Best of Rosa Passos

With a distinctive voice so airy and gentle that a whisper seems like a clap of thunder in comparison, Rosa Passos epitomizes Brazilian bossa nova and samba. Her multidecade career gets the retrospective it deserves in this newly remastered collection of some of her most influential performances, including Passos's marvelous collaboration with the songwriter Chico Buarque on the sardonic love song "Com Acucar, com Afeto." The second duet on this disc pairs Passos with co-composer Ivan Lins on "Abajur Lilas," which also showcases Marco Brita's evocative piano, the crooning soprano sax of Sergio Galvao, and jazzy musical direction by Lula Galvao. The accordion-sweetened "Juras" shows off Passos's talent as an arranger with a special touch for combining almost palpable textures. Famous in her country since her 1972 debut, Passos remained one of Brazil's best-kept secrets until the international success of 1991's recently rereleased Curare, an homage to the rich heritage of Brazilian music. --Bob Tarte