Caipirinha Lounge Cinema: 340ml on CNN

One of the Lounge's favorite bands was featured on CNN's Inside Africa program. // Uma das bandas favoritas do Lounge foi perfilada no programa Inside Africa, da CNN.

10 Great Reasons to Listen to Music in Portuguese

Often overlooked and constantly under-appreciated, music in Portuguese is undergoing a remarkable renaissance that is redefining the many genres that it spans. Produced in countries in several different continents and showcasing an astonishing diversity of sound, lyricism, talent, rhythm, and innovation, music in Portuguese is rapidly attracting new listeners and fans across the world, many of which can't even understand the lyrics. Whether its created in Angola, Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Cape Verde or, increasingly, in collaborations between artists residing in these different countries, music in Portuguese is a welcome respite from the generic, mass-produced vapid fare clogging our airwaves.

Below are 10 great reasons to listen to music in Portuguese. For the long-time readers of this site, many of the songs, artists and genres are familiar, but for first time visitors, this might open up a window to a new, vibrant musical culture.

1. Bossa Nova

By Lwakuti Loyo (7 Xagas)

It's one of my favorite genres of music and perhaps one of the first genres to put music in Portuguese on the proverbial map. One of Brazil's most beautiful exports, bossa nova was created in the late 1950s and was made immortal by the collective geniuses of António Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, and Elis Regina, among several others. I wrote about my favorite bossas on this post here, and below is one of the genre's most iconic songs, Só Tinha de Ser Com Você, sung by Elis Regina and Tom Jobim.

Só Tinha de Ser Com Você

2. Madredeus

Teresa Salgueiro, by Volume 12

Madredeus is and will probably always be my favorite musical group from Portugal. I started listening to them at a young age because of my father always having several CDs of theirs in the car; it wasn't until much later in life that I began to grasp the beauty of their music. Teresa Salgueiro's exquisite voice is a pleasure to listen to, but credit must also be given to the entire band's unique musicality. Below is one my favorite songs of theirs, a song that displays all that is amazing about Madredeus. It's called Guitarra.

Guitarra

3. Buraka Som Sistema

Kalaf, Buraka Som Sistema, by NRK P3

Kuduro's explosion around the world has been nothing short of remarkable, and Buraka are a big reason why. Buraka band member Andro Carvalho 'Conductor' gave an interview to this blog in which he tells us just how exhilarating Buraka's meteoric rise has been and just how high energy their concerts have been. As for kuduro itself, I guess when the genre starts making it into big budget Hollywood films (ie Fast 5, which features Lucenzo's Danza Kuduro, although the song's "kuduroness" is debatable), we can safely say it's gone beyond viral and into the realm of the mainstream. Hangover (BaBaBa) is Buraka's latest concoction.

Hangover (BaBaBa)

4. Música Popular Angolana (MPA)

Blue Note, by Lwakuti Loyo (7Xagas)

The world has finally started to take notice of the quality, genre-transcending recordings that were made in Angola before it's independence. The critical acclaim surrounding Analog Africa's Angola Soundtrack: The Unique Sound of Luanda (1968-1976), as well as numerous compilations, remixes, and national radio appearances  is further proof that Angola's popular music of decades past is experiencing a renaissance amidst renewed interest from music lovers everywhere. Check out the short but vibrant jam Tira Sapato by Dimba Diangola to get a taste of MPA.

Tira Sapato

5. 340ml

Paulo Chibanga of 340ml, by braulio.mora

This might be cheating - 340ml don't sing in Portuguese. However all four immensely band members, who now reside in Johannesburg, hail from Maputo, Mozambique and their sound is a mixture of Mozambique's marrabenta, Brazil's bossa, afro-jazz, and a whole lot of dub. I had the pleasure of meeting them and seeing them perform live in the Luanda International Jazz Festival do the delirium of their Angolan fans, myself included. They're one of my favorite bands and are widely in demand not only in southern Africa but now increasingly in Europe as well. Make It Happen is one of my favorite songs from them.

Make it Happen

6. MPB

Tulipa Ruiz, by CGauer

While in the US the music that plays on the radio is deplorable at best and largely uninspiring, in Brazil it's the opposite. Popular Brazilian music (MPB) is as good as ever, and several young musicians are making sure it stays that way. I'm talking in particular of artists such as Maria Gadú, Tulipa Ruiz, Luísa Maita and Marcela Bellas, four women who have been reinterpreting the genre with their simple yet sublime individuality. Aqui by the very talented Tulipa Ruiz is a prime example.

