Tribalistas: a deep human connection beyond music

Diaspora, the opening track on the Tribalistas’ second album, is more than just a song. It is a prayer, a lament to the human condition. Especially to those caught up in the recent refugee crisis. Lines such as “Onde está/Meu irmão sem irmã/O meu filho sem pai/Minha mãe sem avó/Dando a mão pra ninguém” point to a certain sensibility, often absent from official, political circles. After all, we all have a father, a mother and a grandma.

It is this deep human connection that has made Tribalistas the successful supergroup they are. And it is precisely this sort of kinship that fans of the band will be able to feel at the Eventim Apollo on Sunday 4^th November, the first time the Brazilian outfit will play in the UK. From their debut album in 2002, to their sophomore effort fifteen years after, Marisa Monte, Carlinhos Brown and Arnaldo Antunes have added another dimension to the human experience. One that goes beyond musical boundaries.

Supergroups come in two guises. There are those that stick to a well-trodden, successful and familiar musical path, say, blues-driven Cream and those which become genres unto themselves. For instance, experimental-sounding, all-star Irish The Gloaming. Tribalistas belong to the latter category. Their songs are not the typical samba-lite, listener-friendly, Brazilian sound commonly found on Jazz FM’s Breakfast show. Monte, Brown and Antunes have three very distinctive personalities and voices. However, so far the trio has managed to find enough common ground to churn out two outstanding albums, each a masterpiece in its own right.

Rio-raised Marisa Monte has a singing style that has been influenced by both samba and opera, having trained in the latter in Italy. Ex-Titas member, Arnaldo Antunes has the sort of earth-scorched vocals that can turn even the glibbest of pop songs into an intellectual manifesto. Carlinhos Brown’s mid-range, melodious timbre is the perfect counterweight to Marisa’s lyrical and Antunes’s deep-voiced tones.

Just like 2002 Tribalistas, the 2017 outing, of the same name, is arrangement-rich. Collaboration is the key amongst the Tribalistas. Sixteen years ago, the evidence was in tracks like É Você, a dreamy tune that found Brown and Monte’s voices intertwining organically. Fast-forward to Tribalistas 2 and you have the foot-tapping, momentum-building Tribalivre, an ironic take on work that boasts Antunes’s lead on vocals, Monte on guitar and backing vocals and Brown playing all kinds of instruments, from congas to berimbau.

More than a musical statement, Tribalistas is that rarest of beasts nowadays. A supergroup whose members have left their egos behind in order to create a solid, politically- and socially-minded sound. The concert at the Eventim Apollo on Sunday 4^th November promises to be a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience this.

© 2018

Killer Opening Songs: "Convoque seu Buda" by Criolo

For more than three decades rap has been mainly known as an Anglophone, US-born, African-American-driven musical phenomenon. At the beginning, lyrics focused more on social and political issues. However, with the passing of time and with the wealth-accumulating habits of certain rap artists, the genre has lost its initial bite somewhat.

Not everywhere, mind you. There still exist places around the world where rap is being used as a weapon of war to address important issues. Killer Opening Songs is proud to introduce an artist who has done precisely this since his scene-stealing debut album No Na Orelha in 2011.

Criolo is a slum-raised Brazilian singer (and singer is the key word here as he not only raps but also has the pipes to deliver some of the most beguiling and beautiful melodies ever. For evidence of this, please, listen to the third track on No Na Orelha, Não Existe Amor em SP). It is to his second album, Convoque seu Buda, that K.O.S. is turning its attention tonight, especially its Killer Opener, the title track. The song builds on the same elements that made its predecessor, No Na Orelha, Rolling Stone magazine’s Best Album of the year almost half a decade ago. There’s the hard-hitting commentary on the economic, social and political situation of Brazil, especially in the build-up to the Olympic Games next year. All this is mixed with catchy, foot-tapping beats and delivered with panache and maturity.

Whilst rap is Criolo’s main means of expression, the album Convoque seu Buda (literally, Invoke your Buddha) is testament to other styles this son of São Paulo has adopted. There is reggae, Afrobeat and samba throughout the record. Killer Opening Songs even detected the influence of Tropicália, the 60s and 70s musical movement that sought to blend different styles such as rock and funk with more traditional Brazilian rhythms. As mentioned before, Criolo is not just an outstanding rapper but also an excellent singer songwriter as demonstrated in the fourth track, Casa de Papelão, a haunting song whose harsh subject matter, homelessness, contrasts beautifully against its sophisticated arrangements. It also has one of the better bass hooks Killer Opening Songs has heard in a long time.

It is again the K.O.S. that is the leading character in this album. Convoque seu Buda, both title track and album show that rap has not died a slow death; killed by corporate appropriation and greed. No, rap has found a new lease of life, but now it is singing in Portuguese… and Spanish.

