by Alex Henderson
Because the lambada -- an erotic Brazilian dance craze -- was hyped to death in the late 1980s and early '90s, it didn't take long before a backlash took place in the U.S. But in fact, much of the music that accompanied the lambada was of a high quality. One group that illustrated how fresh-sounding lambada music could be was Kaoma, a Paris-based group that sings in Portugese, Spanish and English on World Beat. Not outstanding but definitely appealing, this CD effectively combines South American elements with dance music/disco, reggae and hip-hop. One hears Chic's influence on the funky &Sopenala.& Kaoma's sensuous, haunting music underscores the fact that lambada's roots were not only Brazilian, but also Bolivian and proves that lambada was more than hype.