Ivan Lins: Sambadouro Album Reviewed

What is the album 'Sambadouro' about?

Released on July 24, 2025, Sambadouro is Ivan Lins's 46th studio album, conceived to celebrate his 80th birthday on June 16, 2025. The record re-records 11 of his own sambas and introduces one brand-new track, 'Maravilhado'. Produced by Marcus Fernando with arrangements by Rafael dos Anjos, it was recorded in May 2025 at the Cia. dos Técnicos studio in Rio de Janeiro, under the Sesc label.

Did Ivan Lins succeed in capturing the pagode sound?

The original pitch was ambitious: Ivan told interviewers he dreamed of hearing his sambas played as if he lived in Madureira, one of Rio's great samba heartlands. The three pre-release singles — 'Sambadouro' (1992/93), 'Diplomação' (2001) and 'Deixa eu dizer' (1973) — already hinted that the goal might be out of reach, even with the legendary Zeca Pagodinho guesting on 'Diplomação'. By launch day, that pagode ambition had quietly disappeared from the album's official narrative.

Who are the guest artists?

The album connects Ivan with a strong cast of Rio samba names: Ferrugem joins on 'Deixa eu dizer', Diogo Nogueira, Mart'nália and Xande de Pilares also appear, and Zeca Pagodinho features as well. The track that comes closest to pagode territory is 'Saravá! Saravá!' (2004), a co-write with Martinho da Vila, here revisited with Xande de Pilares.

Why does Ivan Lins's samba sound different from pagode?

Born and raised in Tijuca — geographically and culturally distant from the suburban samba yards of Madureira — Lins has always written samba with his own cadence, shaped by bossa nova, soul and jazz. He first reached national fame in 1970 with 'Madalena', a samba co-written with Ronaldo Monteiro de Souza and popularised by Elis Regina. That personal style places him firmly in the MPB pantheon, and Sambadouro confirms he belongs exactly there.

What is the critical verdict?

The album earns four stars. Critic Mauro Ferreira writes that Lins never truly 'puts his feet on the ground' — meaning he never fully lands in pagode — but the result is an excellent compilation of sambas that reaffirms his status as a master of Brazilian popular music.