Aqui

7. Contemporary Fado

António Zambujo, by Deezer.com

For you Portuguese speakers out there, this article has it spot on when it comes to describing the new generation of fado singers emerging from Portugal and the contemporary fado they sing. I'm thinking in particular of Deolinda, Mariza and, of course, António Zambujo, my favorite contemporary Portuguese singer right now. His wordplay is exquisite, as is his delivery, and his voice has a hard to find quality to it. The man is a poet with a gift for singing. Fado da Vida Bela is my current 'obsession'.

Fado da Vida Bela

8. Milton Gulli: Cacique '97 and Dub Inna Week

Milton Gulli, by Manuel Lino

Mr. Gulli is the creative power between two of the most exciting projects in alternative Portuguese music: Cacique '97 and their unique brand of Portuguese afro-beat, and Dub Inna Week with its superb dub rhythms. Both projects have proven to be hugely successful and have attracted a following around Europe and Africa, and feature collaborations with musicians from several Lusophone countries. Below is their album opener, Jorge da Capadócia.

Jorge da Capadócia

9. Cape Verde after Cesária

Mayra Andrade. Sara Tavares. Tcheka. Nancy Vieira. Lura. Maria de Barros. Cesária Évora's legacy on this Lusophone archipelago is eternal, but the beauty of it all is that she inspired all of the supremely gifted musicians named above. It's amazing that such a tiny country could have produced such a caliber of musicians, all of which have legions of fans around the world, playing to packed houses from Lisbon to Paris to Boston, where I had the pleasure of seeing Sara Tavares live. Morna is a beautiful, melancholic melody, and if you haven't heard it before, let Nancy Vieira show you what I mean:

É Morna

10. Lusophone Hip-Hop

Lusophone countries have been blessed with proficient wordsmiths. In our countries, rap is still the preferred music of social intervention and it's usually politically charged; the worship of material wealth and fat asses hasn't yet asphyxiated the creativity  of our consummate hip-hop artists. Mozambique has Azagaia, Brazil boasts Gabriel o Pensador, Angola has Ikonoklasta, Portugal has Valete, and this is just scratching the surface. Their lyrics are explosive but completely realistic, dealing with the many hardships and injustices that beset their fellow countrymen, and two artists on that list (Azagaia and Ikono) have been harassed by the law or even put in jail in their respective countries for "talking too much". Even if you don't understand the lyrics, take a listen to Subúrbios just so you can experience Valete's delivery.

Subúrbios

-Title photo by Lwakuti Loyo (7 Xagas)

Post inspired by Mr. Robertson F. Barros' list on Amazon.com

Caipirinha Lounge Cinema: Australopithecus, by 340ml

This isn't actually an original video by the Mozambican/South African/Jozambican band 340ml...Tiago just used footage from the iconic opening scene of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. For those of you who have seen the movie and remember the original score used for this scene, the effect of this video is actually quite humorous and surprising. Here, read what Tiago had to say about it on his blog.

Esse não é própriamente um vídeo original da banda moçambicana/sul-africana/jozambicana 340ml...o Tiago simplesmente usou imagens da icônica sequência de abertura do filme 2001: A Space Odyssey. Para quem já viu o filme e se lembra da trilha sonora desta cena, o efeito do vídeo acima é engraçado e surpreendente. Olha, lê o que o Tiago escreveu sobre o vídeo no seu blog.

Luanda International Jazz Festival 2010 Countdown Series: 340ml

Over the next couple of weeks the Lounge will highlight all the artists that will be present in this year's Luanda International Jazz Festival, many times using posts that have already been featured here. The line-up is mouthwatering and includes such jazz virtuosos as George Benson and Ronny Jordan, funky beats by Freshlyground and 340ml, coladera and batuque by Lura, Cameroonian tunes by Blick Bassy...the list goes on. The first featured artists will be the ones performing on Friday, the inaugural day of the Festival. 340ml will be performing Friday at 22h40, after Oliver Mtukudzi and before Ronny Jordan, at the Welvitcha Stage. Like Salucombo said over at Attelier dos Mangueirinhas, the city is awash in antecipation.

My fascination with 340ml runs deep. Below are some of the articles that've been posted featuring the boys from Mozambique, including interviews and a video.

Durante as próximas semanas o Lounge vai destacar todos os artistas que estarão presente na segunda edição do Luanda International Jazz Festival, muitas vezes usando posts que já foram aqui destacados. O elenco é mesmo 'bala' e inclui grandes nomes do jazz internacional tal como o George Benson e o Ronny Jordan, funky beats pelos Freshlyground e os 340ml, coladera e batuque pela Lura, músicas da África oeste pelo Blick Bassy...a lista continua. Os primeiros artistas destacados serão os que actuarão na sexta-feira, o dia inaugural do festival. Os 340ml actuarão sexta-feira às 22h40, depois do Oliver Mtukudzi e antes do Ronny Jordan, no palo Welvitcha. Como disse o amigo Salucombo do Attelier dos Mangueirinhas, a cidade já fervilha.

