Humberto Barros (1965, Rio de Janeiro) is an artist with a remarkably creative mind. He's also an artist who really enjoys what he's doing. And maybe most of all, Humberto Barros is an artist who loves to use his various artistic skills to give something extra to his audience.

In every occasion where his name falls, it's mentioned how Humberto Barros gained fame as keyboardist with the legendary Brazilian pop band Kid Abelha. It's a fact, his organ and piano truly became part of Kid Abelha's sound. With their upcoming come-back they might not be the same anymore without him. Humberto Barros creates a pleasant sound on his Hammond organ, rooted in the nostalgic pop music from the 1960s-1970s. He lent his talent to dozens of music stars in Brazil, while, as a solo artist, he loves to experiment with different instruments, not only keyboards. Locked up in his colorful room (Trancado no Quarto Colorido) he uses the full pallet of colors (instruments) to create his art.

Trancado no Quarto Colorido is Humberto's third solo album. It's not "just" a CD; it's a CD that's linked to a website. Each song on the album has its own page at the album's website. It tells you who are playing, what the song is about and it gives the lyrics and a colorful illustration. The website is an extension of the regular booklet. The site also houses lots of video clips; pure fun! You can do without the internet, of course, and then you still hold a most enjoyable CD with a nicely decorated booklet that also contains all the information about the line-ups. Like on his previous O Mundo Está Fervendo, Humberto ventures into a nostalgic pop sound, a bit alternative at moments, then in a relaxed mood, sometimes jazzy. He plays most instruments by himself (acoustic and electric guitars, organ, various pianos, synth bass, percussion samplers and mellotron) and also does all the vocals. A few of his musical friends help him out as well. Guitarist Cristiano Crochemore and bassist Marcelo Linhares perform on most tracks. There are also participations by Humberto's long time friend Bruno Migliari (on bass), Jongui (drums) and Valter Moreno (bass). Jeferson Victor (flugelhorn) has a wonderful appearance on the jazzy "Continuará Batendo". Humberto's brother André Luiz Barros wrote "Pingos e Palavras". That song features guest vocalist Adalba and houses a nice guitar solo by Crochemore.

The album also has two instrumentals (on which Humberto plays all instruments). "No Outono" could well be the soundtrack for this CD/website combination. It's a beautiful piece of instrumental music that tells a lot about the composer Humberto Barros and his entertaining musical attitude. The CD/website is a very nice concept that responses to modern times. But it needs an artist who puts time into it, to create a site that's like an illustrative addition to a wonderful CD; a creative artist like Humberto Barros!

Check out Humberto Barros and his own website.

K.S.