The Brazilian
Madonna of the
Chico Science generation presents herself as an urban creature totally in love with the "mutant Noah's Ark" of a city here. Her musical recipe is grounded in R&B/funk forms with vocals more in the rap vein, but the smooth, soothing character of
Abreu's voice maintains the link with the Brazilian sound. Not so the music, since the grooves are built on smooth, uptown R&B with strong roots in '70s funk and dance music more than flavoring native styles with outside influences. "Fatos e Fotos" adapts the riff of
Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," "Zona Norte-Zona Sul" employs strings in the
Chic/
Soul II Soul vein, and there's even a little
Barry White lovers rapping in "Paisagem de Amor." The arrangements boast a variety of textures but never supplant
Abreu's voice as the center of attention, and the polished production creates a feel of floating in the currents of nightlife in the urban jungle.
Entidade Urbana lacks some of the in-your-face excitement of other
Abreu discs, but it's a solidly crafted collection that would interest fans of modern international dance grooves. ~ Don Snowden