By By Tim Lee

Hailing from the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Seu Jorge made a name for himself both on screen and on record. He appeared in City of God and also in Life Aquatic, where he was a major contributor to the soundtrack with Portuguese language covers of David Bowie songs. If one has heard of Seu, it's most likely through his acting work. However, in Brazil, Seu Jorge has a fairly successful recording career. Cru is Seu Jorge's second album, the follow up to 2001's Samba Esporte Fino.

Cru, which translates to "raw" in English, is full of stripped down Brazilian samba style dance and folk. While Jorge is a great guitarist, his most effective instrument is his voice. Jorge has a distinct whisper and growl that add a certain unique quality to these songs. He may not be the greatest technical singer, but his voice is his best musical attribute.

All the songs on Cru are written in Portuguese, with the exception of the cover "Don't," written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and made famous by Elvis.

The standouts on this record are the fairly downbeat "Tive Razao (I Was Right)" and "Bem Querer (My Dear)." Jorge tackles a wide range of topics on Cru, including the ongoing problems in Brazil's favelas (as depicted in City of God) in the song "Eu Sou Favela," to breast implants, on the song "Mania De Peitao (Large Chested Mania)."

Cru is a great starting point for those who are unfamiliar with Brazilian samba. Jorge is true to the roots of the music, but adds just enough of his own influence to make the sound distinctly his own. There are very few weak points, and the recording gives the listener a window into what samba is all about.

In addition to Cru, Jorge released a complete collection of the aforementioned David Bowie covers on the CD The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions. These covers are solid, but fall short in comparison to Jorge's original work. Cru is the better of the two records; however, both are worth checking out. Cru is definitely one of 2005's best releases.

(Image courtesy cullyjazz.ch)