What I spend all my money on...

I really like classic David Bowie and I also really like Brazilian
music, which made this CD a no-brainer purchase for me. On
it, Seu Jorge–the songwriter/actor from Rio de Janeiro who
was so brilliant in City of God–performs thirteen Bowie songs
from the 1970s in Portugese, accompanied only by his acoustic
guitar. I was reluctant to buy it for a long time, however, be-
cause of my worry that it might be just kitsch coffeeshop stuff
for pretentious “world music” fans and because it is being mark-
eted as a soundtrack for a silly movie I didn’t especially enjoy.

I shouldn’t have been concerned, though. The album is great
fun. Jorge has a wonderful voice and his performances always
capture what made these songs so special in the first place. It
is a testament to Bowie’s artistry that these glam rock anthems
can be approached in this way. At the same time, it reveals the
depth of Seu Jorge’s talent that he can take Bowie’s very idio-
syncratic songs and make them his own. This CD inspired me
to dig out my copy of Ziggy Stardust for the first time in a few
years, and tomorrow I’ll probably head back to the Electric
Fetus to buy Jorge’s other albums.

You should go buy it. You’ll probably like it. If you don’t, you
have to consider the possibility that you might be weird.