Azymuth - Woodland Warrior [1998]
1. Amazon Adventure
2. The Quest
3. Laranjeiras
4. Sinto Muito
5. Woodland Warrior
6. Festa Nativa
7. That's Today
8. Xingo
9. Ah Voce Nao Sabe
10. Chameleon
Although their sound hails from the tropical funk scene which emerged from Rio in the mid-Seventies their sound is still as pertinent now as was then. A recent collaboration for 4 Hero’s album is testament to their pertinence, as is Woodland Warrior their second outing with Far Out Recordings.
Woodland Warrior covers classic Azymuth territory whilst reaching out in new directions. It is an album full of variation and plenty of surprises. Perhaps the biggest surprise is their excursion into the realm of r&b (and here we are talking rhythm and bossa) on the track That’s Today which features the gospel tinged vocals of Vanessa Freeman. Contrast that with the disco inspired workout of The Quest and you know you have an album of depth and diversity.
The album is a real fusion of live and programmed tracks - as Azymuth’s drummer Mamao always says, ‘the soul of Azymuth’s music has always been a fusion of electronic instruments and rhythms from the heart, from the ground,’ and in the case of this album from the street.