Samba-funk singer Ed Motta is the nephew of Brazilian soul pioneer Tim Maia and is clearly the carrier of his torch, crooning over smooth, modern R&B arrangements. Although not as vital as the classic Black Rio soul singers, Motta nonetheless kept their spirit alive for a younger generation to shake their booties to... Here's a quick look at his work.
Ed Motta "...& Conexao Japeri" (WEA, 1988)
Ed Motta "Um Contrato Com Deus" (WEA, 1990)
Ed Motta "Entre E Ouca" (Warner, 1992)
An early album by soul-funk revivalist Ed Motta. It's okay; he's very competent at the style, and could give Bobby Brown or Jermaine Jackson a run for their money. Still, with the exception of a song or two, it's not very original sounding -- slick pop-soul music just like they make in the United States, just sung em Portugese, rather than in English. Motta also doesn't have what I'd consider a great voice, but I guess he has his moments. The song "Que Tal Londres" was pretty cool. with unusual, bluesy arrangements and a spate of Southern rock electric guitars, not music that you hear often in Brazilian pop. This album didn't wow me, but I guess it's worth checking out.
Ed Motta "Ao Vivo" (Warner, 1994)
Ed Motta "Geracao Pop" (Warner, 1996)
Ed Motta "Manual Pratico Para Festas, Bailes & Afins, v.1" (Universal, 1997)
Ed Motta "As Segundas Intencoes" (Mercury/Universal, 2000)
Wow... call me naive, but I can barely believe that there's anyone this disco-retro still running around on the face of the planet. I mean, not disco-retro as in Dmitri From Paris-hey-look-how-cute-to-sample-from-the-past retro, but as in, hey-look-I-was-disco-decades-ago-and-I-still-haven't-changed-a-bit retro. You'd think that Motta, who is Braz-soul pioneer Tim Maia's nephew, would have to be an old-timer to sound this old-school, but he's actually pretty darn young. Born in 1971, Motta is clearly into the disco and soul thing as a revivalist... Not my cup of tea, but I guess I can see the appeal.
Ed Motta "Dwizta" (Universal, 2002)
Ed Motta "Poptical" (Trama, 2003)
Ed Motta "Aystelum" (Trama, 2005)
Ed Motta "e-Collection" (WEA, 2000)
On this 2-CD hits & rarities collection, Motta cruises through a wide variety of pop-soul styles, from the tackiest disco to the goofiest funk. This covers his work from 1988-93. At various times he's comparable to Lionel Richie, Barry White, Bobbie McFerrin or Maurice White; the "raridades" disc is packed with various musical vignettes of frustrating brevity -- his stabs at reggae and blues are genuinely intriguing, but they don't last long. On the other hand, a bunch of the live tracks are kind of frighteningly long. Motta's style is too commercial for my tastes, but others might find this to be a nice entry into the world of Brazilian soul. A duet with Marisa Monte ("Ainda Lembro") is very nice.
Ed Motta "Serie Warner: 25 Anos" (WEA/Warner, 2001)
Ed Motta "Perfil" (Universal, 2003)
