Cada vez que oiço esta música, a minha mente viaja sempre para um campo de futebol cheio de adeptos a cantarem em uníssono este refrão. Perguntam-me, porque? não saberei responder, porque nem sou apaixonado por futebol, mas a forma como este refrão se reproduz no meu leitor, lembra aqueles hinos futebolísticos de alguns clubes europeus.
Esta é uma daquelas músicas que levanta o ânimo, pela a sua mensagem e energia. Poderá ser para alguns, um "Louvor", sim porque a febre de louvores nos carros de luanda atingiu ja, os 80o C.
Para Jack Nkanga, a vida, sobretudo das pessoas, é a inspiração para fazer este tipo de música, para alem de que o "simples facto de saber que estar em vida, é sujeitar-se a viver consequências e ter a capacidade de vence-las, e tocar a vida para frente"
Esta, é "Uma forma de dizer que o sismo existe mas nós também existimos e que se ele se manifesta nós também nos manifestamos cantando a glória. O que é cantar a glória? é ser positivista no pensar e agir com a razão da felicidade"
Jack Nkanga, numa gravação que levou cerca de quatro horas, contou com o apoio de Hélio Cruz, na Bateria, Bigão Solari no Baixo, José Graciano nas Teclas e Isau Baptista na Guitarra.
Nástio Mosquito is one of the most talented, contemporary Angolan artists I know. He is a man of several aptitudes, equally at home as a performance artists on a stage, or a spoken word maven, or as a voice behind a microphone, laying lyrics on a beat. He's been featured here in the Lounge before, in June 2010 to be exact, where I shared with you some of his earlier work. Since then, Nástio has come out with a much more encompassing body of work, an album called Saindo do Armário (My Blue Print).
I've been listening to it over the last couple of days (it's available pretty much anywhere you can buy a CD digitally, which I think is something more Angolan singers should do, as it is a really good way to have their music exposed to an exponentially larger audience, and isn't that hard to do) and have really enjoyed what I've heard. Each listen is a bit different. Saindo do Armário doesn't play like your normal album, in the sense that it sounds a bit more like a live theatrical/vocal performance, of someone reading a poem on stage to a beat and a guitar or two. In fact, four of the songs on it were recorded live. The album isn't your run of the mill accessible pop CD, and for that I applaud it...the artist's personality really comes through. Among the standout tracks on this 17 song 'blue print' is Phenomenon and the stellar Não Sei Se Vou Te Amar.
O Nástio Mosquito é um dos mais talentosos artistas angolanos que eu conheço, um músico contemporâneo bem à medida da sonoridade em que vivemos. É um homem de várias artes, sentindo-se em casa no palco como performance artist, ou como contador de hisórias e leitor de poemas, ou mesmo como a voz detrás do microfone, liricalmente discursando por cima de um beat. Não é nenhum estranho aqui no Lounge, tendo já sido perfilado em Junho do ano passado, aonde partilhei convosco o seu trabalho mais antigo. Desde então, o Nástio elaborou uma obra mais abrangente e completa, um álbum chamado Saindo do Armário (My Blue Print).
Tenho ouvido-o durante os últimos dias (o álbum está disponível em tudo que é canto onde se compra múscica em formato digital, um exemplo fácil que eu acho que muitos artistas angolanos deveriam seguir para que a sua música seja apreciada por uma audiência muito, mas muito maior) e tenho apreciado o seu trabalho. Cada audição é um pouco diferente. Saindo do Armário não toca como um CD normal...ás vezes mais parece que estamos diante de uma peça teatral, de alguém que lê um poema em palco ao som de um batuqe e talvez uma guitarra. Inclusive, quatro músicas do album foram gravadas ao vivo. O CD não toca como algo genério accessível para todos, e isso torna-o um trabalho único, de um artista que deixa a sua personalidade prevalecer. Entre os melhores temas do disco estão as músicas Phenomenon e a brilhante Não Sei Se Vou Te Amar.
Bet you didn't know that there's a cover of Ray Charles iconic track, Hit The Road Jack, in Portuguese! Mo'horizons, the Latin jazz and funk band from Germany so prominent in downtempo, chillout, and Buddha Bar albums, created this track back in 2001. They called their version "Pé na Estrada", which translates literally to 'foot on the road'. Covering songs successfully is a difficult thing to do, even more so when you're covering it in another language entirely. Props to Mo'horizons for doing it so brilliantly, as 'Pé na Estrada' manages to evoke the attitude and energy of the Ray Charles classic with a dash of a quintessentially Brazlian carefree spirit, perfect for these Luandan summer days. Thanks to my friend Chris for letting me know about this track.
Aposto que não sabiam que existe um cover do Hit the Road Jack, canção clássica de um génio musical chamado Ray Charles, em português! O responsável por ela é a banda Mo'horizons, um duo alemão que especializa em jazz e funk latino, chillout, downtempo, e acid jazz. Criaram está música em 2001, e chamaram-na Pé na Estrada".