A fascinação deste blog pelos 340ml é de longa data. Seguem alguns artigos e entrevistas que o Caipirinha Lounge escreveu sobre os 340ml:

Moodswings, by 340ml

Short and sweet, guaranteed to improve the mood you're in...

Doce mas curta, de certeza que vai "improve the mood you're in..."

Caipirinha Lounge Interview to 340ml

After I first heard about your band and started playing the only song I owned of yours – Midnight - in my car and in parties (and everywhere), people here in the States always said two things: they asked who you were, and they said you sound like the Californian ska band Sublime.

But how would you describe your sound?

Experimental Tropical Pop.

How and when did you guys meet?

We've know each other for decades because we hail from a little African village called Maputo. Growing up we were all practically neighbors. We hooked up as a band when we kind of accidentally bumped into each other in Johannesburg, that was sometime in 2ooo, I think.

When did you decide you wanted to create music and stick with it?

When we all felt we were onto something.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?

Making movies. I'm actually concentrating a bit on that right now.

Being from Maputo, Mozambique, do you think you will ever do a song in Portuguese or feature Lusophone artists?

I'm sure we will, eventually, and we've wanted to but for some reason we always end up cruising out of that.

Who is your favorite Mozambican artist and why?

Fany Mpfumo, because he really was an artist. He represented and still represents Mozambique people better than anyone who tries to.

How has living in South Africa impacted your music?

I think it made us more professional and more aware of what works and what doesn't.

What artists and music styles would you say were your biggest musical influences?

Sublime, definitely. The Police. Nirvana. Gorillaz. And many many more...It's hard to say. I think outsiders can distinguish our influences better than we can.

What is the best part about playing music for a living and having people love what you create?

Having people who actually flock to our shows to sing along to something we crafted from scratch. That still amazes me!

Where do you see the band in 5 years?

I can't even imagine the future in a year’s time, let alone 5 years.

What has been your favorite concert venue?

Oooh, difficult one! The old Bassline in Johannesburg did a lot for us. There are plenty of magical venues around.

Who do you sing for, and which new audiences do you want to reach?

We'll sing for anyone who wants to listen. We don't really have a target market, we're not that sophisticated.

What has been your favorite song so far, the one you most want people to remember you by?

Maybe Radio 75. I like the idea behind the song and the fact that it basically has one note.

Radio 75

Listening to your albums it’s easy to see that dub and reggae are your rhythms of choice…what draws you to these sounds?

It's just a default thing. We all like different stuff, and Dub (mainly) is our common ground. We're all always pushing towards different sides, and generally Dub is the one side we can all sway towards without much of a fight. We also started liking it because hardly anyone in South Africa was doing it when we started exploring it.

What’s the idea behind the music video for your single Midnight?

A guy doing the late night shift guarding a typical corporate building bored out of his mind. He's thinking about stuff and allowing his impatience to grow.

How do feel about the way the internet has been reshaping the music industry?

I think it's great. As someone who makes music it's nice to be closer to the people who listen to your music, and that's the main thing the internet is doing to music right now. I steal a bunch of music and I really don't mind people stealing mine. It's a whole market plugged into your computer or mobile phone.

I’ve read you guys randomly picked the name 340ml after stressing about a name for weeks, all because one of you opened the fridge and happened to look at a can of beer. Does the name still sound good?

It was actually a soft drink can. It doesn't sound great to me, and it never will, but I guess it's good at displaying how random we are as musical group. And I guess it's also kind of catchy.

One of my favorite songs of yours is The Untitled Song; any particular reason you guys were unable to name it?

We were having a hard time coming up with a name that wouldn't sound all conscious or high and mighty. We also didn't wanna spoil the song with a dumb name.

The Untitled Song

Who’s the girl in the song Fairy Tales? Or at least, which type of girl is it inspired by?

No one in particular. I think it's a standard worldwide type of post teenager who desperately wants to be part of something. Just a character in a modern day Fairy Tale.

Fairy Tales

What’s the story behind the album name Sorry for the Delay?

People were annoyed with us because they were tired of our first album and needed something new. When we eventually went into studio we felt the need to apologize. We're not only saying we're sorry that the album is only out now but we're also saying sorry to all the people that endure our favorite sound effect (Delay). Even when we were mixing the album we were super conscious about how much delay we would use. I guess it's a play on words with a double meaning thing going.

What’s your favorite SFTD song to play live?

