Forro,
my Brazilophile friend Juli tells me (and Wikipedia confirms),
is a Brazilian musical style, the word for which is derived
from English.
It stems
from dances that were held "for all," and mutated from
there. And mutated is a good description of the sound of
Forro in the Dark, a NYC-based band that has caught the
ears of both myself and David Byrne. Yes, the Brazil-loving
singer/producer has his thumb stuck in this pie, singing
on the tracks "Asa Branca" and "I Wish (Bundle of Contradictions)."
But the real story starts long before your hear Byrne's
distinctive tones. The album opens with "Indios do Norte,"
a rush of bass, triangle, and raspy guitar, with an irresistible
melody played by Jorge Continentino's pifanos (a
breathy Brazilian flute). It's a little hard to pin down
the band's style, which wanders from the high-energy opening
to Bebel Gilberto's guest
appearance on the soft bilingual "Wandering Swallow."
Then there's the calypso-esque call and response of "Que Que Tu Fez," and the
campy country feel of "I Wish..." and back to two energetic
instrumental/chant pieces to close out the project.
Byrne
talks about the collaboration in his online
journal:
I sang “Asa Branca” and “I Wish” — the
latter song emerged out of a jam. I was warming up with some
chord changes and Mauro suggested during the recording session
that we all improvise around those chords. The result was
surprisingly good — but, maybe because I can, I suggested
that with just a few words added, with a vocal, the song
might be more focused. The lyrics and vocal turned it into
a vaguely Country outpouring of pain, anger and loss — which
maybe made explicit the link between forró and
north American country music.
Byrne's
contribution is not the reason to get this album. It's
variety, energy, and the promise that Forro in the
Dark
is even
better live are, and make me wish I could catch them
live at Nublu in NYC. Perhaps they'll tour; on the basis
of
this
crazy,
wonderful album, I encourage you to encourage them.
©2007
Scott Allan Stevens, Earball Media
|
Ranirim: Morning
Star (Northside)
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The
promo materials fall all over themselves to compare Ranirim
to a folksy ABBA. Lovers of acoustic or Nordic music might
be more inclined to pick this album up if told that it's
devoid of cheesy disco beats and insipid lyrics, and instead
rife with traditional instruments in modern arrangements.
Some of the vocal harmonies remind more of Karelian groups
(Burlakat, Varttina) than those ABBA babes. And I don't
remember...did
ABBA use a nyckelharpa? In any case, don't be put off by
pop comparisons. They're more like the Swedish Old Blind
Dogs.
Chris
Berry & Panjea: Dancemakers (Wrasse)
Listen To Dancemakers
His
press materials shout the unlikely story. Chris Berry is
only 23 years old, but has lived and studied mbira and
ngoma in Zimbabwe for a decade, and has achieved gwenyambira
(master) status. But despite this achievement, he's still
a California boy at heart, and pop rules this album, with
a little reggae and other seasonings.
The sound is Freshlyground
meets Rocker T at a rave in Harare. Fabulous horns, great
grooves, and lyrics steeped
in social
consciousness. It's damn catchy stuff, just don't expect
anything sounding like Stella Chiweshe or Thomas Mapfumo
(except
on "Home" with prominent mbira and African-style guitar
backing the English and Shona lyrics). Other highlights
include his pointed criticism of capital punishment "Why
Do We" and the crazy-beat title track.
Cuchata: Sangre
Mixto (Eleggua)
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Is
Seattle an emerging hotbed of Latin Alternative (aka Alt-Latin)
music? You can't get much farther away from Latin lands
geographically
or
meteorologically, but bands including Cuchata (formerly
Machete) are working hard to include Latin tunes in the
Seattle landscape. Cuchata's second release, Sangre
Mixto,
sees the band expanded from three to five, now incorporating
a couple of horn players. Still at the heart of the band
are Marcelo Quinonez's unique vocals, which have a haunting
quality, at once
intimate
and aggressive, inviting and unsettling. While the sound
is not a radical departure from the previous album, the
horns
serve
as a
powerful
foundation for Marcelo's
vocals
and
guitar, and provide some refreshing musical alternatives.
Biggest complaint: the black-on-dark-brown text makes the
CD artwork nearly illegible. Hard to categorize, easy to
enjoy, Cuchata is sure to catch the
ears of many
more
listeners
with this
album. But decide for yourself: Cuchata provides two full
tracks for your previewing pleasure: "Nueva"
and "Sistema
Mayoridad."
Malika
Zarra: On the Ebony Road (self-released)
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malikazarra.com
Malika
Zarra's debut release, On
the Ebony Road, digs deep into jazz idioms,
but the Morrocan-born Zarra still conveys a strong sense
of her North African roots through the vocals and arrangements.
The instrumentation is simple: guitar, bass, drums, and
percussion (including dumbek and cajon). Percussionist
Brahim Fribgane also adds oud on some tracks.
All this is support for Zarra's slinky vocals, which weave
in and out of the music, her voice another instrument rather
than something bobbing atop them like a cork on water.
After hearing Zarra's strong contribution to Richard
Khuzami's recent album Fused,
it's a delight to hear her immersed in her own musical
atmosphere. Fans
of Susheela Raman and Natacha Atlas, or those looking
for something like them but leaning a bit more toward jazz,
should be sure to check out this strong debut.
Bola
Abimbola: Ara Kenge (Fast Horse)
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Rich
in groove, Bola Abimbola's Ara Kenge is a fresh
blast of danceable rhythms. The Nigerian singer was born
and raised in Lagos, and blends the music of his roots
(fuji, juju,Highlife, apala, and Afrobeat) with a diversity
of instruments (mandolin, vibes, timbales, ukulele) and
other musical influences. Rich harmonies soothe while the
beat makes you wanna get up and dance. Abimbola appears
to be based in Denver, though much of the production took
place in Seattle. With too little new music from
Nigeria hitting the international market, the positive
grooves of Ara
Kenge are
a welcome addition.
©2007
Scott Allan Stevens, Earball Media |
