*** Virginia Rodrigues

NÓS

(Hannibal/Rykodisc)

Virginia Rodrigues burst on the world music scene in 1998, shortly after Caetano Veloso "discovered" her in a church choir. Veloso has remained involved, co-producing her first CD and returning for Nós, which offers the same crafty melding of tradition and modernity that has made Veloso such a big star in Brazil and around the world.

Like Veloso, Rodrigues hails from San Salvador, the capital city of Brazil's most African state, Bahia. She showcases her gospel training on tunes like "Salvador não inerte" and "Mimar você," which come across as a combination of Gregorian chant and Portuguese classical music, with the first set to a subtle afoxé rhythm and the second to a melancholic string quartet. Rodrigues also pays tribute to the African side of Afro-Brazilian music, albeit in an extremely refined manner: "Jelto Faceiro" features the diva's smoky vocals backed by a handful of chirping kalimbas, and on "Afrekêtê" she joins a carnival band for a celebration of Salvador's street music. Most of the tunes on Nós are low-key charmers rather than barn burning rave-ups. But for lovers of the sublime and the subtle, Rodrigues is ready to punch your subliminal ticket.

-- J. Poet