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Diaries
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Written by Listen Recovery
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Tuesday, 23 December 2008 |
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Six years ago the three-decade young Perú Negro broke into US cultural territory.
Each visiting year the tours extended in time and space and the ensemble’s visibility
in the American Performing Arts scene settled into a fixture. After visiting hundreds
of universities and schools across the North American continent, audiences are still
surprised to find out that the African diaspora extends to Perú. We know this new
musical effort will contribute to enhancing that knowledge. When the group prepared
for this upcoming album and tour, the creative juices splashed in different directions.
Nevertheless, Perú Negro continues to represent the stalwart of Afro Peruvian music and
dance and despite the injection of youth and modernity, it’s maximum ambition revolves
around the preservation of a musical legacy, a heritage that receives mediocre support
at home.
I could write extensive notes on the history and the stories of the group, however I am
choosing to concentrate on the music that you now find yourself listening to in your car,
in the living room, or thanks to technology, at almost any unimaginable place. The
stories and the history navigate all over that wonderful globalizing tool known as the
internet. Also, we can finally celebrate the publishing of the first academic work on the
subject, “Black Rhythms of Peru,” so professionally researched and written by our friend
Heidi Feldman.
The recording of the album spanned over a period of a year and a few months, partially
due to geopolitical circumstances. What you have in your hands now is a musical product
like no other that comes out of Peru where the recording industry succumbed to piracy
and artists must struggle to phonographically archive their creations appropriately.
Lead by the Cajón, Afro Peruvian music embarked on the path of universal recognition
and Perú Negro’s contribution to such effort must not go unrecognized. The cajón, the
heartbeat of this music, a simple wooden box originally conceived as a musical instrument
on the coast of Perú is now played around the world in a plethora of musical circles,
opening borders to cultural integration.
What is left now is for you to make yourself comfortable to enjoy the music on this
album, forget about time signatures, academic discourse, or vernacular translations,
liberate yourself and enjoy the music, let it boost the palpitation of your heart
and uninhibitedly dance it away. Perú Negro expects nothing else from you than to
celebrate the music with them.
The Music of Zamba Malató
The repertoire on this album portrays a combination of classics of the Perú Negro
performance songbook and a couple of new pieces. Of course most of the songs are
best enjoyed watching the group perform and dance them on stage. The opening number
Una Negra y un Negro is a festejo, the more festive of Afro Peruvian genres. The
song relates a story of newlyweds who after a few mishaps finally consummate their
love. So for those curious about the details, the chorus responds “eso no se
dice . . .” (that cannot be told). This piece concentrates pure group effort without
lead voices. The vocals you hear come from all the members of the company singing
in unison . . . The title track, Zamba Malató is a landó, the more sensually
captivating of Peruvian genres. Here is where I must warn you that literal
translations can morph the original meaning of the song. Blacks in Perú were not
socialized in similar experiences as their North American counterparts and the
term zamba employed to refer to women of mixed African ancestry does not carry
the negative connotations used in the United States. This song is better appreciated
with the dance that recreates the relationships developed by women who performed
laundry chores together . . . Cañete represents a tribute to the town known as the
“cradle of champions” for its fruitful production of Black luminaries including the
founder of Peru Negro, Ronaldo Campos de la Colina. . . Que Tiene Miguel is a zamacueca,
a sibling of the landó however more upbeat. This song narrates the abuses to which
slaves were exposed while working in the farms and haciendas of the Peruvian South.
Chronicles tell the story that the liberator Simon Bolivar was an avid dancer of the
zamacueca . . . Festejo de Ritmo showcases the percussive chops of the group’s rhythm
section. This piece is also a ritual dance that energizes the execution of both musicians
and dancers. At the enigmatic Dance Africa in Brooklyn the group performed this piece
with the BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble, a group of young female dancers from
the Stuyvesant neighborhood and together literally brought the house down . . .