Ja estou com o pé na estrada E não vou mais voltar, não vou, não vou, não vou!
Meu pensamento exacto quando estava no avião a caminho de Luanda, se bem que o meu pé não estava na estrada mais sim no ar e se bem que eu vou voltar. Mas anyways. Ficaram com a ideia. Em díficil fazer um cover em condições de músicais imortais como esta, ainda mais quando é numa língua diferente, por isso parabéns Mo'horizons pela proeza. Conseguiram capturar a atitude e energia da versão original da música e puseram nela aquele ar desprocupado, aquele ar de verão. Obrigado ao meu kamba Chris pela dica.
This is without a doubt one of the smoothest, most eclectic albums of contemporary Brazilian music (it was released in 2004). It's an astonishing piece of work for its originality, groove and vibe - yet another album that proves that São Paulo is truly Brazil's musical capital (sorry cariocas!). Envisioned and created by revered Brazilian music producer and DJ BiD (Eduardo Bidlovski), Bambas e Biritas (spliffs and booze in Portuguese) fuses Brazilian musicality with funk, soul, hip-hop, and electronica. The result is a highly cosmopolitan record featuring such contemporary Brazilian stars as Elza Soares, Carlos Daffé, Black Allen, and that man Seu Jorge on the track E Depois, one of my favorite songs of all time and a song featured on what is perhaps Putumayo's best compilation, Brazilian Lounge.
Não Pára is both the opening song of the album as well as this post's introduction into the sound of BiD. Featuring Carlos Daffé, it puts you in a relaxed mood and introduces your ear drums to what this album is all about and what's about to come next. Perplexed, your eardrums attempt to understand and make sense of the sublime rhythms engulfing their existence. And what comes next is even better. To me it's the best song on the album after E Depois: a laid-back electronica/hip-hop/soul/funk/drum'n'bass mash-up called Na Noite se Resolve that morphs in and out of those genres into something greater, something unique. The man you hear rapping to his heart's content is Black Alien, and DJ Soul Singer helped out with production. Drunk on music, your eardrums brace themselves for the next song, Maestro do Canão featuring Rappin' Hood and Funk Buia. It's another electronica/hip-hop track that shows you that the practice of fusing disparate genres into a coherent whole is alive and well in São Paulo, Brazil. Give your eardrums something to celebrate. There's a lot more from where that came from, so buy the album.
Este é sem dúvida um dos albums mais eclécticos e sofisticados de música contemporânea brasileira dos últimos tempos (saiu em 2004). É uma obra de arte hipnotizante, um trabalho simplesmente surpreendente devido a sua originalidade, musicalidade e 'vibe'. O talentoso e muito respeitado DJ e produtor brasileiro BiD (Eduardo Bidlovski) prova mais uma vez que a capital musical do Brasil é São Paulo (a verdade é para ser dita, cariocas!). Criado e elaborado por ele mesmo, Bambas e Biritas é um um album que celebra a fusão de ritmos e géneros, neste caso o funk, soul, hip-hop e electronica. O resultado é uma obra cosmopólita que tem a participação de nomes sonantes da cena musical brasileira tal como a Elza Soares, o Carlos Daffé, o Black Allen e o nosso velho conhecido Seu Jorge, que neste album participa na música E Depois. E Depois é um dos meus brindes preferidos de todos os tempos e destaque principal da melhor compilação do Putumayo, o disco Brazilian Lounge.
O album abre com Não Pára, que tem a participação do Carlos Daffé. É com esta música que os seus tímpanos se familarizam com a sonoridade do BiD, perplexos que tal qualidade musical afinal existe. A música é relaxante, a vibe é laid-back. Ansiosos pelo que vem a seguir, seus tímpanos são novamente assaltados por algo que nunca antes ouviram, uma fusão sublime de electronica, hip-hop, soul, funk, e drum'n'bass chamada Na Noite se Resolve, que alterna desalmadamente entre os diferentes ritmos que a fazem única. É para mim a melhor música do disco a seguir ao E Depois. A voz que nos assalta o pensamento é do Black Alien, e a produção está a cargo do DJ Soul Singer. Bêbados de tanta música fantástica, seus tímpanos tentam acalmar-se para poderem saborear em pleno a próxima música, Maestro do Canão. Desta vez os rappers de serviço são o Rappin' Hood e o Funk Buia, e esta é mais uma fusão de hip-hop e electronica que mostra a capacidade de inovação dos artistas paulistanos. Dê aos seus tímpanos o prazer de música como deve ser e compre o álbum...todo ele é de qualidade.
