‘Futebol’
tells the story of how the British brought football to Brazil, explaining how
the Brazilians ran away with both the terminology and the ball. But while the
lyrics clearly demonstrate Nina’s love for the sport, they also hint towards
the somewhat malign aspects of football’s assimilation into Brazilian culture
and the way it has obscured the world’s view towards the country’s pressing
social issues. ‘Is it a beautiful game?.’… The song reflects both the
excitement and desolation resulting from hosting a World cup in a nation that
so desperately needs to divide its wealth more equally, and ultimately listen
to the needs of its citizens.
Born in
Brasilia to Brazilian visual artist Luiz Aquila and Nina’s English mother, Nina
moved to London at the age of 8, which explains the fusion of both Brazilian
and Western /Cosmopolitan influences on her music. Cultural roots and rhythms
of Brazil are punctuated by a psychedelic, experimental edge; intrinsic to the London
New Wave/ Post Punk era Nina grew up in.
With an
extensive and prolific career that includes heavy involvement in trip-hop
before there was a name for it, - to her bands Smoke City, Shrift and Zeep,
Nina Miranda has worked extensively writing, recording and performing with a
variety of artists including, Da Lata, Nitin Sawhney, Bebel Gilberto, Daniel
Jobim, Antonio Chainho, Shrift, Spiller, Faze Action, Jah Wobble, Nação Zumbi,
Arkestra 1, Hajime Yoshizawa Baaa Maal, and more recently Jazztronik, Seu
Jorge, Gilles Peterson, P Bernstein and Basement Jaxx.
On this
infectious 7” single, the A side ‘Futebol’ is catchy to say the least. The
upbeat samba rhythms of the drums and traditional percussion, along with the
perfectly fuzzy bass (all of which were recorded live in Brazil in a single
take) create the funky Brazilian backdrop for Nina’s cheeky, beckoning vocal
tone and the huge sounding brass section which blasts the song into a fully
rocking carnival-esque party. But what sets this apart from other Brazilian or
carnival inspired music is the record’s rawness. Akin to the levels of artistic
freedom and experimentation of Brazil’s Tropicalia movement, there is a real
experimental edge to Nina’s solo work which is heavily accentuated on the B
side: ‘Beautiful Dub’. But her imagination and eccentricity are somehow able to
fit perfectly into a very danceable, celebratory framework, which suggests
comparisons with bands like the Talking Heads: it’s the kind of music that
makes you freak out a little while dancing to it!
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