Sambista Perfeito is the second studio album by Brazilian singer-songwriter Arlindo Cruz, released on October 22, 2007, by the Deckdisc label. It was nominated for the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Best Samba/Pagode Album.
Background The first solo studio album by Brazilian samba musician Arlindo Cruz was released in 1993. In 2003, he released his first solo live album, . After fourteen years, Arlindo returned to the studio to record a new solo album of original songs. Released by the Deckdisc label, the album featured compositions by various samba artists and collaborators of Arlindo Cruz, including names such as Nei Lopes, Xande de Pilares, Zeca Pagodinho, Neguinho da Beija-Flor, and Marcelo D2. Singer Maria Rita participated in the recording of the album, performing a duet with Arlindo on the track O Que é o Amor. The event also featured the participation of the “Velhas Guardas” from two major samba schools in Rio de Janeiro, Portela and Império Serrano.
Track listing
Release The album was released on CD in October 22, 2007. There was an album release party at the Fnac bookstore in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro.
Reception
Prizes In 2008, the album was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the Best Samba/Pagode Album category. At a ceremony held at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, the album was passed over after the award was split between Paulinho da Viola’s Acústico MTV and Maria Rita’s Samba Meu. YearAwardCategoryVenueResultRef.2008Latin Grammy Award Best Samba/Pagode AlbumToyota Center, Houston, Texas
Legacy In an August 2025 article in the São Paulo newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, Lucâs Breda states that this album marks the “beginning of the peak of his career, which also includes the two volumes of from 2009 and the 2011 album ". Breda also noted, “Before Arlindo Cruz released the album Sambista Perfeito, his life was full of imperfections. He was going through ups and downs in his marriage to Babi Cruz, struggling with a cocaine addiction, and lacked the recognition that his previous career suggested. “I think there’s a gap in samba that I, as a complete artist, need to fill,” he told the newspaper O Samba in late 2007, at the album’s release concert. “I’m highly respected as a songwriter, musician, and party starter, and with this album, I think I’ll reach the place I deserve".
References