Hardly a day goes by anymore that I don't listen to Seu Jorge. What an artist. Whether it be on the silver screen or on stage, Mané Galinha or the front man for the wildly successful Seu Jorge & Almaz project, the man just keeps reinventing himself. His versatility and scope is mesmerizing: on one album he is doing a heartfelt Portuguese rendition of a David Bowie track, while on the next he is crooning Michael Jackson's Rock With You.
But perhaps my favorite Seu Jorge jam is Em Nagoya Eu Vi Eriko, from his album 'Carolina'. It was the soundtrack to this World Cup summer, whether in Cape Town or Luanda, and it provided the backdrop to some truly memorable moments. With my cousin Songay at the wheel and a brighly lit, nighttime Luanda as our surroundings, we would blast the song driving down the Ilha with that balmy sea breeze hitting us in the face, belting the song at the top of our lungs. "Not even Americans do funk like this," Songay would say. What a hell of a song...with its deep bassline, energetic funky groove, and oriental feel, it's the perfect song to say farewell to the summer, at least here in the States where autumn is fast approaching.
Here's to Seu Jorge and that he keeps making music like this.
São raros os dias em que não oiço Seu Jorge. Artistas como ele já não se fazem. Seja no ecrã do cinema ou em palco, seja como Mané Galinha ou o vocalista da grande novidade deste verão, o projecto Seu Jorge & Almaz, o talento deste homem está mais que visível. A sua versatilidade e a sua capacidade de reinvenção são realmente incríveis. Num álbum está a fazer um cover duma música de David Bowie, e no próximo é ouvi-lo a cantar Rock With You, de Michael Jackson.
Mas acho mesmo que a minha música preferida do Seu Jorge é mesmo Em Nagoya Eu Vi Eriko, do seu álbum Carolina (Samba Esporte Fino no Brasil). Dela não me canso. Foi a trilha sonora deste verão com sabor a futebol, com presença assídua no stereo, quer seja em Cape Town, quer seja em Luanda. Foi numa Luanda nocturna e brilhante, com o meu kota Songay ao volante, que mais se ouviu essa música. Com a estrada Mortala Mohammed como pista, com aquele vento peculiar da Ilha a nos acareciar a cara. Nós dentro do carro, a entoar a música como se de hino se tratasse. O Songay só dizia, "Nem nos states se faz funk assim..!" Este é um 'brinde' a sério. O baixo é forte, a energia é funk, e até soa um pouco à Japão. Boa música para se despedir do verão, pelo menos aqui nos States onde o outono já anda por aí a espreitar.
Longa vida ao Seu Jorge, porque quero continuar a ouvir música assim por muito mais tempo.
It’s the tenth track on Stereo Maracanã’s CD Combatente and one of the top jams of the album. Like any great CD, Combatente gets better with repeated listenings. You know how sometimes you listen to a CD and then forget about it for a while, only to pick it up later and rediscover a song?
That’s Nesta for me. I gave Combatente another listen a couple of days ago and Nesta hit me at a different angle. It might have been my mood, or the surroundings, who knows these things for sure; all I know is that it started to play and I started bobbing my head, grooving to the rhythm, really letting the song get under my skin. Nesta does that to you, for it’s a quality track. Classic Stereo Maracanã, with a funky beat, experimental electronic arrangements by that man Mauricio Pacheco, an expressive carioca rap, and a lot of attitude. I love its grittiness, its hints of reggae, its bass line, and that sublime electric guitar that pops up midway through the song.
É a décima faixa do CD Combatente, e um dos melhores sons do álbum. Como qualquer grande CD, Combatente melhora com a idade. Creio que nós todos fazemos isso: ouvimos um CD por um tempo, depois o esquecemos, só para depois pegar nele de novo e redescobrir uma música que antes nos passou despercebida.
Foi o que me aconteceu com Nesta. Uns dias àtras perdi-me no Combatente e Nesta me atacou de outro ângulo. Não sei se era a minha disposição de momento, o ambiente à volta, quem sabe dessas coisas....só sei que quando começou a tocar o brinde, o ritmo entrou-me à sério. Nesta afinal não é brincadeira, é música no verdadeiro sentido da palavra. Stereo Maracanã no seu melhor, com aquele funky beat, arranjos electrónicos experimentalistas à cargo de um tal de Maurício Pacheco, um rap bem carioca, e muita atitude. Adoro quão crua esta música consegue ser, adoro o seu cheiro à reggae, o ritmo do baixo, e aquela sublime guitarra eléctrica que aparece ao meio do som.
As we grow up through childhood, adolescence and later adulthood, our brains are formatted and molded so that we are able to label things and people as 'normal' or 'crazy'. Seen from these lenses, Nástio Mosquito seems insane. He doesn't fit the mold, by any stretch of the imagination. When my cousin Songay Pinto gave me his DVD and music a couple of days ago, my sister said something to the tune of "This Mosquito guy is crazy. Like, literally c-r-a-z-y." I saw the DVD, I listed to the music and I can understand why she would say that. He says some pretty ridiculous, outlandish things. But me, I like Mosquito. I think he's innovative, very talented, and yeah, he has a healthy amount of crazy in him. We all do. He just decides to let it all out. The art he creates is brilliant. A true artist, the man is a musician, poet, performer, videographer, and spoken word artist, all at once. And I don't think he cares at all what you think about him.
