A danger of confusion exists with the Brazilian singer Maria de Fátima, whose album Bahia Com H from 1981 is now being re-released, because a Portuguese singer of the same name also exists. That one has been living in Germany since the 90s, where she taught jazz singing in Bremen and Oldenburg, among other places. The Brazilian Maria de Fátima, however, comes from Rio de Janeiro, later moved to Los Angeles and has worked with artists like Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Arthur Verocai and Airto Moreira. »Bahia Com H« was written in Uruguay and produced by her husband at the time, the keyboardist Hugo Fattoruso. His penchant for synthesisers comes through well in the piece Candombe Brasileiro-Montevideano. On the first track, Toda Menina Baiana, don’t be misled by the snappy bass and rocking, three-beat drums: the record has less to do with the fusion sound that was very popular in Brazil at the time and more with Música Popular Brasileira in its more delicate form. Maria de Fátima’s singing is in the tradition of João Gilberto’s withdrawn, quiet intonation, and the arrangements are generally similarly sparse, underpinned by de Fátima’s acoustic guitar. Elegant melodies that take you in without force, and often fully unfold in no more than three minutes. Another case where you wish that this debut album had not remained the only album.
Bahia Com H
