invitation of Oscar Castro Neves) with a sensational performance in a “Jazz at the Bowl” concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Rosa Passos has developed an ever-growing international following. Also in 1996, the singer/songwriter performed in Japan for the first time with saxophonist Sadao Watanabe, which led to successful appearances in Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmar, Norway and Sweden, as well as Colombia, Cub, Uruguay and the U.S.
In the years since, Passos has toured Japan five times, collaborated with Ivan Lins and Chucho Valdes in a memorable Cubadisco show in Havana, and wowed a packed crowd at New York’s Lincoln Center for a Tribute to Elis Regina show. In 1999, she was invited to perform during the 50th anniversary celebration of German democracy, joining Paquito D’Rivera and the WDR Big Band for shows in Bonn and Cologne that featured her own songs and classic Brazilian tunes. The same year, she performed at the Jazz Festival Bern.
In Brazil, where she has built an impressive catalogue of recordings, Rosa Passos has been one of the stars of producer Almir Chediak’s “Words and Melody” project, a series of recordings honoring the legacies of the great Brazilian songwriters. Her discs of the songs of Jobim and Ary Barroso were instant hits, in Brazil and internationally, featuring distinctive, revelatory new interpretations of such worldwide hits as Barroso’s “Aquarela do Brasil” and Jobim’s “Desafinado,” “Samba de Uma Nota So” (One Note Samba) and “Garota de Ipanema” (The Girl From Ipanema).
Sony Classical/Odyssey signed Rosa Passos in 2004. In 2006, Rosa Passos’ first solo acoustic recording came out on Telarc. Rosa captures the essence of this extraordinary artist with nothing more than her voice and her acoustic guitar. The album is her first solo acoustic project since she began recording nearly three decades ago. “I think this is the kind of work every artist should make,” says Passos. “It tells a lot about my artistic personality. I have recorded a variety of albums, but not a solo one. I realized that this was the right moment to do it. I believe I achieved my professional maturity, so this was the moment to make my solo flight.”
In keeping with this vision of a personal musical statement, Passos arranged all fifteen of the tracks on Rosa. Six of the songs are collaborations between Passos and various lyricist friends, and the remaining nine are penned by a variety of Latin songwriters, including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Donate, Augusto Mesquita and others. “I’m responsible for the musical part of the composing process,” says Passos. “I don’t write the lyrics. Fortunately, I can count on wonderful poets, friends of mine who share with me the same thoughts and feelings about music.”
The set opens with Passos’ unaccompanied, crystal clear voice singing “Duas Contas,” followed immediately by the brief but equally stirring Antonio Jobim/Vinicius de Morales piece, “Eu Nao Existo Voce.” Flowing effortlessly from these opening tracks is “Sutilezas,” a whimsical composition penned by Passos and lyricist Sergio Naturezas. The second half of the album gives more room to Passes’ songwriting, with the lighthearted “Demasiado Blue” (co-written with Fernando de Oliveira). Passos’ subtly complex fingerpicking here underscores a vocal line that alternates between easygoing and earnest. Likewise, “Desilusion” (co-written with Spanish singer Santiago Auseron) showcases vocal dynamics that evoke a range of emotions in a single track Passos alternates effortlessly between the high and low ends of the vocal spectrum on “Detalhe” (a second piece co-authored by Oliveira), yet never strains in either direction.
But it’s her guitar work rather than her vocals that drives “Fusion,” a piece that requires rhythmically complex fretwork. “Inverno,” the closing track co-written by Passes and Walmir Palma, is a midtempo, upbeat piece that sets vocal and guitar work in near seamless counterpoint. The occasional echo effect in the vocal track sets up a subtle chorus effect that accentuates Passes’ silky vocal style.
Discography
Recriação (1979)
Amorosa (1988)
Curare (1991)
Festa (1993)
Pano Pra Manga (1996)
Letra & Música – Ary Barroso, with Lula Galvao (1997)
O melhor de Rosa Passos (1997)
Especial Tom Jobim (1998)
Rosa Passos Canta Antonio Carlos Jobim – 40 Anos de Bossa Nova (1998)
Morada do Samba (1999)
Rosa Passos Canta Caymmi (2000)
Me and My Heart (2001)
Eu e Meu Coração (2003)
Azul (2002)
Entre Amigos, with Ron Carter (Chesky, 2003)
Amorosa (Sony Classical, 2004)
Rosa Por Rosa (2005)
Rosa (Telarc, 2006)
Romance (Telarc, 2008)
É Luxo Só (2011)
Samba dobrado (2013)
Rosa Passos canta Ary, Tom e Caymmi (Biscoito Fino, 2015)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