Australopithecus

Australopithecus

What’s the next project after SFTD?

We're trying to organize a SFTD remix album. We already have plenty of remixes, and we also wanna run some type of competition to have at least two remixes by two new comers.

Do you have plans of touring/selling your music in the US?

Nothing concrete yet. Maybe one day.

When can we expect you in Angola?!

We've almost been there a couple of times. We'll keep on trying.

5 musicians/band you listen to weekly, if not daily:

Daily, that's difficult. I flip things quite often. It would have to be quite Pop and enduring. I'll try:

The Beatles; Animal Collective; Radiohead (yup, I'm one of those); Daft Punk; and Mos Def.

Favorite late night crooners when it’s just you and the missus:

Kings Of Convenience, maybe.

Most played song on your iPod:

In the last couple of months: Difference between by Atlas Sound.

Songs/Artists you are currently ‘obsessed’ with:

Obsessed might be quite a strong word. Right now I'm listening to healthy portions of these albums:

Home is Where the Heart Is, by Hugh Masekela;
All Things Must Pass, by George Harrison;
See Mystery Lights, by YACHT;
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, by Phoenix;
Veckatimest ,by Grizzly Bear
Horehound, by The Dead Weather

Favorite WC2010 venue, and will you be attending/playing live gigs?

The Durban stadium looks like it's going to be something special. We have nothing planned, yet. We might be in Europe during the World Cup.

Costa do Sol or Ferroviário do Maputo?

I've been away for too long to decide.

Random thought of the day:

I read a fair amount of books but I hardly ever buy any. Where do they come from? How do they end up in my hands? I should buy a book today.

Moving, by 340ml

It’s Early Morning, and the sun isn’t even up yet. We all pile into the car, destination Port Elizabeth. There’s some amicable tension in the car, as my brother and I are supporting different teams. I’m for the Elephants, while he insists on supporting the selecção das quinas. He’ll learn his lesson.

The streets of Cape Town have a surreal quality to them, bathed in that peculiar pre-dawn light. To kick off our trip on the right footing, we put on 340ml’s Moving. It’s their first album, their debut into the world. Moving is more experimental than Sorry for the Delay, and incorporates more reggae and dub than the latter. Just the vibe I needed. I’ve only recently started listening to it seriously, as before I would concentrate mostly on the ridiculously sublime track that is Midnight.

Hang on to Yourself (Rachel) and Early Morning are two that I find myself listening to again and again. And of course, just to make things extra clichéd, Early Morning is the song I played as we set out on our 8 hour trip across South Africa. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for awhile – listen to 340ml while in SA.

Hang on to Yourself
Early Morning

É demanhã cedo, e o sol ainda nem sequer se levantou. Entramos todos no carro, encosta aqui encosta ali, destino Port Elizabeth. Há uma tensão amigável no carro, porque eu vou lá para apoiar os Elefantes da Costa do Marfim, e o meu irmão, a selecção das quinas. Um dia ele aprenderá.

As ruas de Cape Town estão compreensívelmente desertas, e o céu, aquela cor estanha que sonha com o aproximar do nascer do sol. Para começar a nossa viagem em grande, botamos o Moving dos 340ml na aparelhagem. É o primeiro álbum deles, a maneira que escolheram para nos conquistar. Moving é um pouco mais experimental que Sorry for the Delay, e contem mais reggae e dub que o seu sucessor. Mesmo a vibe que estava a precisar. Só há pouco tempo é que comecei a ouvir este CD com atenção nas letras, porque antes só devorava a sério o Midnight.

Hang on to Yourself (Rachel) e Early Morning são duas músicas do álbum que oiço com frequência. E, para tornar as coisas ainda mas previsíveis, Early Morning (Manhã Cedo) é a música que touco enquanto começamos a viagem de oito horas pelas paisagens da África do Sul. É que sempre quis ouvir os 340ml no pais deles...

The First post of them all, 340ml

My good man DJ Nunas from AM Roots recommended them to me after he read my little complaint about Mozambican music not being really well known in Angola, or much anywhere else for that matter. Nunas said that after reading my blog he thought they fit my style. How right he was. 340ml (named after the amount of beer in a can) is exactly my kind of music. It’s simple, it’s raw, it’s dub. But it’s not in Portuguese, you say. True. But Pedro da Silva Pinto, Paulo Chibanga, Rui Soeiro, and Tiago Paulo are Mozambicans, born and bred, and you can hear it in their music. They moved to South Africa to study, as many Mozambicans and Angolans do, and ended up forming the chill reggae influenced band that is 340ml. There sound has elements of jazz, bossa nova, samba, and marrabenta, all against a backdrop of a sick dub bassline that is so chill to listen to. They have exploded in popularity in South Africa and rightly so, having even opened for the Black Eyed Peas. I’m thinking maybe it should have been the other way around…Enjoy the track Midnight from their debut album Moving, which as you can imagine I can’t find anywhere here in Buenos Aires.

