Samba Raro is the debut album of
Max de Castro, the youngest son of singer and composer
Wilson Simonal.
De Castro's creative mix of modern soul, bossa nova, and samba immediately won over the critics in Brazil. The songs are full of references to classic Brazilian popular music styles, songs, and artists, such as
Baden Powell,
Vinicius de Moraes,
Chico Buarque,
Ary Barroso, and
Jorge Ben. The sound is sparse and to a high extent electronic, creating an intense and very elegant atmosphere. Though not quite the masterpiece that some critics declared it to be at the time,
Samba Raro nevertheless constitutes an interesting, strong, and promising debut album. ~ Philip Jandovský