Brasil Novo
Like sun reflecting off water the reactions to this new compilation of Brazilian music – as undifferentiated a term as that may be – have been resplendent, prompting us to chime in and add our two cents to the enthusiastic chorus. Musica Macondo, "a community of like-minded people aiming to create a space for musical discovery," recently released an eight track collection of essential sounds from Brazil, "featuring elements of samba, candomblé, batuques, jazz, folk and beyond," hand-picked "with the esoteric dancefloor in mind." Curated by São Paulo's DJ Tahira and London's Tim Garcia, "Brasil Novo" digs deep to shine a light on contemporary percussive music from Brazil and its roots in the African diaspora, "showcasing both celebrated and unfamiliar artists."
Readying a compilation like this takes a lot of preparation and groundwork to unearth the tracks befitting the occasion, "while avoiding mainstream Brazilian popular music clichés." An aficionado and fan of Brazilian music himself, DJ Tahira has been researching and archiving "music made or influenced by black and indigenous Brazilians," for several years, expressing "a particular interest in the history of Samba de Coco, a folkloric musical form that was very popular in (and probably originated from) the north east of Brazil, by slaves and indigenous people from working class backgrounds who came together, making a rhythmical mesh of sounds dating back hundreds of years and allowing them to carve a unique cultural identity," the description reads.
Striving to combine their dancefloor aspirations with a deeper cultural meaning and fueled by a digger's ambition, Tahira and Garcia have managed to put together and preserve a compact compendium of rare tracks that combine a unique heritage with exhilarating grooves to dance to. The music found on "Brasil Novo" was basically "ignored or disregarded as inferior by Brazil's recording industry." As such, "there are few existing original recordings of this music from the twentieth century, relying instead on oral tradition and carnivals like those in Recife or Pernambuco." Blending the actual roots as well as equally potent modern-day interpretations of said Afro-Brazilian influences, these tunes are now here to stay.
You can stream/buy the full release via the player below, including tracks by Caê, Dona Celia Coquista, Toró Instrumental, Renata Rosa, Alabe Ketujazz, Grupo Bongar, Xaxado Novo and Ilú Obá De Min. Excelente!
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