Posts Tagged ‘criolo’
Top of the World Review: Criolo – Nó Na Orelha
Posted on August 6th, 2012 in Recent Posts, Reviews by Songlines.
Words by Russ Slater
Favela star boldy goes where hip-hop’s rarely been before
Since Nó Na Orelha was released in Brazil last year, the São Paulo rapper Criolo has become one of the most important new voices in Brazilian music. Memorable TV interviews and appearances with cultural icons like Caetano Veloso have cemented his reputation, but in truth the music speaks for itself. By teaming up with some of São Paulo’s finest musicians, Criolo has taken Brazilian rap out of its sample-based straitjacket, incorporating Afro-beat (on ‘Bogotá’), samba (‘Linha de Frente’) and dub (‘Samba Sambei’). Brought up in one of São Paulo’s toughest neighbourhoods, he marries this broad musical vocabulary with an articulate honesty that speak of Brazil’s social problems.
His lyrics are both clear and universal: the simmering ballad ‘Não Existe Amor Em SP’ directly states that ‘love doesn’t exist in São Paulo’, but it’s a message that could apply to favelas right across Brazil, especially with lines that translate as ‘No need to die to see God/No need to suffer to know what is best for you.’ Musically, the highlight of the album is ‘Mariô’, an Afro-inspired call-and-response number with a deep bass riff. Lyrically the prize would go to ‘Subirusdoistiozin’ and its depiction of life on São Paulo’s streets. Yet right across Nó Na Orelha there is no let-up, with each track bringing something new to proceedings. Brazilian music has a new star.
Chris Blackwell’s playlist and the 10 best new releases in the Aug/Sept issue of Songlines (#86)
Posted on July 19th, 2012 in Recent Posts by Songlines.
The August/September 2012 issue of Songlines – on sale July 20 – features a free covermount CD packed full of the best new sounds from around the world, plus 5 tracks selected by the Island Reocrds founder Chris Blackwell. It also includes a second free CD, Louisiana Legends – A Gumbo of Cajun, Zydeco, Blues, Jazz, Funky Brass & More.
The Top of the World CD includes tracks from Polish folk collective Warsaw Village Band; courageous Iranian singing duo Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat; Brazil’s new rap sensation Criolo; Quantic’s latest Colombian adventure, Ondatrópica; UK Romany folk song collector Sam Lee; and the debut from emerging Ethio-pop star Samuel Yirga, among others.
Pick up your copy here on the website, at selected WHSmith’s and at all good record retailers. Feast your ears on these all-new tracks:
* Mokoomba ‘Njoka’ on IglooMondo
* Criolo ‘Bogotá’ on Sterns
* Ondatrópica ‘Suena’ on Soundway
* Lokkhi Terra ‘Shokhi Kunjo Shajao’ on Funkiwala
* Samuel Yirga ‘The Blues of Wollo’ on Real World
* Sam Lee ‘Goodbye my Darling’ on The Nest Collective
* Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat ‘Garden of Visions’ on Kirkelig Kulturverksted
* Bard ‘Late Afternoon’ on Woodburner
* Warsaw Village Band ‘Hola Byski Hola’ on Jaro
* The Very Best ‘Yoshua Alikuti’ on Moshi Moshi Records
Plus Chris Blackwell’s playlist:
* Oumou Sangaré ‘Yala’ on World Circuit
* Baaba Maal ‘Tindo Quando’ on Palm Pictures
* Angélique Kidjo ‘Agolo’ on Island/Mango
* Salif Keita ‘Mandjou’ on Island/Mango
* Ali Farka Touré ‘Timbarma’ on World Circuit
Back2Black Festival comes to London to celebrate African creativity
Posted on June 18th, 2012 in News by Songlines.
The acclaimed Brazilian festival Back2Black – founded in Rio de Janeiro in 2009 – comes to London’s atmospheric Old Billingsgate market on the weekend of June 29-July 1 for three days of the cream of black musical and cultural talent in a celebration of African roots in music and culture.
Part of the London 2012 Festival, the event is held over three stages of live music and is hosted by and stars the legendary Brazilian musical and cultural figure Gilberto Gil. He presides over a veritable who’s who of African and African diaspora talent. There is Malian kora master Toumani Diabaté in his latest cross-cultural collaboration with Brazilian rock legends Arnaldo Artunes and Edgard Scandurra.
Other Malian delights include Amadou & Mariam, Vieux Farka Touré and the rising star Fatoumata Diawara. The African legends also include South African jazzman Hugh Masekela, Nigerian Afro-beat hair Femi Kuti and veteran Ethio-jazz master Mulatu Astatke in collaboration with Brazilian hip-hop-soul star Criolo.
Top names from the diaspora include US soul legend Macy Gray, UK dub-hip-hop star Roots Manuva, Brazilian MPB samba-rocker Jorge Ben Jor and the Jamaican dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson.
The Back2Black festival has been staged for three successful years at the stunning setting of the disused Leopoldina railway station in Rio, and will return there again on August 24-26 after this first foray outside of Brazil.
Don’t forget to check out our Back2Black sampler CD that comes free with our last issue June 2012 (#84). You can still order copies of the issue here.
For more information, please visit: www.back2blackfestival.com.br
