Much more than an axé music album, “Feijão com Arroz” brings a generous taste of the musical cauldron that Salvador City, in Bahia, is. Daniela Mercury’s strong and bright voice is one of many delights of this album — which earned Mercury “Best Singer” in 1997’s Multishow Brazilian Music Award. What makes “Feijão com Arroz” truly special, however, is its ability to make traditional Afro-Bahian music elements work well with a pop music vibe. Pop aesthetics is particularly present in tracks like “Rede,” “Musa Calabar,” and “Bate Couro.” Danceable ones that carry the axé 90 aesthetics and take us into the middle of a bustling Carnival bloco from Salvador are the great “Feijão de Corda,” “Rapunzel,” and “Vai Chover.” There is also some samba de roda in “Dona Canô” (a homage to Caetano Veloso’s mother); a reggae-like breeze in “Nobre Vagabundo”; and the rhythm of ijexá in “Bandeira Flor.” “Vide Gal” closes the album with a lively samba-enredo in homage to Rio de Janeiro.