AMG Review of Sentinela

Alvaro Neder
All Music Guide

This is a reissue of the original 1980 release, the first for Polygram after Milton Nascimento had left EMI. The album had the fundamental support of the melodic percussion of the Minas Gerais group Uakti, along with the usual robust orchestrations. Nascimento had a hit with "Canção da América," but several songs must be mentioned for their strong melodic qualities, like the folklore-tinged "Peixinhos do Mar," "Sueño Con Serpientes" (with Mercedes Sosa), Villa-Lobos' "Cantiga," and "Sentinela" (with singer Nana Caymmi showcasing her strong, personal voice timbre similar to Nascimento's, which serves wonderfully to convey the idea of religious devotion).