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Badi Assad – Solo (1994)


Hello folks! With today’s review I will take you and myself to a land of beautiful classic guitar. We move to 1994 when a fantastic multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Badi Assad showed her unique style.
She came from a musical family, where father and brothers also indulge themselves in a world of music. Solo is a sophomore album, after her debut Danca do Tons. It starts with surprising silence but soon we can taste tat almost an hour of music will be magical. Her playing technique, original way to lay classical guitar, gives a lot of emotions that strike through album. “Num Pagode Em Planaltina” is filled with small details that will keep you interested. Pristine recording (don’t forget that in these times there was no software like a DAW that could help with recording and mixing, old school all the way!) sounds just beautiful. Every stroke, every tap, every mute is full of life. With good quality speakers you could feel like she was sitting next to you. In “A Bela E a Fera” Badi starts singing. You can hear she is a passionate singer and stories she tells through her arrangements are meaningful and she wants to share it with listeners. “Tamoimoe” is almost a fairytale, where her voice and guitar take you for a trip into world you’ve just discovered (when I close my eyes, I feel like she is a nymph taking me through a magical forest). “Fuoco (Libra Sonatine)” is an instrumental track which shows her massive guitar talent. Starts with a waterfall of notes to finish like a wild hunt, when not only strings but also a box take a part. What is a great about Solo is that it is a great mix of fast paced and slower songs, you will not get bored, you will not be overwhelmed by insensitivity of the songs. What is the most important, every song is filled with so much flavour like joy, happiness, unchained positive emotions. There is also something wild in Badi’s expressions that will keep you intrigued. At the end of the album, song “Drume Negrita” appears. And it is a great cumulation of this record. Slower tempo, almost spoken-like lyrics take you for the last magical spin with Badi and her magnificent world.
Conclusion: Solo is an album that everyone should discover. In the world of chaotic sounds or almost manufactured songs, Badi Assad’s album brings to the table a fresh wave of an original and lovely content. I found myself in a place when, before sleep, playing this record from streaming services relax me and ease my mind. If you’re searching for a true experience with a vocal, guitar and emotions, this album is your gateway to this world. Excellent.

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Location: Edinburgh, UK

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