Virgínia Rodrigues was working as a manicurist and cook in Salvador da Bahia, until at the age of 35 (as legend has it) she was "discovered" by Caetano Veloso. Almost overnight, she went from the recording studio to concert halls around the world and is now considered Salvador da Bahia's leading vocalist of her generation. The passionately evocative vocals on the ground-breaking album "Nos" (Us) are part of her unique tribute to West African ancestry. On the album, she takes classic Bahian anthems (normally fast paced percussive songs by groups like Ilé Aiye and Olodum) and transforms them into touching Bahian ballads, revealing the roots of Brazil?s trans-Atlantic culture. "I sing for people of African descent," she explains. "I sing for the "orixás," the gods of the Candomblé religion, for the earth, water and air, for myself, and for us."

Contributed by: Dan Rosenberg