Midnight

O mano DJ Nunas dos AM Roots recomendou-me este grupo depois de ter lido o que escrevi sobre a não divulgação de musica moçambicana em terras angolanas e não só, no post em que escrevi sobre a sua banda. Ele disse que, depois de navegar o Caipirinha Lounge, achava que os 340ml faziam o meu estilo. Não podia estar mas acertado. Os 340ml são exatamente o meu tipo de banda – a sua musica é simples, crua, e dub. O reggae influencia grande parte do trabalho destes homens. Cantam em inglês e residem em Africa do Sul a vários anos, mas Pedro da Silva Pinto, Paulo Chibanga, Rui Soeiro, e Tiago Paulo, os 4 integrantes da banda, são moçambicanos, e pode se ouvir a influencia desta terra nas suas musicas. Como muitos moçambicanos e angolanos, foram para Africa do Sul para estudar e acabaram por ficar por la, mas no ínterim formaram esta banda que é perfeita para noites de tchilo a sério. Há elementos de jazz, bossa nova, samba, e marrabenta nas suas musicas, todas elas acompanhadas pelo baixo forte de musica dub, o que faz das suas musicas uma mistura única de sonidos e influencias. São bastante conhecidos na Africa do Sul, onde ate já abriram concerto pelos Black Eyed Peas (estou aqui pensando que talvez deveria ser ao contrario), e a sua popularidade faz sentido. Carrega no play para ouvir Midnight, um single do seu primeiro álbum, Moving. Album este que não encontro em nenhum lado ca em Buenos Aires. Pudera.

Moving...

It’s Early Morning, and the sun isn’t even up yet. We all pile into the car, destination Port Elizabeth. There’s some amicable tension in the car, as my brother and I are supporting different teams. I’m for the Elephants, while he insists on supporting the selecção das quinas. He’ll learn his lesson.

The streets of Cape Town have a surreal quality to them, bathed in that peculiar pre-dawn light. To kick off our trip on the right footing, we put on 340ml’s Moving. It’s their first album, their debut into the world. Moving is more experimental than Sorry for the Delay, and incorporates more reggae and dub than the latter. Just the vibe I needed. I’ve only recently started listening to it seriously, as before I would concentrate mostly on the ridiculously sublime track that is Midnight.

Hang on to Yourself (Rachel) and Early Morning are two that I find myself listening to again and again. And of course, just to make things extra clichéd, Early Morning is the song I played as we set out on our 8 hour trip across South Africa. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for awhile – listen to 340ml while in SA.

Hang on to Yourself
Early Morning

É demanhã cedo, e o sol ainda nem sequer se levantou. Entramos todos no carro, encosta aqui encosta ali, destino Port Elizabeth. Há uma tensão amigável no carro, porque eu vou lá para apoiar os Elefantes da Costa do Marfim, e o meu irmão, a selecção das quinas. Um dia ele aprenderá.

As ruas de Cape Town estão compreensívelmente desertas, e o céu, aquela cor estanha que sonha com o aproximar do nascer do sol. Para começar a nossa viagem em grande, botamos o Moving dos 340ml na aparelhagem. É o primeiro álbum deles, a maneira que escolheram para nos conquistar. Moving é um pouco mais experimental que Sorry for the Delay, e contem mais reggae e dub que o seu sucessor. Mesmo a vibe que estava a precisar. Só há pouco tempo é que comecei a ouvir este CD com atenção nas letras, porque antes só devorava a sério o Midnight.

Hang on to Yourself (Rachel) e Early Morning são duas músicas do álbum que oiço com frequência. E, para tornar as coisas ainda mas previsíveis, Early Morning (Manhã Cedo) é a música que touco enquanto começamos a viagem de oito horas pelas paisagens da África do Sul. É que sempre quis ouvir os 340ml no pais deles...

...Ainda sobre os 340ml em Luanda

Yesterday those good men over at Wakuti Música provided a link to an insightful article that Tiago, 340ml's guitarist, wrote about his experience in the Angolan capital. An interesting read, as is the rest of Tiago's blog. Take a look.

Ontém os bradas do Wakuti Música puseram um link na sua página para um artigo interessante escrito pelo Tiago, guitarrista dos 340ml, acerca da sua curta estadia na nossa capital. É uma boa leitura, tal como o resto do seu blog. Visite-o.

-Photos by Massalo (sempre!)

