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 "Chapter 9" (Trama, 2008)
Ed Motta "Piquenique" (Trama, 2009)
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)
Ed Motta "Nova Serie" (Warner, 2008)
