Brazilian-born vocalist Kenia follows up her critically acclaimed 2008 album 'Simply Kenia' with 'Kenia Celebrates Dorival Caymmi,' a tribute to the influential composer and singer who died two years ago. The album is being released April 27 on Kenia's own label, Mooka Records.For the 15-track session, Kenia tackles the legacy of Caymmi, who, during his seven-decade career, wrote such Brazilian standards as 'Samba da Minha Terra,' 'Doralice' and 'Voce Ja Foi a Bahia.'
"Dorival's music lies just between the two major movements in MPB (Música Popular Brasileira, or Brazilian Popular Music)," Kenia explained, "the samba of the 1920s and '30s and the bossa nova of the late 1950s and '60s. Caymmi's music served as a kind of a smooth transition between these two styles. And, although he had two very distinct lines of composition, the link between these two movements is characterized by his firm foundation of samba, sprinkled with some Bahian spices."
Kenia is accompanied on the album by pianist Fernando Merlino, bassist Leo Traversa and percussionist Airto Moreira. The band also features guitarists Eric Susoeff and Marty Ashby, the singer's percussionist son Lucas, and trombonist Jay Ashby.
Kenia was born Kenia Acioly. She relocated to the U.S. in 1980 and released recordings on the MCA and Denon labels between 1987 and 1991. In 1997, Kenia launched Mooka Records.
