Gal Costa: Acustico MTV

Rating:
Summary: Q: How many divas does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Review: I've loved Gal Costa's recordings since the seventies. She has a distinctive, incandescent voice and chooses good material written by some of Brazil's greatest composers. This acoustic, live-for-MTV concert features a killer rhythm section and the Orquestra Petrobras Pro-Musica arranged and conducted by the highly esteemed Wagner Tiso. I like most of the songs chosen for this performance from Gal's huge catalog. I love that both English and Portuguese sub-titles are available, greatly enhancing appreciation of the lyrics and patter for a non-Brazilian audience. Great singer, wonderful musicians, good
material, lush and grooving arrangements, beautiful venue, adoring audience, what's not to like? Well... Gal. To me, she comes across as a self-absorbed prima donna who thinks she's doing the world a favor to perform for us. I kept wishing I had a mute button for the picture. Oh well, I'm still giving it four out of five stars because the music and production is mostly wonderful. And by the way, A:Just one; she grabs the light bulb and the world revolves around her.