Today

Hoje is Gal Costa's first release on her new record label, Trama, and was released in the same year Gal turned 60. (It was released stateside a year later and retitled Today.) Most of the tracks are composed by young, still rather unknown composers such as Moisés Santana, Junio Barreto, Tito Bahiense, Moreno Veloso, Nuno Ramos, and Marcos Augusto. From Gal's own generation, the illustrious duo Caetano Veloso and Chico Buarque contribute with "Luto" and "Embebedado," respectively. The move to the young, hip label Trama seems to have done good for Gal, as Hoje is her most dynamic and fresh-sounding album in years. But although the songwriters who contributed to the album may be comparatively young, the music in itself is largely traditional, ranging from bossa nova and Afro-Brazilian folk music to Gal's typical brand of soft ballads. One of the most surprising and welcome songwriting contributors to Hoje is the African artist Lokua Kanza, from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Together with Carlos Rennó, he forms what proves to be a very fine songwriting team. Their lovely ballad "Te Adorar" brings out the best of Gal and is perhaps the most beautiful song on the album. The opening track, "Mar e Sol," with its harmonic, billowing melody, is another little gem by Kanza and Rennó. ~ Philip Jandovský, Rovi