I first heard Golpe e’ Tierra on an old recording by Susana Baca and immediately fell in love
with it. The musical and historical value of this song relies on its capture
of the legacy of Afro descendants in the northern coast of Peru, a subject otherwise
poorly studied. Here, as you can also hear on other tracks, we introduced the West
African djembe now featured as an integral part of the ensemble. Perú Negro was criticized
in the 70s for the use of Cuban congas, we expect that thirty years later another
effort to reconnect with the diaspora will not be frowned upon. After the late Celia
Cruz recorded Toro Mata, the song turned into the most recognizable from the Afro
Peruvian musical landscape. The Toro Mata is a landó and in its dance form becomes
a mockery of the minuet and other stiff European dances observed by the slaves in the
homes of their masters. The lyrics also offer double-entendre since the toro or bull
embodies a significant symbol of Spanish culture . . . The Afro on this album comes
from a compilation of ritual dances performed by the group and as projected by its name,
it pays tribute to African ancestry. On this Afro, the group plays the first part using
wooden instruments exclusively and switch on the second section to skin drums . . . I
first came into contact with the artistry of Allan Phillips when recording the trailblazing
album of Alex Acuña, Acuarela de Tambores. I lost touch with him for a few years until
one of our last tours took us to UC San Diego and there he was, attacking the piano,
at a reception for us at the Faculty Center. The group joined him on stage for an evening
of musical magic. That night he told me he had a song for us to record. What you hear
now is Allan’s gift to the group, Bailarás, The arrangement asked for the group to be
a bit more adventurous and we crossed the line of tradition nevertheless staying true
to the roots. The result is this dynamic song that also brought another friend, singer
Ricardo Lemvo to lay down Kikongo chants, the dialect spoken by a significant number
of the slaves who were eventually taken to Perú. . . Pancha Remolino is an Afro Peruvian
classic, also a party favorite. This festejo tells the story of a jarana, Peruvian slang
for an informal festivity where musical challenges take place among the participants,
part of the lyrics tell: “I moved my hips without asking my bones for permission.” . . .
Su Majestad el Cajón were lyrics that traveled in Rony’s mind for a while to honor the
companion that provides him a living . . . The last track on this album appeared somewhat
accidentally. This is a piece we attempted to record and never got around to do it.
Strangely enough during a break on this recording we left the lines open and did not
realize this impromptu performance ocurred until we opened up the files to begin mixing.
Cajones is one of the signature pieces of Perú Negro that places the mystique of the
cajón center-stage. We promise to record it again, this time intentionally and with
all the guys in the studio.
Juan Morillo
Los Angeles, December 2007
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Last Updated ( Monday, 29 December 2008 )
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Read more...
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Written by Rich "Spirit" Revelli
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Tuesday, 16 September 2008 |
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BRASILINTIME, São Paulo, BR.
LISTEN RECOVERY Diary
words by: Rich “Spirit” Revelli
I arrived in Guarulhos International airport to deliver the master copy of the Film, Brasilintime. It was April 26, 2006 I met with Rodrigo Teixeira aka Dj Nuts at his studio in Saude, Parque Imperial where I ended up staying the whole time. That first night we went to a small lounge bar where we heard some original classic Hip Hop joints. Next day we went out to explore the concrete jungle of São Paulo in search of vinyl recordings and photography. Cruising the streets we found a small memorabilia shop where I found few Tim Maia's and Jorge Bens’ records. We spent days learning about Brazilian music and the history of Brazilian street art and Graffiti called “Pixocao”. The colorful city of Sao Paulo invited the eye to take pictures of almost everything, I wanted to capture the moment the way of life in Brazil.
On May 1st, Brasilintime was scheduled to be premier at “Cinesecs”, Rua Augusta, 2075. That same night B+ and Renz arrived from L.A. to witness the first viewing of the Film, the energy kept growing while meeting with Joao Parahyba, Nunca, Flip and Deborah. The Film was to start at 10 PM. with free popcorn and good vibes. We were ready for two amazing hours of live art, music and photography dedicated to Brazil’s music and culture. The unforgettable educational film left everyone with a moment to talk about. After the Film experience and interviews with the Artists, we settled in a typical São Paulo restaurant where we talked and recalled the scenes that impacted us the most.
