You can
never tell what will happen when friends get together. The trio of Marcio Menescal,
DJ Marcelinho DaLua, and Alex Moreira originally started remixing classic bossa
nova tracks for fun. Eighteen years and five albums later, Bossacucanova has
honored and helped evolve its native Brazilian soundtrack.
The Best of
Bossacucanova (Six Degrees Records) assembles songs the band members feel are
the most representative of their diverse and progressive catalog, including two
brand new songs. As Menescal, son of legendary bossa nova pioneer Roberto,
says, “We decided to choose songs featuring our best arrangements, most
original beats, and top performances.” The album is set to be release on August
12.
As the trio
initially had no ambitions of becoming a band, Menescal says that offered a
kind of freedom when they worked on their debut album, Revisited Classics. In
hindsight this collection offers a reflective gaze at what they’ve
accomplished. Still, Menescal waxes poetic over the early days: “We like the
beginning when we had no experience; that allowed us to be bolder.”
This is why
the collection opens with a global lounge classic, ‘Berimbau,’ titled (and
featuring) one of Brazil’s most famous contributions—the berimbau is the
single-stringed percussive instrument rooted with a gourd, mostly known for its
role in the martial art form, capoeira. Bossacucanova’s tribute features a
meandering beat with a chant-style chorus that is a trademark of the nation's
folk music. It features the voices of Os Cariocas, a group initially founded in
1942.
For this
song and ‘Meditacão,’ which features vocalist and guitarist Wanda Sa (who cut
her teeth performing with Sérgio Mendes’s Brazil ’65), Menescal borrowed original
tracks from his father’s label and remixed them with “distorted guitars,
flutes, amplifiers, and guitar pedals.” The samples were lifted straight from
vinyl with a microphone placed near the monitor—a harbinger of today’s digital
drag-and-drop techniques.
Bossacucanova
has made its career by blending such Brazilian anthems, working with a pantheon
of musical gods and goddesses while keeping tabs on emerging technologies.
Never have distortion, DJ scratches, or electronic beats distracted from the
melodic core that comprises the nation’s soul. This is nowhere more evident
than in the upbeat hit, ‘Essa Moça tá Diferente,’ featuring a sample of Chico
Buarque along with swing vocals by Wilson Simoninha and saxophone contribution
by Leo Gandelman.
“Our great
references are still the music and culture of the sixties through eighties,”
says Menescal. “Brazilian music is very rich—it has several rhythmic styles, an
abundance of harmonies, and extraordinary musicians. But we will always feel
like we need to improve and refresh what has come before. And we have many
projects with this in mind coming soon.”
Keeping the
collection fresh, a dubby, percussive remix of ‘Waldomiro Pena’ by British
Afro-Brazilian group Da Lata breathes new life into this Bossacucanova staple,
which was originally recorded by Jorge Ben for the popular television show,
Plantao de Policia. Another new tune, written for Carnaval, ‘Indio Quer Apito,’
updates a carioca song from the sixties, with Pedro Luis contributing vocals
and Orquestra Criola, led by Humberto Araújo, spicing up the dance floor track.
It’s
impossible to separate Brazilian culture from its political climate. The
Tropicália movement of the early seventies addressed important social issues;
the music, then and now, has long been a response to what’s going on around the
country, a mirror for its people to meditate on and, ideally, uplift.
Bossacucanova is in this latter camp, using music as a tool for unifying a
people that is currently in the midst of a severe economic downturn.
“When the
country faces times of crises, the culture reacts immediately,” says Menescal.
“In difficult times, people renew themselves. We find intelligent, creative
solutions. While all of this is happening, it is our role to have a positive
influence on the people and in Brazilian music.”
This
self-appointed ambassadorial position is certainly appreciated. The band’s next
tour will be a survey of its nearly two decades making incredible music,
progressively walking through its rich history. Members will blend the worlds
they know so well: the expansive technological domain of previously unimagined
soundscapes combined with the integrity and joy of live performance, the
foundation of Brazil’s music since the beginning.
“Our band is
a family,” Menescal concludes. “We’ve built this friendship over years of
touring, living through a range of emotions: good times, fights, music and
love. We hope there still will be lots of surprises left!”
Tracklist
1. Berimbau (feat. Os Cariocas)
2. Consolação (feat. Silvio César)
3. Meditação (feat. Wanda Sá)
4. Bye Bye Brasil (with Roberto Menescal)
5. Água De Beber (with Roberto Menescal)
6. Brasilidade (with Roberto Menescal)
7. Essa Moça Tá Diferente (feat. Wilson
Simoninha)
8. Previsão (feat. Adriana Calcanhotto)
9. Águas De Março (feat. Cris Delanno)
10. Adeus
América (feat. Os Cariocas, Oscar Castro Neves and Wilson Simoninha)
11. É
Preciso Perdoar (feat. Emilio Santiago)
12. Balança
(Nao Pode Parar!) (feat. Cris Delanno)
13. Índio
Quer Apito (feat. Orquestra Criôla and Pedro Luis)
14.
Waldomiro Pena (Dalata Remix)
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