Included in this post are two 'songs' which are really just spoken word monologues to the tune of rhythmic drum & bass. They're names - Two Naked Man and Three Naked Man - defy explanation. Just go with it. Perhaps the best way to attempt to understand Nástio Mosquito is to visit his websites, provided below, and to listen to his rants.
And most importantly, if you are in Luanda, the man is performing live tomorrow at the Espaço Bahia at 20:00 if I'm not mistaken. See you there.
Ao modo que vamos crescendo e desenvolvendo as nossas mentes, passando pela nossa criancice, adolescência, e depois a vida de adultos, os nossos cérebros são formatados e moldados para que sejamos capazes de distinguir coisas e pessoas como sendo ‘normais’ ou ‘malucas’. Seguindo este racioncinio, o Nástio Mosquito não bate bem. Não encaixa em nenhum formato que formamos nas nossas mentes. Quando o meu primo Songay Pinto (a minha biblioteca, jura) deu me o DVD e algumas músicas do Nástio, a minha irmã disse “Esse Mosquito é maluco! Completamente!” Vi então o DVD, ouvi as músicas e posso compreender porque é que ela disse aquilo. O homem diz coisas completamente ridículas. Mas epa, eu gosto dele. Às vezes é bom ouvir coisas fora do ‘normal’, coisas que nos fazem olhar para o mundo de outra maneira. Acho ele inovador, criativo, e claro, maluco, mas um maluco saudável. Porque maluco somos todos, só que uns conseguem internalizar a sua maluquice melhor do que outros. O homem é artista a sério: músico, poeta, videographer, entre outras habilidades. E acho que não quer lá saber se o achamos maluco ou não.
Incluído neste post estão duas ‘músicas’ que não são bem músicas mas sim discursos ao som de um rítmico drum & bass. Os seus títulos, Two Naked Man e Three Naked Man, carecem de explicação. Aceita só. Talvez a melhor maneira de tentar perceber este artista é visitar os seus websites (links abaixo do post) e ouvir os seus ‘discursos’.
E o mais importante. Para quem estiver em Luanda, ele vai actuar amanhã no Espaço Bahia por volta das 20:00, salvo erro. Nos vemos lá.
Caipirinha Lounge was no match for Makmende. He’s invaded this website, just as he’s invaded countless websites and forums as well as Facebook and Twitter. At the time of this writing, Makmende has more than 43,000 Facebook fans, his own website, and 754 followers on Twitter. He’s Africa’s first truly viral internet sensation. Makmende is the fictional character and superhero star of the music video for the song Ha-He, by the Kenyan outfit Just a Band. Overnight, I’ve become a big enthusiast of Just a Band. The sound they’re creating is exciting – a unique, Kenyan blend of funk, house, soul, electronic, and disco. Kinda changes the way people think about "African music."Songs like Ha-He and Usinibore, off their sophomore effort 82, are a great intro into the sound that these boys produce, engineer, record, and write themselves. And Makemende, a spoof of blaxploitation and kung-fu movies we all know and love, is a great window into this band’s psyche. They're going places, Just a Band...as is Kenyan music in general. It's a pleasure for the Lounge to support quality Kenyan music.
Posted here for your visual and aural enjoyment, and without further ado, is Makmende in the flesh. And blood.
O Caipirinha Lounge não conseguiu resistir ao Makmende (há que ser solidários com os nossos irmãos quenianos). Foi invadida pelo fenómeno. Ele invadiu este website tal como invadiu tantas outras, enfim, tal como invadiu a internet. Tem página no Facebook e seguidores no Twitter. Só no Facebook, já são mais que 43,000 fãs, e no Twitter, são 754 os seguidores.
E o Makmende é uma personagem fictícia.
É talvez a primeira sensação internautica a assolar o Quénia em particular e África em geral. O que em linguagem internautica se chama “viral sensation.” A personagem do Makmende foi inventada pela banda queniana Just a Band, um grupo pelo qual nutro um saudável respeito. É ele o herói do vídeoclip da música Ha-He, o segundo single do segundo disco da banda, intitulado 82. O som dos Just a Band é captivante: uma fusão queniana de funk, house, soul, electronica, e disco. Seguramente que vai mudar um pouco a forma como as pessoas aqui no ‘West’ encaram e conceptualizam a ‘música africana’. Músicas como Ha-He e Usinibore, do disco 82, são uma boa introdução ao trabalho dos Just a Band. E o vídeo de Ha-He, onde aparece o tal Makmende numa clara alusão a filmes como The Shaft e Kung Fu Hustle, é uma boa introdução ao ‘stease’ deste grupo. Esses jovens vão longe...e a música queniana também.