May 2-4
For the next few days, Recovery Crew “Renz, Nuts and Rich Spirit” searched around the city for live performances, vinyl recordings, books and other vintage items to Archive.
RENZ_ “I found so much stuff on just Jorge Ben, then I started to connect the artists by their collaborations, like Milton and Lo Borges, Gal Costas first Record, Trio Mocoto, Wilson Simonal to name a few, I wanted to start with the basics. Dj Nuts took us to Disco Sete, a small record store in the downtown area of São Paulo where he was good friends with the owner, who also happen to be an enthusiastic collector of Brazilian music. Nuts gets most of his deep and expensive stuff from him. After a long day digging , we took a walk to get the famous sucos de fruta (real fruit juices) we had about 30 different fruits to choose from, it was refreshing and reminded me of my home land Peru. We spend a lot of time in the studio. Nuts was putting together a mix for BBC radio host Gilles Peterson, who happened to be in town to interview B+. It was all nocturnal for my first 4 days in São Paulo.
RICARDO_ São Paulo is a big city, I knew I couldn’t see it all in two weeks so I focused on what I love to do the most, digging and writing. I was walking down the streets of São Paulo for about 4 hours. I found myself surrounded by carts and tables full of fruits, It was an outdoor market extending for at least 8 blocks. The colors, the aroma and the music coming out of an old folk radio took me to a deeper Brazil. Natures orchestra played Samba while the warm hearts of the Brazilian people inspired me the most. I was trying to communicate my way to Bixiga (little Italy) flea market. I asked a taxi driver to take me there, we had a cool conversation about the culture of Brazil and South America. Once there, the first thing I found was a Pele original photo taken when he played for the futbol team Santos. I was happy to see many serious collectors/archivists in one market. By the side walk I saw the Opiniao Record by Nara Leao next to a tree under the shade. I had heard so much about Opiniao, It gave me a moment of open wonder which ignited my research for the Social movement of the people expressed through Batucada, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul and other roots of Brazil. I knew a big night was ahead of us so I continued looking for vinyl recordings where Wilson Das Neves, Mamao and Joao Parahyba had contributed. I found a few of my favorite groups like Os Ipenimas and Trio Mocoto. It was about 1 PM. and I bumped into Director B+ who was diggin’ around the area, he introduced me to couple heavy vendors/collectors who helped me dig deep for my research about the Opiniao movement. The experience in Bixiga was like going to a school of culture and music where everything was rooted and had a purpose to document and archive the history of lives lived. Before leaving Bixiga I met with B+ and Deborah Pill who were going to a library/book store located by downtown Sao Paulo. I decided to go, when we arrived, there was so much to digest from Political and cultural books to Independent and International films. That day before the screening of Brasilintime I concentrated on recovering only 7” records. I came up. ..Cierto!”
May 4
Tony Allen arrived from Paris 3 hours before the L.A team ( Babu, J-Rocc, Madlib, Derf Reklaw, Eric Coleman and Luke Lynch ). Tony and Derf toured the city while the others went diggin’ for records with no time to waist. Around 8 pm Nuts, Renz and I, bumped into Joao Parahyba a block away from the theater Cinesecs. It was a crazy night, the home soccer team Corinthians where playing against their biggest rival, River Plate from Argentina. There was a lot of energy and tension in the streets of São Paulo. Horns, drums and anthems took over the silent corners, black and gold jerseys waved from the windows of homes and buses full of passionate Corinthianos, everyone was waiting on the whistle to begin the 90 minute battle in the green field. Truly an inspirational day, I became a Corinthian.
At 9:30 p.m. we met with the entire roster of Brasilintime and together for the first time we viewed the new edit film. It was an incredible night with Wilson Das Neves, Ivan “Mamao” Conti, Joao Parahyba, Derf Reklaw, Tony Allen and the rest of the crew. That night everyone got to know each other and appreciate one another for we all love the culture and music from Brazil.
