Baiana

Liverpudlian Laura Doyle certainly fooled this particular Anglophone. Hearing the opening ‘Samba Mortal’, upbeat carnival music sung convincingly in Portuguese, followed by ‘The Birds and the Bees’, summery fluff sung seemingly less naturally in English, I believed that Baiana was Brazilian. But no. It’s the name this multi-dimensional Scouser has assumed to deliver a passion for Brazilian music cemented during time in Rio with the Italian diplomatic service. She has also served time as a clown, a stand-up comedian, cabaret performer, translator, Premier League player-manager and now Head of Women’s Football with an international sports agency!

As Baiana, she has won friends at festivals, clubs and Jazz FM. Now, a team of fine musicians allied to legendary British percussionist Snowboy’s production have helped her realise a slick, competent debut. She sings of young love and blue skies on 11 (the new musical dozen?) tracks that range from the engaging pop of ‘Paradise’ to numbers like ‘Love Will Lead the Way’ that might have served Basia or Lisa Stansfield back in the late 80s. While somewhat trite lyrics shouldn’t undermine a thoroughly professional job, sometimes sadly they do. As TS Eliot once wrote, ‘After such knowledge, what forgiveness?’