© 2015

Next Post: “Saturday Evenings: Stay In, Sit Up and Switch On”, to be published on Saturday 12^th December (GMT)

Song for an Autumn Sunday Morning

Marisa Monte, Carlinhos Brown, Bebo Valdés and Cézar Mendes - Músico (many thanks to Adriana for this lovely birthday present)

Song for an Autumn Sunday Morning

Aguas de Março - Elis Regina



For the version with subtitles in English, click here.

Killer Opening Songs (Vanessa da Mata - Vermelho)

This week Killer Opening Songs will concentrate on the oeuvre of a spectacular singer from Brazil: Vanessa da Mata.

Vanessa was born in Alto Garças, a small town in Mato Grosso, the central part of Brazil. From an early age she was exposed to the music of Brazil's foremost composers and performers like Luiz Gonzaga, Tom Jobim, Milton Nascimento and Orlando Silva. At just fourteen she knew what she wanted to do when she grew up: sing. Thus, in the early 90s she was part of a female reggae band, Shalla-Ball. A couple of years later she joined Black Uhuru, a Grammy-winner Jamaican outfit. After many musical collaborations that saw her pairing up with the likes of Maria Bethania and Daniela Mercury, Vanessa released her first album in 2002: 'Vanessa da Mata'.

The Killer Opening Song this time around comes courtesy of her 2007 record, 'Sim', an album whose essence is 'a positive response to life, a fighting response'. 'Vermelho', the introductory track, is a sultry, funky number that I am sure will go down very well with the readers of and visitors to this blog. Enjoy.

Copyright 2008

Killer Opening Songs (Chico Buarque & Milton Nascimento - 'O Que Sera (Flor da Pele)

Francisco Buarque de Hollanda, better known as Chico Buarque, has had a long and prolific career as a singer, composer and writer. His discography spans a good four decades during which this outstanding Brazilian musician has delighted audiences both in Latin America and Europe. Killer Opening Songs is, thus, thrilled to introduce such an extraordinary performer to its readers and fellow bloggers this week.

However there’s another reason why the track I am uploading this time around has a special significance to me. And here’s why:

In 1986 or ’87 (my memory fails me) a film opened in Havana and it became an overnight sensation. It was one of the movies competing at the Latin American Film Festival in the Cuban capital and I remember that most of my peers went to see it despite the fact that it was rated 16 (our film classifications vary from those in both the States and Europe). Because I have always looked ten years younger than I am (a bit of a drag at the time) I could not even come close to the box office without getting asked for my ID. The reason for the audience’s excitement was a 26-year-old Brazilian actress whose erotic scenes drove many male adolescents (and adults) wild. Sonia Braga became a by-word for sexiness and ‘Dona Flor e Seus Dos Maridos’ (Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands) became a hit in Cuba immediately.

Because of my age I was not able to see the film (which, although it had been released in 1976 in Brazil, had only seen the light in Cuba in the mid 80s) at the cinema and therefore had to wait until it was screened on the telly to confirm my crush on an actress I had never seen up to that moment. To say that the plot, performances and music took a back seat would be putting it mildly. All I remember from watching ‘Dona Flor…’ is Sonia Braga et al cavorting in the nude recklessly and blithely whilst a young Jose Wilker played the roost-ruler.

Luckily, by the time I was able to control my younger self’s hormones better I began to focus on other aspects of the film that I had missed out on first time around. Like the music, for instance. And it was with utmost pleasure that I found a little jewel in this film’s soundtrack. It is the Killer Opening Song to Chico Buarque’s 1976 album ‘Meus Caros Amigos' and the title is ‘O Que Será (Flor da Pele)’. This clip that I bring this week has both Chico and Milton Nascimento performing the song and the tempo differs massively from the original album track; it’s slower. However it is still a beautiful and haunting song that has become a relic of past times, especially for those born in Iberoamerica (I include both Portugal and Spain here). For readers and fellow bloggers from the English-speaking world who cannot speak Portuguese I will have you know that the song deals with the eternal theme of love and the search for it, hence the title ‘O Que Será’ (What Is It?). And I strongly advise you to look for a good translation on the net; you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy.







For earlier editions of Killer Opening Songs, click on any of the links below.


Killer Opening Songs (D'Angelo's Brown Sugar)


Killer Opening Songs (Sinéad O'Connor's 'Fire on Babylon')


Killer Opening Songs (Queen's Mustapha)


Killer Opening Songs (Caetano Veloso-Haiti)


Killer Opening Songs (Chopin 'Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor Op 66' & Etude in C minor 'Revolutionary' Op 10 No 12)


Killer Opening Songs (Ernesto Lecuona - 'La Comparsa & Malagueña)


Killer Opening Songs (David Gilmour - Shine On You Crazy Diamond)


Copyright 2008

Killer Opening Songs (Caetano Veloso-Haiti)