May 5
First Show:
In the morning, the plan was to be at Bixiga “little Italy” to have lunch with the BIT crew. In Bixiga you can visit one of the city’s most traditional samba schools, Vai Vai, and a high density of bars and restaurants. There is so much culture and history in that district. After lunch everyone went back to the hotel to rest and to get ready for the show.
At 3 PM the musicians arrived in Secs Pompeia to rehears and meet the press before sound check, the show was schedule to start at 9 p.m. Everyone met backstage, the intimate connection between musicians created a great moment to discover one another in depth. Jokes and life’s experiences were shared, good typical food was served, Tony Allen’s choice of whisky and great rolls from Dj
Nuts were passed. On scheduled the lights dimmed, the energy was up to the red and Dj Nuts turned the first table to open these historical session. Madlib Astro Black styled on the Roland Phantom had everyone traveling on the improvised sound waves, then Mamao, Tony Allen and Wilson Das Neves drummed together creating a dialogue with breaks, as Derf Recklaw blended in with highs and lows on the fender rhodes, saxophone, percussions and flutes. Jrocc and Babu scratched while mixing Brazilian roots making the experience leave you a junkie for beats. Dj Primo brought Hip Hop‘s classics to the tables followed by Pupillo, who drummed with a Brazilian Northeastern rooted obscure technic, very inspirational. All together in one sound ended the innovative folkloric experimental fusion discharge , a night that would never be forgotten.
May 6
Second Show:
After a great night, the musicians took the morning to rest. At noon B+ and Debora Pill (R. B. M.A.) took some of the guys out for lunch, while the djs left early afternoon to go digging for a few hours. Dj Nuts, Renz and I, took the afternoon to listen to the recoveries and produce a mix tape at Nuts’ studio in Saude. Nuts wasn’t getting much sleep, his life was from the studio to the night clubs, he is a very talented and dedicated musician. We wanted to experience the most that we could in such a short period time. Around 17hrs, the artists headed to Secs Pompeia for sound check. The show opened with Mamao and Tony Allen conversing on drums, followed by Babu and Madlib as the rest of the group incorporated their own unique styles to the improvised session. The lights shinned above Dj Primo and Nuts, who were remixing a famous J. Dilla production from The Pharcyde’s song “Running”, the crowd got involved and started shouting out loud, recognizing the lost of one of the great ones. Pupillo was following the mix with smooth breaks blending with Nuts on the SP303, it became the highlight of the night, a tribute to J. Dilla at Brasilintime. After the surprise set, the fusion continued. The Legendary Wilson Das Neves got on the quica with his Samba Cancao mood and Tony Allen responded with the Africa 70’s style taking us back to the Movement of Fela Kuti. The great “Comanche” Joao Parahyba walked in and did a duo with Wilson on the quica. J-Rocc kept cutting rhythms giving all of us the feel of a Carnival Parade while Derf Reklaw made us close our eyes to the soulful spiritual sounds of jazz using his multi-instrumentalist experience taking us back to the times of Eddie Harris & Les MacCan. The session was closed with a huge fusion discharge of rhythms, improvising an innovative sound clash of two cultures who’s elders holded court. Together they made the outro of both shows historical.