340ml in Luanda!

São uma das minhas bandas preferidas. Foram entrevistados pelo Lounge, forneceram várias músicas lindíssimas ao mesmo, e Midnight é uma das melhores canções que ouvi durante o último ano. Estão em Luanda por causa de uma iniciativa do Luanda International Jazz Fest. Mais ou menos como uma previsão do que está para vir por altura do Festival.

Ontem à noite tocaram no Miami Beach, na Ilha de Luanda, e hoje tocarão no 'templo' do Elinga.

Seguramente um acontecimento a não perder...essa banda é bué.

Eu, vou os perder por uma questão de dias.

A dor é imensa.

Vocês aí em Luanda, disfrutem!

O que significa a música lusófona para ti? Como a sentes? - Por Tiago, 340ml Guitarist

Para mim, muitas vezes associo mais música lusófona com África que com Portugal e a língua Portuguesa, não sei porquê. Se calhar é por ser Moçambicano e também estar mais relacionado com grupos Africanos que usam a língua Portuguesa para se exprimirem. Mesmo assim não oiço música cantada em Português assim tanto como gostaria. Na verdade acho que os Brasileiros, com a sua adaptação lusófona, conseguiram fortificar música na sua própria língua melhor que qualquer outro povo Lusófono. Eles também conseguiram estabelecer uma personalidade suficientemente forte para ter os ouvidos do mundo atentos. Outras culturas que se expressam em Português deviam apreender com eles. Pelo sim pelo não, existe algo muito especial e muito terno quando alguém, numa canção, se expressa em Português.

About Tiago Paulo: Tiago is 340ml's guitarist. His favorite song to play live is Australopithecus. You can read about this and other fun facts in the interview he gave to the Lounge.

-Photo by Represent.co.za

Caipirinha Lounge Cinema: Moodswings, by 340ml

Short and sweet, guaranteed to improve the mood you're in...

Doce mas curta, de certeza que vai "improve the mood you're in..."

Late Nite Lounge Vol. 5: Acoustic sounds from France, Brazil, and Mozambique

This weekend’s Late Nite Lounge Series doesn’t feature electronica or trip-hop, and the sounds aren’t slinky cool and sexy. Rather, it displays the other side of late nights: acoustic guitars and natural sounds. The three songs featured here are purely acoustic, with no backbeats or electronic gadgets. The focus is on the acoustic guitar and the vocals of these talented singers, making these gems perfect songs for a quiet, intimate late night.

Hey Ya, by Cocoon (France) – Mark Daumail and Morgane Imbeaud make up the French duo Cocoon, and their sound is beautiful and carefree. Hey Ya is a cover of the Outkast song of the same name, and Cocoon does a splendid job of it. I never knew the song could sound so good in simple acoustics and without Andre 3000. I need to get my hands on more Cocoon…

Deusa do Amor, by Moreno Veloso (Brazil) – Moreno is Caetano Veloso’s son, and music runs in his veins. His father needs no introduction, but his son is a not as well known. This is one of the only songs I own of his, and it’s my favorite. Calm and bare at first, a couple of surprise instruments are added to it as the song progresses.

Moodswings, by 340ml (Mozambique) – This song is a perfect example of 340ml’s musical range: they can pump out energetic jams like Australopithecus but have a quieter, more intimate side to them. Moodswings is their mellower persona.

Hey Ya (Outkast Cover)
Deusa do Amor
Moodswings

Este fim de semana, o Late Nite Lounge está mudado. Ao contrário de outras versões desta séria, esta não inclui música electrônica nem trip-hop, e a vibe é menos cool e sexy. Mas inclui sim outro tipo de sons que adoro ouvir durante madrugadas como esta: o som de guitarras acústicas. As três músicas destacadas aqui são puramente acústicas, sem elementos electrônicos ou outros sons sintéticos. O foco está na guitarra dos artistas e no seu talento instrumental e vocal. São três lindas músicas para uma madrugada calma e íntima.

Hey Ya, por Cocoon (França) – Mark Daumail e Morgane Imbeaud formam o duo francês Cocoon, e a sua música é livre e solta. Hey Ya é a sua reinterpretação da famosa música dos Outkast, e é totalmente acústica. Saíram-se muito bem mesmo. Nunca pensei que esta música podia soar assim tão bem sem a presença do Andre 3000. Mas descobri que preciso ouvir mais deste duo...

Deusa do Amor, por Moreno Veloso (Brasil) – O Moreno é filho do Caetano Veloso, e tal como o pai a música corre nas suas veias. O seu pai não precisa de ser introduzido, mas o filho Veloso é menos conhecido. Esta é uma das únicas canções que tenho dele, e é a minha preferida. Começa simples e calma, mas ao meio são introduzidos sons interessantes que acrescentam dão um outro alento à canção.