**Interesting facts about Makmende (most of them from this equally interesting article):**
"After platinum, albums go Makmende" "They once made a makmende toilet paper, but there was a problem: It wouldn’t take shit from anybody!!!" "Makmende hangs his clothes on a safaricom line and when they dry he stores them in a flashdisk!" "Makemend's so huge, he can't fit in Wikipedia." "Makmende uses viagra in his eyedrops, just to look hard."
These two guys in the photo, they're doing something special. They get it. This spanking brand new outfit is Portugal's own interpretation of soul and funk. Rodrigo and Felipe are Soulbizness' frontmen, each hailing from Lisbon and each being equally in love with the boogey woogey brand of music that they create. They don't sing in Portuguese though, probably to maximize their exposure and make their music more accessible. Soulbizness, formed in 2007, started becoming more and more successful after they won a popular Portuguese music competition in 2007, and they took the country by storm after they released their hit single Oh Sugar. To get a taste of what their all about, click on Room 108 and feel their catchy vibe. Thankfully, their debut album is coming out soon.
UPDATE: Technical Difficulties/Dificuldade Técnicas For reasons unfathomable to me, the Yahoo Media Player doesn't want to play this link. Infuriating. So right-click on this link (Room 108) and press "save link as" to hear and download Room 108, while I try to fix the problem!
Estes dois jovens na foto estão a fazer algo especial, especial mesmo. Fazem parte dos Soulbizness, um grupo electrizante que está reinterpretar a soul e funk music com um olhar português. Os na foto chamam-se Rodrigo e Felipe, são lisboetas, e adoram a música funk dos velhos tempos. Não cantam em português, talvez para ter uma maior audiência e assim tornar a sua música mais accessível mundialmente, mas mesmo assim ja começam a pôr o nome de Portugal no circuíto da música soul internacional. Ganharam um concurso músical da TMN em 2007 quando eram totalmente desconhecidos, e desde lá nunca mais olharam para trás. Hoje, têm um país inteiro e não só a esperar ansiosamente pelo seu CD. Para sentirem a vibe, curtam o som Room 108, postado aqui para o vosso consumo imediato.
This is not even close to Portuguese, but, you know, I just couldn't resist. Brothers on the Slide might just be among the top three funk songs I have ever heard. It’s like that song you play at full blast in your car with the windows down if you’re feeling particularly invincible, or like the one you play on your headphones as you walk down the street because you know today is your day. You know, that day where all the pretty girls are looking at you and nothing is going wrong and you look good and you even remembered to shave and tie your shoes this morning. It’s impossible not to groove to it – this song was not designed for you to stand still. And that’s all before the brass section comes in…! My flatmate heard this song in some movie commercial, proceeded to download it, and then played it on our stereo – we’ve been hooked ever since. Here’s to Cymande, that band from Guyana and Jamaica that took London by storm in the early seventies. Here’s to the eclectic funk that they’ve created. Music like this isn’t made anymore…
Sei que não é nem próximo ao lusófono, mas há vezes que não posso me conter. Gosto de partilhar o que é bom na vida, rsrs. Brothers on the Slide deve ser um dos top 3 funks que eu ja ouvi “em toda minha vida”, como diz o meu puto Didi. É daquelas músicas para se ouvir com o volume alto no carro e os vidros baixados, para se sentir bem o vento e a fúria de viver. É daquelas músicas para se ouvir quando estás a andar na rua e o dia está a correr da melhor forma: é um dia ensolarado, todas as damas estão a te olhar, finalmente conseguiste vestir roupa de jeito, e até te lembraste de fazer a barba de manhã. Sons como este, são para se apreciar na pista de dança, também. Sente só a parte onde enra o saxofone..! O meu flatmate ouviu esta música numa publicidade qualquer, fez o download, e botou no stereo…desde então que andamos todos viciados. Longa vida aos Cymande, grupo proveniente da Guyana e da Jamaica que rebentou com tudo e todoas aquando da sua estreia em Londres em principios dos anos 70. Longa vida ao funk ecléctico que eles criaram. Música assim, já não é feita…
She’s that sumptuous voice on Max de Castro’s track Nego do Cabelo Bom, and ever since I heard it I wondered what else that voice could do. Inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, Ed Motta, and Quincy Jones among others, Paula Lima is one of Brazil’s major soul sisters, and she’s been a diva extraordinaire in various stages, bands, and groups since the faraway year of 1992. Her debut album, É Isso Aí, was a critically acclaimed piece of art and featured the likes of Seu Jorge, our well known Max de Castro, Jorge Ben Jor, Ed Motta, among others. The songs below however are two gems from two of her more recent CDs, Paula Lima (2003) and Sinceramente (2006). Gafieira S.A. is a funky track and hard not to groove to, while Negras Perucas manages to be calmer and more introspective without sacrificing an energy-packed beat.