May 7-11
Next morning we visited Batucada 1000, a store that carries a large variety of Brazilian instruments, it was very interesting to discover that most of them were hand made and imitated the sounds of animals from the Amazon and others. It reminded me of Hermeto Pascoal, a sound experimentalist that used water, wind, wood, and other natural elements to make music that inspires traveling and meditation. We continued to visit many cultural places, like MOCA, a huge store of antiques where you can find paintings, records, photography, books and furniture. Jorge is the owner of MOCA, he helped us recovered and over stand the music history of Brazil. He invited the crew to a special place we called “The Pink Mansion” , where everything inside was an antique. I mean the toilets, tea spoons, paintings on the walls, furniture, the clock, the doors, everything was a classic but what really put a smile on our faces were the 10 rooms full of records and instruments laying around, it had everyone diggin’ and sharing their knowledge. We were there for at least 5 hours and couldn’t stop digging. I had to continue my research on the Opiniao movement. While I was in the darkest room I saw a record by a poet named Cartola. When I played that record I knew I was in the right path, the poetry of the “favela” ghettos. I wanted to be everywhere Inside the big rooms and hall ways full of records it seemed like a never ending experience. Then, in one of the stacks I found an album by Ze Keti which contained his version of the song Opiniao which it had a melancholic bohemian style rhythm. By the same crate I found the soundtrack of “Tilim”, a film about a kid who steals to eat and finds a lot of bad things on his way, but there was a big fortune waiting for him. The Pink mansion was one of my favorite places I visited in Sao Paulo.
Madlib and Mamao where meeting in Rio de Janeiro to record together, the rest of the team chilled at the beaches and the Favelas (ghettos). Listen Recovery Crew blessed it for the last time in Sao Paulo with Jrocc, Babu, Madlib, Director Brian Cross (B+) and Eric Coleman. Cultures and Adventures have inspired my inner visions for higher learning and appreciation of music and art worldwide.
Music & Art. Travel & Dig.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 23 December 2008 )
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Read more...
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Written by Tony Sandoval
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Tuesday, 16 September 2008 |
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BRASILINTIME, São Paulo, BR.
LISTEN RECOVERY Diary
words by: Rich “Spirit” Revelli
I arrived in Guarulhos International airport to deliver the master copy of the Film, Brasilintime. It was April 26, 2006 I met with Rodrigo Teixeira aka Dj Nuts at his studio in Saude, Parque Imperial where I ended up staying the whole time. That first night we went to a small lounge bar where we heard some original classic Hip Hop joints. Next day we went out to explore the concrete jungle of São Paulo in search of vinyl recordings and photography. Cruising the streets we found a small memorabilia shop where I found few Tim Maia's and Jorge Bens’ records. We spent days learning about Brazilian music and the history of Brazilian street art and Graffiti called “Pixocao”. The colorful city of Sao Paulo invited the eye to take pictures of almost everything, I wanted to capture the moment the way of life in Brazil.
On May 1st, Brasilintime was scheduled to be premier at “Cinesecs”, Rua Augusta, 2075. That same night B+ and Renz arrived from L.A. to witness the first viewing of the Film, the energy kept growing while meeting with Joao Parahyba, Nunca, Flip and Deborah. The Film was to start at 10 PM. with free popcorn and good vibes. We were ready for two amazing hours of live art, music and photography dedicated to Brazil’s music and culture. The unforgettable educational film left everyone with a moment to talk about. After the Film experience and interviews with the Artists, we settled in a typical São Paulo restaurant where we talked and recalled the scenes that impacted us the most. May 2-4
For the next few days, Recovery Crew “Renz, Nuts and Rich Spirit” searched around the city for live performances, vinyl recordings, books and other vintage items to Archive.
RENZ_ “I found so much stuff on just Jorge Ben, then I started to connect the artists by their collaborations, like Milton and Lo Borges, Gal Costas first Record, Trio Mocoto, Wilson Simonal to name a few, I wanted to start with the basics. Dj Nuts took us to Disco Sete, a small record store in the downtown area of São Paulo where he was good friends with the owner, who also happen to be an enthusiastic collector of Brazilian music. Nuts gets most of his deep and expensive stuff from him. After a long day digging , we took a walk to get the famous sucos de fruta (real fruit juices) we had about 30 different fruits to choose from, it was refreshing and reminded me of my home land Peru. We spend a lot of time in the studio. Nuts was putting together a mix for BBC radio host Gilles Peterson, who happened to be in town to interview B+. It was all nocturnal for my first 4 days in São Paulo.