When in 1991 Lieutenant General Raoul Cédras deposed the democratically elected president of Haiti, former priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the Caribbean nation was thrown into turmoil. The effects of that action are still being felt today, as Haiti has never recovered from that setback. It is ironic then, that one of the better Killer Opening Songs that came out of that conflict, although not directly out of it, was Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil’s ‘Haiti’, the opening track on their 1994 outing, ‘Tropicalia 2’. Both singers use the Haitian situation as a metaphor for the police violence aimed at black youth in Brazil, whilst raising important questions about the meaning of citizenship in Brazilian society. ‘Haiti’, thus, becomes a mournful lament to a country ravaged by poverty, racial tensions and economic hardship. The words are powerful and the repetition of some of the lines gives the listener a better opportunity to ascertain the seriousness of the situation in the South American nation: ‘Quando você for convidado pra subir no adro/Da fundação casa de Jorge Amado/Pra ver do alto a fila de soldados, quase todos pretos/Dando porrada na nuca de malandros pretos/De ladrões mulatos e outros quase brancos/Tratados como pretos/Só pra mostrar aos outros quase pretos/(E são quase todos pretos)/E aos quase brancos pobres como pretos/Como é que pretos, pobres e mulattos/E quase brancos quase pretos de tão pobres são tratados’

This song became a classic in Caetano Veloso’s extensive repertoire and it is one of the tunes that people at his concerts always ask for. It is with pride and gusto (although tinged with sadness due to the motivation that led the Brazilian singer-songwriter to compose the melody in the first place) that I upload this marvellous Killer Opening Song this week. Enjoy.

Note: the word ‘preto’ is similar in spelling and meaning to the word ‘prieto’ in Spanish. They both mean black and are usually used to refer to black people, but of a darker hue. It is normally used colloquially, however when I thought of translating the text above from Portuguese to English I had second thoughts as I would have had to utilise words that might have been interpreted differently in the Anglo-Saxon language resulting in unintentional offence. That’s why I’ve left it up to you to find out the meaning.

Copyright 2008

Road Songs (Andante)

Road Song: (n) 1 A brief composition aimed mainly at being played in a vehicle on an open, usually public way for the passage of other vehicles, people and animals. 2 A melodious utterance that serves as a companion on short, medium and long trips on such a public way.

Since I passed my driving test earlier this year (fifth time lucky!) I have discovered a new passion: listening to music whilst on the road. Now, I already had a similar leaning before, but more as a passenger than as the driver as it was my spouse behind the wheeel the whole time. But since May this year, I have been on my own a lot and whilst paying attention to what is going on before my eyes on the road, my ears have been digesting all kinds of rhythms and beats.

Thus, I discovered that there are songs meant for the house and there are others designed for the car. Mix them up and you'll end up with 'Atom Heart Mother' by Pink Floyd on a long journey to Frinton. Believe me, as much as I love the British quartet, it is not the appropriate time, nor place.

'Road Songs', then, is the name of this new section. To me road songs do not relate to the actual motorway, or street, or avenue, although some fellow poster/reader/blogger might disagree with me. They have much more in common with a particular track that makes you more alert and alive whilst roaming the roads of Britain or any other country (an experience yet to live) in your four-wheel automobile. Sometimes coincidences do happen and 'Highway Star' could be one of those occasions on which Deep Purple will be playing in the car stereo at full blast whilst I will be trying to control the urge to follow Ian Gillan's advice: 'Nobody gonna take my car/I'm gonna race it to the ground/Nobody gonna beat my car/It's gonna break the speed of sound/Oooh it's a killing machine/It's got everything/Like a driving power big fat tyres and everything. But generally the type of composition I choose to accompany me in my short jaunts to pick up or drop off my children are ear-friendly tracks that stimulate the mind as well as the body. And a big disclaimer now: I do not advocate speeding on the road.

My first choice is the result of the first part of the BBC series on the history of Brazilian music. Last week saw the beginning of a journey through that South American's country rich musical legacy and one of the performers who made up this first encounter was Tom Jobim. When I was growing up in Havana I was haunted by this melody which later on I found out was sung by the incomparable Elis Regina, one of my favourite singers ever. Enjoy.

My second track is by a natural performer who has quite rightly earned her moniker Queen of Soul. She has timeless anthems under her belt so you can imagine that picking up the one is a tough job, as it were. This is a song I first heard by that other great singer Carole King and when I 'discovered' this other version I just could not believe the emotion coming out through her voice. Meine Damen und Herren:



Salsa has a social conscience, a fact that seems to escape some people sometimes. It's not just shuffling your feet back and front, 1,2,3, 'Enchufla y castígala'. This song is a testament to that. Written on the back of the assassination of Archbishop Arnulfo Romero in El Salvador in 1980, it has since become a paean to freedom and independence in Iberoamerica.



And this is all for this week. As I gear up to go on the road once more I know which songs I'll be taking with me on my journeys. How about yours?

Copyright 2007