Mario Adnet

Heitor Villa-Lobos is largely credited for injecting traditional Brazilian musical influences into European orchestral and chamber music. Considered a radical experiment in the early 20th century, that marriage would later be recognized as the foundation for Bossa Nova and Música Popular Brasileira. With Um Olhar Sobre Villa-Lobos, arranger and composer Mario Adnet reminds us who helped birth these genres. The project is mostly comprised of classical- and jazz-based tracks, with an underlying samba rhythm. Songs like "Bachianas Brasileiras" and "Abril Seresta" are unmistakably Brazil, albeit with fairly muted percussion. Adnet appropriately enlists the help of notable Brazilian singers such as Edu Lobo and Milton Nascimento, amongst others. Nascimento lends his unique voice to "Estrela é Lua Nova," while Lobo graces the pulsating "Trenzinho do Caipira" with lyrics he originally wrote for it in 1970. Lovers of Tropicália-era Brazilian artists may find this offering a little tame compared to what they're used to, but it highlights an important progression in the country's music. Through Ville-Lobos's compositions, Adnet presents a lush and complex lesson on how that came to be.