RICARDO_ São Paulo is a big city, I knew I couldn’t see it all in two weeks so I focused on what I love to do the most, digging and writing. I was walking down the streets of São Paulo for about 4 hours. I found myself surrounded by carts and tables full of fruits, It was an outdoor market extending for at least 8 blocks. The colors, the aroma and the music coming out of an old folk radio took me to a deeper Brazil. Natures orchestra played Samba while the warm hearts of the Brazilian people inspired me the most. I was trying to communicate my way to Bixiga (little Italy) flea market. I asked a taxi driver to take me there, we had a cool conversation about the culture of Brazil and South America. Once there, the first thing I found was a Pele original photo taken when he played for the futbol team Santos. I was happy to see many serious collectors/archivists in one market. By the side walk I saw the Opiniao Record by Nara Leao next to a tree under the shade. I had heard so much about Opiniao, It gave me a moment of open wonder which ignited my research for the Social movement of the people expressed through Batucada, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul and other roots of Brazil. I knew a big night was ahead of us so I continued looking for vinyl recordings where Wilson Das Neves, Mamao and Joao Parahyba had contributed. I found a few of my favorite groups like Os Ipenimas and Trio Mocoto. It was about 1 PM. and I bumped into Director B+ who was diggin’ around the area, he introduced me to couple heavy vendors/collectors who helped me dig deep for my research about the Opiniao movement. The experience in Bixiga was like going to a school of culture and music where everything was rooted and had a purpose to document and archive the history of lives lived. Before leaving Bixiga I met with B+ and Deborah Pill who were going to a library/book store located by downtown Sao Paulo. I decided to go, when we arrived, there was so much to digest from Political and cultural books to Independent and International films. That day before the screening of Brasilintime I concentrated on recovering only 7” records. I came up. ..Cierto!”
May 4
Tony Allen arrived from Paris 3 hours before the L.A team ( Babu, J-Rocc, Madlib, Derf Reklaw, Eric Coleman and Luke Lynch ). Tony and Derf toured the city while the others went diggin’ for records with no time to waist. Around 8 pm Nuts, Renz and I, bumped into Joao Parahyba a block away from the theater Cinesecs. It was a crazy night, the home soccer team Corinthians where playing against their biggest rival, River Plate from Argentina. There was a lot of energy and tension in the streets of São Paulo. Horns, drums and anthems took over the silent corners, black and gold jerseys waved from the windows of homes and buses full of passionate Corinthianos, everyone was waiting on the whistle to begin the 90 minute battle in the green field. Truly an inspirational day, I became a Corinthian.
At 9:30 p.m. we met with the entire roster of Brasilintime and together for the first time we viewed the new edit film. It was an incredible night with Wilson Das Neves, Ivan “Mamao” Conti, Joao Parahyba, Derf Reklaw, Tony Allen and the rest of the crew. That night everyone got to know each other and appreciate one another for we all love the culture and music from Brazil. May 5
First Show:
In the morning, the plan was to be at Bixiga “little Italy” to have lunch with the BIT crew. In Bixiga you can visit one of the city’s most traditional samba schools, Vai Vai, and a high density of bars and restaurants. There is so much culture and history in that district. After lunch everyone went back to the hotel to rest and to get ready for the show.
At 3 PM the musicians arrived in Secs Pompeia to rehears and meet the press before sound check, the show was schedule to start at 9 p.m. Everyone met backstage, the intimate connection between musicians created a great moment to discover one another in depth. Jokes and life’s experiences were shared, good typical food was served, Tony Allen’s choice of whisky and great rolls from Dj
Nuts were passed. On scheduled the lights dimmed, the energy was up to the red and Dj Nuts turned the first table to open these historical session. Madlib Astro Black styled on the Roland Phantom had everyone traveling on the improvised sound waves, then Mamao, Tony Allen and Wilson Das Neves drummed together creating a dialogue with breaks, as Derf Recklaw blended in with highs and lows on the fender rhodes, saxophone, percussions and flutes. Jrocc and Babu scratched while mixing Brazilian roots making the experience leave you a junkie for beats. Dj Primo brought Hip Hop‘s classics to the tables followed by Pupillo, who drummed with a Brazilian Northeastern rooted obscure technic, very inspirational. All together in one sound ended the innovative folkloric experimental fusion discharge , a night that would never be forgotten.