É dela aquela voz sumptuosa da track do Max de Castro, Nego do Cabelo Bom, e desde que a ouvi tenho tentado saber um pouco mais sobre a portadora daquela voz. A Paula Lima é uma das soul sisters do Brazil, e tem sido uma diva de realce desde 1992, tendo actuado em várias bandas, pisado vários palcos, e cantando com vários grupos. O seu disco de estreia,É Isso Aí, foi muito bem recebido no Brasil e contou com a participação de artistas como Seu Jorge, o nosso ja conhecido Max de Castro, o Jorge Ben Jor, o Ed Motta, e outros. Acima estão duas músicas de CDs seus mais recentes, o disco Paula Lima (2003) e Sinceramente (2006). Gafieira S.A. é um som mexido, funky, com influências do soul americano, e Negras Perucas consegue ser um pouco mais calmo e introspectivo sem deixar de ter um beat minimamente energético.
ComfusõesA lot of Brazilian people don’t know much about Angola. What sparked your interest in that country? And how many times have you been there?
Well, the first time I heard Angolan music was when my old friend Moreno Veloso (son of great singer Caetano Veloso) put the Alliance Française compilation "Angola 70's" to play. I felt at home with all that music, melodies, and was really affected by the lyrics, by their struggle for independence, by the way Teta Lando and Bonga sang. Later in my life, in the year 2002, just after the war ended, I was invited by a friend, the photographer Sergio Guerra, who was beginning his music label called Maianga (the label that released Comfusões). I went to Luanda to record with Paulo Flores, and since then I came back 5 times.
When did you first become interested in Angolan music?
Well, I guess since I listened to Teta Lando for the first time.
What is it about Angolan music from the 60s and 70s that brought out your passion?
Well, first of all, the sound. That unique vintage reverb and echo, then the typical Angolan guitar, EQ with many high frequencies and tap delay, and then, the soulful vocals. That time when ideology was really something important to the people, obviously the singers brought their ideologies to their vocals. Like Bob Dylan did, like Bob Marley did.
Tell us what you feel when you listen to those old records. How does it move you, and what made you want to remix them?
The remix was something natural. As a producer, the approach was that those beautiful songs needed some contemporary versions, because it fit to them, when you listen, you can imagine that there was a drummer shuffling, but in the mix they kind of forgot him. Something like that, it's a feeling you have, that you can do something that can put light again into those beautiful tunes. I think a remix is better than another version, because no one can sing like these guys did at that time. It’s unique. It’s not their technique; it's something particular of that time, the feeling of that independence era, that unique vibe.
How did you go about choosing the remixers?
Well, I have a lot of close friends that are producers and share this love for African music in general. So it was an easy pick. I just tried to imagine the tunes that could go well with each one of them, then I sent some options, and in many cases I did the remix together.
What were your favorite tracks to remix?
My favorite is Zom Zom, the last track of the CD. I love Elias vocals, and I'm not so much into electronic music, but I listen to some deep house, so I guess it was an influence to this remix in particular. And I put some Kraftwerk-like keyboard melody at the end of the track, so it was full of good references to me.
I guess Teta Lando. He is the most representative, the most political, and Angolé is an eternal hymn, not only for Angola, but for everybody. It doesn't matter the color of your skin, like he says. I hope we're done with racism soon. This is the best anti-racism song for me.
When do you plan to release Comfusões 2? Any exclusive information you want to give us about that album?
Well, I can't say a lot because I didn't get started yet, really. But it’s definitely a promise for me, that I'll organize and produce volume 2, with a lot of surprises and new remixers. The first musician I invited to do a remix is my friend Kalaf, from Buraka Som Sistema.
Have you had a chance to expose Angolans to your work?
A I mentioned, Kalaf and Conductor, from BSS, listened to it, and they liked! That was really good for me! Well, I have some friends that are putting Comfusões finally on the raido in Angola, like DJ Znobia, and my good friend Wyza, the best singer of the new generation. Wyza is amazing, he can be as big as Salif Keita, in my opinion. Have you heard of him?
Have you had the chance to travel outside of Luanda?
Unfortunately, no. I just went to Cabo Ledo, and Barra do Kwanza, but I didn’t go to other provinces. I'd love to, next time I go there, and meet other musicians and the different lifestyles of places like Benguela.
Zom Zom and Chofer de Praça are among my favorite tracks from that album, and both stay very faithful to the original material. How did you go about choosing which rhythms went the best with the original work?
Well, I'm very experimental, that's the way I work. Chofer de praça was a suggestion of the Label director, Sergio Guerra. He showed me the track and talked about bringing Dog Murras, the kuduro superstar, to add some vocals. So I started imagining Murras vibes, and then gave to the track an uptempo beat, wich i think worked well with Murras. He normally sings at 140bpm, so this tracks was really cool and easy for him, and he did some great party vocals and definitely it's his track. Zom Zom is a hypnotic track. Normally at the end, when I master a CD, I just can't listen to it for a week or so, and in this case, I only kept listening to Zom Zom...
