With her playful voice and friendly songs, the Portuguese-Cape Verdean singer Sara Tavares has found an international audience. Her participation for Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest now seems like a childhood sin, because the music on Xinti (Voel) has nothing to do with frenzied costumes and hook-up choruses. Xinti's optimistic atmosphere suits a beach holiday in an all-inclusive resort much
… better. This is music for cocktails, lounge chairs and warm sand between the toes. Tavares' soft voice, the languid rhythms and the strumming of her acoustic guitar result in an album that ripples pleasantly by and can serve as background music for the aforementioned beach holiday. A closer look reveals that, despite her fine bedroom voice, Tavares writes songs that sound interchangeable. But once you find out it is high time to walk to the beach bar for a fresh cocktail. (PdK)more