‘Fabiola’ began taking shape in 2010, when
Chris Franck and Patrick Forge, finding themselves again single and with Forge
having returned from living in Japan, took their first tentative steps towards
writing new material. Drawing together a worldwide family of collaborators both
old and new, they embarked upon a “new era” of Da Lata. ‘Fabiola’ their first
album in ten years, features a host of talent including singer and guitarist
Luiz Gabriel Lopes from tropicalia band Graveola (Brazil), Mayra Andrade (Cape
Verde), Miguel Atwood Ferguson (USA), spoken word and rap from Philly’s finest
– Rich Medina (USA) Marcelo Janeci (Brazil) Luisa Maita (Brazil), Fabricio FBC
(Brazil), Sacha Gabriel (Canada), Jason Yarde (UK), Finn Peters (UK) and Diabel
Cissokho (Mali) who have all helped craft a record with a raw and live approach
fusing Afro-Brazilian influences with a dance-floor sensibility.
The big
question is, can their album be categorised as solely ‘World Music?’ Or has the
world become too small a place for such divisions? Ultimately, it’s the melting
pot of London that really lies at the heart of ‘Fabiola’, a city where cultures
and taste continually collide. ‘Fabiola’ is not bound by any set of rules, for
all its authenticity in the musicianship and grooves, the tunes themselves seek
out new territory beyond glib categorisation. The new album is characterised by
Da Lata’s new “organic edge”, dispensing with programming and electronic
production, ‘Fabiola’s’ emphasis is definitely on the “real” in every sense.
Written exclusively by Chris Franck and the various collaborators; Franck,
Forge and super engineer Toni Econimides are the team that have crafted
‘Fabiola’ into Da Lata’s most mature and accomplished album yet.
In
essence it’s been 20 years since Franck and Forge first came together and began
experimenting and redefining Brazilian music. The duo have had major international
success both in bands (Smoke City, Zeep and Da Lata) and for Patrick as a
respected DJ who was a pioneer for Brazilian music with UK station Kiss FM in
the early 90s.
Famed
for melding elements of Brazilian and African styles with everything from folk,
rock and psychedelia to spoken word, soul and dub, they’ve made a permanent
mark in their respective scenes, bringing down the divide between ‘world’ and
‘electronic’ music – both can be charged with popularizing Brazilian music on
an international stage.
Over the
course of their 20 year careers they have worked alongside and collaborated
with Palm Pictures label mates Femi Kuti, Sly and Robbie, Ernest Ranglin, Baaba
Maal, and Bebel Gilberto. They’ve played some of the biggest stages around the
world including Roskillde, Coachella, Glastonbury, North Sea Jazz, Womad and
Summer Stage New York. Additionally during the 2012 Olympics, while the album
was still in progress, Da Lata came together with a new line-up to perform at
Gilles Peterson’s and Patrick’s Another Sunday Afternoon At Dingwalls and the
Casa Brasil sessions at Somerset House to high praise.
With a
mighty cast of remixers set to re-interpret ‘Fabiola’ and their first single
‘Um Amor A Mais’, a rugged organic afro-electro number set for a late summer
release, Da Lata are about to start a new chapter in their memorable story. 20
years of Afro-Brazilian adventure and its definitely not over yet…
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