Besides Zom Zom, what is your favorite track from Comfusões 1?
Kuale Ngo Valodo. Lamartine is a reggae man! He's like Ranking Joe, or Taper Zukkie, you know?
Stereo Maracanã Tell us a bit of how Stereo Maracanã came into existence.
Stereo Maracanã is the union of different people from different parts of Rio. This biodiversity in a group is typical of a city like Rio, and it's good for the sound, because we change experiences, and we have one that grew in samba, the other is a reggae drummer, the other comes from the capoeira environment, and I try to balance everything in the production of the tracks. Ironically, I was called the "rocker", can you imagine? Because I play the guitar. But in the new CD that we're recording now the guitars will be more and more african, I guess...
Freestyle Love is my favorite song from the album Combatentes. What is the idea behind the song and its video?
Well, Freestyle Love is amazing, it just keep surprising us. It's in several compilations around the world every year. I think we pictured this carioca way of life in this track, and maybe that's because people associate it to Brazil, Rio, and put it into Brazilian contemporary music compilations. We just did it like that, and this track helped us a lot already. We toured Europe 2 times, mainly because of this very track.
What would you say is the genre and musical style of Stereo Maracanã?
I'd say roots capoeira eletrofunk.
Tell us about the hip-hop movement in Brazil.
Well, I like hip hop, and listen to a lot of rappers in Brazil, but I don't follow the so called hip hop movement in Brazil. I guess Sao Paulo is the main city of the movement. hip hop is strong there. In Rio, samba is everywhere, so hip hop became strongly influenced by the samba culture. Macelo D2 is a very good example of that. He is rapper, but when you see him, you could say he is a samba composer, you know?
What would you say are the main differences between the funk of SM and hip-hop?
I think SM is not hip hop. We use rap vocals, and we know a lot of hip hop, we're playing for a while now, so we know everybody, we respect a lot the movement, but we're just in another style, musically. We're closer to funk carioca and samba, with rap vocals. We do not have a DJ, we don't dress like typical rappers do, so I guess the only element of the hip hop culture that is really present is the rap, and the themes of the lyrics as well.
Sou Local and Onde É Que Tu Tá are two great tracks in which you display a lot of love for Rio de Janeiro. How has the city inspired you?
Yo, Rio is a marvelous city. Rio is like a team that you love, you know? It's like the Yankees, to New York people, and like Flamengo, to us. Everybody that is "carioca" is proud of it. We defend our lifestyle, you know? Sometimes, going to the beach for half an hour during a work day is an attitude, is not something lazy or whatever. We love the people here, the people of this city really inspires us every day.
What is the story behind the French inspired track République?
It's a Pedro (the vocalist) story. He had this girlfriend in Paris, when he lived there, and they had a date, but he couldn't make it because there was a police block and they stopped him, and the time was passing, and he didn’t have a cell phone to call her, etc...
When did you first become interested in making a living off music?
That's good. I never thought of music as something to get money. It was always a dream, to be on stage, to do an original sound and make it as a musician, but it didn't think of making a living of it. When I became a professional musician, I still didn't think I could live of that. After a while, I started producing music, recording, and then, only after all that, I assumed that I could be an artist, a musician, and that's what I do for a living and for my soul, and that's who I am. Music is my passion, and I'll always fight for it.
What first captivated you about the production aspect of music?
The frustration of not being able to build the sound that I imagined. I just decided that I had to learn it, so as I could be in charge and build my own sound.
What was the first song you ever released?
My first production was Freestyle Love, really. The first single offStereo Maracanã, my first CD as a producer.
5 musicians/band you listen to weekly, if not daily:
Steel Pulse Banda Black Rio Led Zeppelin Jorge Ben Jor Fela Kuti
Favorite late night crooners when it’s just you and the missus:
Bob Marley "turn your lights down low", great track!
Most played song on your iPod:
that's hard, but, okay, I'll play this game. Just one? I’ll pick "State of Mind", from Raul Midon. This week...
Biggest musical influences?
Jorge Ben Jor, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Lee Perry, Gilberto Gil, The Clash, and music from Mali, Angola and Cuba, in general.
Favorite city in Brazil? Favorite city in the world?
Rio de Janeiro, no more to say. In the world? Man, I'm too carioca to admit that any city can beat Rio. But I feel at home in Barcelona and New York, as well. Too greaaat cities!
Random thought of the day:
The most important thing is to do what you love to do, and believe in yourself. You know, sometimes we're just so self-critical, that we can't even recognize that we can be good, even though we'll never be perfect, or even close to perfection. Do the best that you can, and that's a good start, for every work.
