The South African Meeting of Viramundo

After standing down as Brazil's minister of culture, the legendary singer Gilberto Gil undertook a southern hemisphere tour to Australia and South Africa in 2011, accompanied by film director Pierre-Yves Borgeaud, who made the documentary Viramundo about their journey. During the trip Gil gave two concerts at Johannesburg's Market Theatre with the South African singer and guitarist Vusi Mahlasela. This CD is a spin-off from the film, featuring songs recorded during those concerts and others recorded by Gil and Mahlasela a year later in a studio on the shores of Lac Leman, Switzerland. Gil wrote the majority of the material, with Mahlasela contributing two songs plus a lilting, folkish cover of Miriam Makeba's ‘Piece of Ground’; but there's a pleasing coherence as together they fashion a smooth Afro-Brazilian hybrid sprinkled with tasteful touches, as the two men's voices float resonantly over orchestral dinner-jazz arrangements by keyboardist Paul Hamner. Jaques Morelenbaum adds some classy cello and although the overall feel is lightweight easy listening, there are some outstanding moments, including Gil's ‘La Renaissance Africaine’ and Mahlasela's lovely ‘When You Come Back/Nakupenda Africa’.