Moodswings, por 340ml – Esta música é um exemplo perfeito do tipo de banda que são os 340ml: os mesmos que conseguem fazer a multidão pular com músicas do tipo Australopithecus tem um lado muito mais calmo e sereno. Moodswings é este tal lado.


-Photo by Pimpo79

Cocoon's official website
Moreno Veloso

Caipirinha Lounge Interview: 340ml

After I first heard about your band and started playing the only song I owned of yours – Midnight - in my car and in parties (and everywhere), people here in the States always said two things: they asked who you were, and they said you sound like the Californian ska band Sublime.

But how would you describe your sound?

Experimental Tropical Pop.

How and when did you guys meet?

We've know each other for decades because we hail from a little African village called Maputo. Growing up we were all practically neighbors. We hooked up as a band when we kind of accidentally bumped into each other in Johannesburg, that was sometime in 2ooo, I think.

When did you decide you wanted to create music and stick with it?

When we all felt we were onto something.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?

Making movies. I'm actually concentrating a bit on that right now.

Being from Maputo, Mozambique, do you think you will ever do a song in Portuguese or feature Lusophone artists?

I'm sure we will, eventually, and we've wanted to but for some reason we always end up cruising out of that.

Who is your favorite Mozambican artist and why?

Fany Mpfumo, because he really was an artist. He represented and still represents Mozambique people better than anyone who tries to.

How has living in South Africa impacted your music?

I think it made us more professional and more aware of what works and what doesn't.

What artists and music styles would you say were your biggest musical influences?

Sublime, definitely. The Police. Nirvana. Gorillaz. And many many more...It's hard to say. I think outsiders can distinguish our influences better than we can.

What is the best part about playing music for a living and having people love what you create?

Having people who actually flock to our shows to sing along to something we crafted from scratch. That still amazes me!

Where do you see the band in 5 years?

I can't even imagine the future in a year’s time, let alone 5 years.

What has been your favorite concert venue?

Oooh, difficult one! The old Bassline in Johannesburg did a lot for us. There are plenty of magical venues around.

Who do you sing for, and which new audiences do you want to reach?

We'll sing for anyone who wants to listen. We don't really have a target market, we're not that sophisticated.

What has been your favorite song so far, the one you most want people to remember you by?

Maybe Radio 75. I like the idea behind the song and the fact that it basically has one note.

Radio 75

Listening to your albums it’s easy to see that dub and reggae are your rhythms of choice…what draws you to these sounds?

It's just a default thing. We all like different stuff, and Dub (mainly) is our common ground. We're all always pushing towards different sides, and generally Dub is the one side we can all sway towards without much of a fight. We also started liking it because hardly anyone in South Africa was doing it when we started exploring it.

What’s the idea behind the music video for your single Midnight?

A guy doing the late night shift guarding a typical corporate building bored out of his mind. He's thinking about stuff and allowing his impatience to grow.



How do feel about the way the internet has been reshaping the music industry?

I think it's great. As someone who makes music it's nice to be closer to the people who listen to your music, and that's the main thing the internet is doing to music right now. I steal a bunch of music and I really don't mind people stealing mine. It's a whole market plugged into your computer or mobile phone.

I’ve read you guys randomly picked the name 340ml after stressing about a name for weeks, all because one of you opened the fridge and happened to look at a can of beer. Does the name still sound good?

It was actually a soft drink can. It doesn't sound great to me, and it never will, but I guess it's good at displaying how random we are as musical group. And I guess it's also kind of catchy.

One of my favorite songs of yours is The Untitled Song; any particular reason you guys were unable to name it?

We were having a hard time coming up with a name that wouldn't sound all conscious or high and mighty. We also didn't wanna spoil the song with a dumb name.

The Untitled Song

Who’s the girl in the song Fairy Tales? Or at least, which type of girl is it inspired by?

No one in particular. I think it's a standard worldwide type of post teenager who desperately wants to be part of something. Just a character in a modern day Fairy Tale.

Fairy Tales

What’s the story behind the album name Sorry for the Delay?

People were annoyed with us because they were tired of our first album and needed something new. When we eventually went into studio we felt the need to apologize. We're not only saying we're sorry that the album is only out now but we're also saying sorry to all the people that endure our favorite sound effect (Delay). Even when we were mixing the album we were super conscious about how much delay we would use. I guess it's a play on words with a double meaning thing going.

What’s your favorite SFTD song to play live?

Australopithecus

Australopithecus

What’s the next project after SFTD?