Comprised of Mauricio Pacheco (Comfusões), Bruno Pé de Boi, Jovem Cerebral, Biguli, Ruvicio Gomes and Pedro D-Lita, Stereo Maracanã’s sound is as diverse as their line-up. When you experience the blast of sound that comes from your headphones/stereo, you’ll realize that their vibe can best be described as an eclectic mix of hip-hop, funk, afro-beat, reggae, and capoeira polished with superior electronic programming by our well-known Mauricio Pacheco, who is no novice on the mixing tables. Stereo Maracanã are from Rio de Janeiro and proud of it. Their sound is grimy and real, and their lyrics are socially conscious, strongly so. Their message is one for the masses, and they love to speak out against social exclusion, social injustice, and inequality in the distribution of wealth, themes that any visitor to Rio will readily recognize. Included here is their hit Freestyle Love, a song I'm currently addicted to, as well as the anthem Sou Local and the mellower Esta É Uma Historia – listen to the lyrics and bob your head to the sound of Rio's pulse.
Composto por Mauricio Pacheco (Comfusões), Bruo Pé de Boi, Jovem Cerebral, Biguli, Ruvicio Gomes e Pedro D-Lita, o Stereo Maracanã é uma banda com um estilo tão diverso como os seus integrantes. Quando ouves pela primeira vez o som estonteante desta banda pelos teus headphones, ou melhor ainda, por via do teu stéreo, deparas-te com uma mistura ecléctica de hip-hop, funk, afro-beat, reggae, e capoeira, toda ela vestida de uma produção electronica feita pelo nosso ja conhecido Mauricio Pacheco, que como sabemos ja é craque nessas matérias de mixagem. O Stereo Maracanã é orgulhosamente carioca. O som deles é original, funky, e verdadeiro; as suas letras são de carácter altamente social. A sua mensagem é contra o racismo, a exclusão social, e a exploração dos mais fracos, coisas que qualquer visitante ao Rio vê a olho nu. Mas de vez em quando tambem gostam de kamasutra, como hão de descobrir caso oiçam com atenção a letra de Freestyle Love, uma das suas músicas mais emblemáticas. Incluídas aqui estão tambem as canções Sou Local e Esta É Uma História, outro som que merece uma escutadela com atenção. ‘Press play’ e sintam a pulsação das ruas do Rio.
*All songs featured in their debut CD, Combatente, which also features a song with Angolan Big Nelo.
She has the sort of voice and late nite vibe that DJs and producers love to sample and remix. Ive’s work has been remixed by my favorite Brazilian drum’n’bass artists, DJ Patife and DJ Marky, as well as by European producers such as Dimitri from Paris. It is the latter’s reinterpretation of Ive’s work that is included here. Dimitri, who isn’t really from Paris, transformed the track Natural High into a funky house jam that evokes images of sensual tropical nights and balmy breezes, made more so by Ive Mendes silky smooth crooning. And if you haven’t yet seen the video of the original track, I highly suggest you do so. Wink.
Ela tem aquele tipo de voz sensual e provocativo que os DJs e productores adoram ‘samplar’ e remixar. Os meus artistas preferidos de drum’n’bass brasileiros, o DJ Patife e o DJ Marky, e tambem productores Europeus como Dimitri From Paris, ja tiveram a gentileza de remixar algumas músicas desta bela cantora. Incluído neste espaço está o Sumo Remix de Natural High feito por Dimitri from Paris, que nem sequer é de Paris. Ele conseguiu transformar a canção Natural High de smooth bossa jazz para uma combinação de funk e house que nos transporta para ambientes sensuais e tropicais, de brizas leves que são acariciadas pela voz sempre ardente de Ive Mendes. E para quem ainda não viu o vídeo da canção original, recomendo. ;)
“Without music, life would be an error.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Caipirinha Lounge is all about music in Portuguese or by Lusophone artists. It's born out of a sincere belief that Lusophone music should reach a much larger audience. The lounge features music from Brazil, Angola, Portugal, Guine-Bissau, Cabo Verde, São Tomé & Principe, Mozambique, Galicia, and even Timor-Leste. Occasionally, there will be posts about singers so good that the fact that they do not sing in Portuguese is momentarily overlooked.
The purpose of this bilingual blog is purely educational. Plug in your earphones and hear rhythms from places you have never heard of, from artists you have never heard about, sung in the world's most beautiful language. If you like a song, you can download it by right clicking on it and then clicking "save target as". If you like it a lot, buy the cd, support the artist, keep good music alive.
If you are a singer or a label and want a particular song taken down, please contact me. Or, if you have music you think I will enjoy, do send! claudio.silva(at)caipirinhalounge.com
Unless otherwise expressly stated, all text in this weblog and any related pages, including the weblog's archives, is licensed by Cláudio C. Silva under a Creative Commons License.
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