Various Artists: Black Rio 2
Various Artists: Black Rio 2
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Sunday, 28, Jun 2009 03:05
Strut, out June 29th.
In a nutshell...
Colourful, funky, upbeat, samba, soul
What's it all about?
It's the follow up to the 2002 release Black Rio, a snapshot of the 70s Black Rio soul and funk movement in Brazil. 18 tracks, mixed by Brazilian music DJ Clify, featuring some of the lesser known music to emerge from Rio during the era.
Who's it by?
Eighteen Different Artists/Bands from the era, including Emilio Snatiago, Pete Dunaway and Renata Lu. The album is compiled and annotated by DJ Cliffy, the man behind London club night Batmacumba, the longest running Brazilian club night in England.
As an example...
My Portuguese isn't too hot but a couple of the acts sing in a pigeon English which is actually harder to understand than the Portuguese.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
I imagine this is a release that will appeal to a select few, the regulars who fill the Batamacumba club night and other Brazilian soul enthusiasts. That said, this compilation handpicks some of the best stuff from the era, and I imagine even those unfamiliar with the genre will get enjoyment from the vibrant, infectious sounds of Brazil.
What the others say
"Despite the lingering sensation of barrels being scraped, it's an enjoyable if rather lightweight selection." - BBC Music
"DJ Cliffy's picking and choosing has brought some of the very best of Brazilian music back to life." - culturebully.com
So is it any good?
Before I got into music reviewing, I lived in Brazil for 20 years teaching samba dancing at a small academy in the favellas of Rio. These happy years were followed by a decade touring the world with my own funk band, as both lead percussionist, trumpet player and vocalist. I was hailed as the most gifted musician of my generation and in 1972 I led the longest ever conga line along the Great Wall of China. I then died tragically in a jetski accident, only to be reincarnated as a white, middle-class music reviewer from Edinburgh.
Unfortunately I can recall very little from that previous life, and as a result my knowledge of the era is ignorant to say the least. I expect there is lots to make here of the specifics of the tracks chosen for Black Rio 2 and acts featured, some of whom were perhaps once my contemporaries. However, I can merely judge this album as an outsider. I have had the luxury of going to Brazil, spending two months there this year during Carnival. What stood out for me was the colour, the warmth, energy and passion of the people, and the feeling of being at home in this very different, yet inclusive culture.
That colour, energy and passion is beautifully reflected in this album. You certainly don't have to be a connoisseur of the era to appreciate it. What is most striking is the variation between tracks here. Each one has its own distinct identity and tone. Uplifting blasts from trumpets, soaring flutes, disjointed percussion, high tempo clapping, bass-slapping funk, cheerful choruses and sultry female vocals. It is difficult to imagine, but this was a period when Brazilian soul artists were struggling to establish their credibility amongst claims of national 'inauthenticity'. The resulting inventiveness and variation of tone and sound is startling, an insistent response that this music be taken seriously.
This was a time when the music meant something, both to the makers and the shakers, and this passion still shines through in infectious quantities. Ultimately this music will make you feel good. Forget the Kooks, Scissor Sisters and the other CDs your Dad gets out for barbeques, Black Rio 2 is the perfect soundtrack to a warm summer's day. And in Britain, a country where those are few and far between, we should probably get the music right.
8/10
Greg Ash