Beto Villares: Beto Villares  (Six Degrees)  A producer's "own"
album is usually an indulgence in the making. Villares, a
prolific Brazilian soundtrack composer and hit-maker, pulls off
this debut by turning it into a collaborative effort. Various
vocal talents sing and rap, often bringing their own lyrics
(among them chart-topping songstress CéU) while Villares draws
on Brazil's many musical flavours; cool bossas, low key funk,
Bahian drums, a twist of reggae and a blast of brass. It's a
downbeat, seamlessly woven blend, and almost too tasteful for
its own good, but its lilting melodies and slow-burn beats make
it an early contender for a summer chill-out classic.