Album Review: V/A - New Brazilian Music: Pernambuco (Trama)

Writer: Damian Platt

Pernambuco is the rough diamond of Brazil's northeast. From the colonial charm of Olinda and its carnival, to its dusty and dangerous outback and marijuana growing region, it is a wily and mysterious part of the country – rich in banditry, folklore and intrigue. This collection is a fine example of Pernambuco's unique music, ranging from the medieval folk sound of Caruaru's pipe band, through to the drum and bass influenced mangue beat of groups like Nação Zumbi and Mundo Livre SA.

Mangue beat is the name given to Pernambucan music that consciously fuses local vibrations with influences from outside. Founded by the late Chico Science and leadsinger of Mundo Livre SA (featured on one of the album's finest tracks, Alice Williams) the symbol of mangue beat would in their words be “a satellite dish stuck in the mud”. This image captures the playful and bizarre nature of Pernambuco's music very well. From folk through electronica to rock and beyond, it is very well represented in this excellent compilation.

RELATED LINKS:
Trama



Buy New Brazilian Music: Pernambuco at Amazon UK (CD)




PUBLISHED: 1 October 2005

RELEASE DATE: 12 September 2005 (UK) .

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