We're trying to organize a SFTD remix album. We already have plenty of remixes, and we also wanna run some type of competition to have at least two remixes by two new comers.

Do you have plans of touring/selling your music in the US?

Nothing concrete yet. Maybe one day.

When can we expect you in Angola?!

We've almost been there a couple of times. We'll keep on trying.

5 musicians/band you listen to weekly, if not daily:

Daily, that's difficult. I flip things quite often. It would have to be quite Pop and enduring. I'll try:

The Beatles; Animal Collective; Radiohead (yup, I'm one of those); Daft Punk; and Mos Def.

Favorite late night crooners when it’s just you and the missus:

Kings Of Convenience, maybe.

Most played song on your iPod:

In the last couple of months: Difference between by Atlas Sound.

Songs/Artists you are currently ‘obsessed’ with:

Obsessed might be quite a strong word. Right now I'm listening to healthy portions of these albums:

Home is Where the Heart Is, by Hugh Masekela;
All Things Must Pass, by George Harrison;
See Mystery Lights, by YACHT;
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, by Phoenix;
Veckatimest ,by Grizzly Bear
Horehound, by The Dead Weather

Favorite WC2010 venue, and will you be attending/playing live gigs?

The Durban stadium looks like it's going to be something special. We have nothing planned, yet. We might be in Europe during the World Cup.

Costa do Sol or Ferroviário do Maputo?

I've been away for too long to decide.

Random thought of the day:

I read a fair amount of books but I hardly ever buy any. Where do they come from? How do they end up in my hands? I should buy a book today.

-Tiago, 340ml

-Photo by 340ml

340ml

Coming Soon: Caipirinha Lounge’s Very First Interview, featuring 340ml

‘Til then, check out the video for Fairy Tales, the single from their second album titled Sorry For The Delay.



Até então, fiquem com o video do single Fairy Tales, que faz parte do seu segundo album, Sorry For The Delay.

Midnight
340ml on Myspace

340ml

My good man DJ Nunas from AM Roots recommended them to me after he read my little complaint about Mozambican music not being really well known in Angola, or much anywhere else for that matter. Nunas said that after reading my blog he thought they fit my style. How right he was. 340ml (named after the amount of beer in a can) is exactly my kind of music. It’s simple, it’s raw, it’s dub. But it’s not in Portuguese, you say. True. But Pedro da Silva Pinto, Paulo Chibanga, Rui Soeiro, and Tiago Paulo are Mozambicans, born and bred, and you can hear it in their music. They moved to South Africa to study, as many Mozambicans and Angolans do, and ended up forming the chill reggae influenced band that is 340ml. There sound has elements of jazz, bossa nova, samba, and marrabenta, all against a backdrop of a sick dub bassline that is so chill to listen to. They have exploded in popularity in South Africa and rightly so, having even opened for the Black Eyed Peas. I’m thinking maybe it should have been the other way around…Enjoy the track Midnight from their debut album Moving, which as you can imagine I can’t find anywhere here in Buenos Aires.

Midnight

O mano DJ Nunas dos AM Roots recomendou-me este grupo depois de ter lido o que escrevi sobre a não divulgação de musica moçambicana em terras angolanas e não só, no post em que escrevi sobre a sua banda. Ele disse que, depois de navegar o Caipirinha Lounge, achava que os 340ml faziam o meu estilo. Não podia estar mas acertado. Os 340ml são exatamente o meu tipo de banda – a sua musica é simples, crua, e dub. O reggae influencia grande parte do trabalho destes homens. Cantam em inglês e residem em Africa do Sul a vários anos, mas Pedro da Silva Pinto, Paulo Chibanga, Rui Soeiro, e Tiago Paulo, os 4 integrantes da banda, são moçambicanos, e pode se ouvir a influencia desta terra nas suas musicas. Como muitos moçambicanos e angolanos, foram para Africa do Sul para estudar e acabaram por ficar por la, mas no ínterim formaram esta banda que é perfeita para noites de tchilo a sério. Há elementos de jazz, bossa nova, samba, e marrabenta nas suas musicas, todas elas acompanhadas pelo baixo forte de musica dub, o que faz das suas musicas uma mistura única de sonidos e influencias. São bastante conhecidos na Africa do Sul, onde ate já abriram concerto pelos Black Eyed Peas (estou aqui pensando que talvez deveria ser ao contrario), e a sua popularidade faz sentido. Carrega no play para ouvir Midnight, um single do seu primeiro álbum, Moving. Album este que não encontro em nenhum lado ca em Buenos Aires. Pudera.

340ml on Myspace
An excellent series of articles and interviews by South African press that will get you inside the head of these four gentlemen

- Photo by 340ml themselves