May 6
Second Show:
After a great night, the musicians took the morning to rest. At noon B+ and Debora Pill (R. B. M.A.) took some of the guys out for lunch, while the djs left early afternoon to go digging for a few hours. Dj Nuts, Renz and I, took the afternoon to listen to the recoveries and produce a mix tape at Nuts’ studio in Saude. Nuts wasn’t getting much sleep, his life was from the studio to the night clubs, he is a very talented and dedicated musician. We wanted to experience the most that we could in such a short period time. Around 17hrs, the artists headed to Secs Pompeia for sound check. The show opened with Mamao and Tony Allen conversing on drums, followed by Babu and Madlib as the rest of the group incorporated their own unique styles to the improvised session. The lights shinned above Dj Primo and Nuts, who were remixing a famous J. Dilla production from The Pharcyde’s song “Running”, the crowd got involved and started shouting out loud, recognizing the lost of one of the great ones. Pupillo was following the mix with smooth breaks blending with Nuts on the SP303, it became the highlight of the night, a tribute to J. Dilla at Brasilintime. After the surprise set, the fusion continued. The Legendary Wilson Das Neves got on the quica with his Samba Cancao mood and Tony Allen responded with the Africa 70’s style taking us back to the Movement of Fela Kuti. The great “Comanche” Joao Parahyba walked in and did a duo with Wilson on the quica. J-Rocc kept cutting rhythms giving all of us the feel of a Carnival Parade while Derf Reklaw made us close our eyes to the soulful spiritual sounds of jazz using his multi-instrumentalist experience taking us back to the times of Eddie Harris & Les MacCan. The session was closed with a huge fusion discharge of rhythms, improvising an innovative sound clash of two cultures who’s elders holded court. Together they made the outro of both shows historical. May 7-11
Next morning we visited Batucada 1000, a store that carries a large variety of Brazilian instruments, it was very interesting to discover that most of them were hand made and imitated the sounds of animals from the Amazon and others. It reminded me of Hermeto Pascoal, a sound experimentalist that used water, wind, wood, and other natural elements to make music that inspires traveling and meditation. We continued to visit many cultural places, like MOCA, a huge store of antiques where you can find paintings, records, photography, books and furniture. Jorge is the owner of MOCA, he helped us recovered and over stand the music history of Brazil. He invited the crew to a special place we called “The Pink Mansion” , where everything inside was an antique. I mean the toilets, tea spoons, paintings on the walls, furniture, the clock, the doors, everything was a classic but what really put a smile on our faces were the 10 rooms full of records and instruments laying around, it had everyone diggin’ and sharing their knowledge. We were there for at least 5 hours and couldn’t stop digging. I had to continue my research on the Opiniao movement. While I was in the darkest room I saw a record by a poet named Cartola. When I played that record I knew I was in the right path, the poetry of the “favela” ghettos. I wanted to be everywhere Inside the big rooms and hall ways full of records it seemed like a never ending experience. Then, in one of the stacks I found an album by Ze Keti which contained his version of the song Opiniao which it had a melancholic bohemian style rhythm. By the same crate I found the soundtrack of “Tilim”, a film about a kid who steals to eat and finds a lot of bad things on his way, but there was a big fortune waiting for him. The Pink mansion was one of my favorite places I visited in Sao Paulo.
Madlib and Mamao where meeting in Rio de Janeiro to record together, the rest of the team chilled at the beaches and the Favelas (ghettos). Listen Recovery Crew blessed it for the last time in Sao Paulo with Jrocc, Babu, Madlib, Director Brian Cross (B+) and Eric Coleman. Cultures and Adventures have inspired my inner visions for higher learning and appreciation of music and art worldwide.
Music & Art. Travel & Dig. | |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 23 December 2008 )
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