Alexandre Pires, a Brazilian superstar, won success in the Spanish-language marketplace with two albums of ballads and Latin pop. Now he’s meeting fans midway. “Alma Brasilera” is a collection of well-known Brazilian songs—some standards like “País Tropical” and “Usted Abusó” and others that are more contemporary. All are performed in Spanish with rich, sophisticated Latin-pop arrangements. The album is a marriage of Brazilian and mainstream sensibilities, different from the more purely Brazilian sound of the likes of María Rita or Bebel Gilberto. Pires, with his plaintive, distinctive tenor, is an ideal ambassador for the mix, which can lean Brazilian (the tasteful, stylized bossa “Es Parte de Mi Show”) or in-your-face Latin (“Regresa a Mí”). The single “Cosas del Destino,” written by Pires, is in the middle: radio-friendly pop, with acoustic arrangements and emblematic vocals.—LC
