Because the lambada -- an erotic Brazilian dance craze -- was hyped to death in the late 1980s and early '90s, it didn't take long before a backlash took place in the U.S. But in fact, much of the music that accompanied the lambada was of a high quality. One group that illustrated how fresh-sounding lambada music could be was
Kaoma, a Paris-based group that sings in Portugese, Spanish and English on
World Beat. Not outstanding but definitely appealing, this CD effectively combines South American elements with dance music/disco, reggae and hip-hop. One hears
Chic's influence on the funky "Sopenala."
Kaoma's sensuous, haunting music underscores the fact that lambada's roots were not only Brazilian, but also Bolivian and proves that lambada was more than hype. ~ Alex Henderson