theartsdesk Radio Show 23 - the hottest Brazil sounds for 2019 with guest Tiago Di Mauro

The focus of this radio show, one of Peter Culshaw’s occasional updates of global music, is the new sounds coming from Brazil in 2019.

The country seems to entering a dark period with new President Bolsanaro having just taken office, but however unsavoury the regime, the beat as always goes on. My guest expert on the subject is the enormously talented Brazilian video and film director Tiago Di Mauro, who has done music videos for the likes of Anglo-Brazilian artist Nina Miranda and Tulipa Ruiz, promos for cachaca, the key ingredient of caipirinha cocktails, and is currently developing his first major feature (a story told on CCTV cameras). Tiago’s tips for 2019 include Josyara, Aricia Mess "Queen of psyco-quilombolas, radical batuques and Afro-shock-chic", Tigana Santana, Leo Cavalcanti, Baiana System and others. He writes some notes about them below the playlist. There are some flashbacks to the likes of the producer Suba, a kind of secular saint who saved Bebel Gilberto's album from a studio fire but died in the process, Gal Costa and "not a genius....a God" Caetano Veloso. Just to keep it global, there are odd detours to Indonesia and Palestine, whose Le Trio Joubran I saw at an astonishing gig at the PMX gathering to promote Palestinian music in Ramallah last year.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

Playlist

Josyara: "Nanã"

Suba: "Sereia"

Aricia Mess : "Meu Bom Bom"

Mick Harvey: "Out of Time Man"

Tigana Santana: "Mon Ami"

Baina System: "Playsom"

Leo Cavalcanti: "Anda Aqui Sonhando"

Caetano Veloso: "Leãozinho"

Gal Costa: "Minha Voz, Minha Vida"

Caetano Veloso: "Tropicalia"

Mondo Gascaro: "Dan Bila"

Susheela Raman: "Rose"

Renu: "Boys"

Le Trio Joubran: "Shantan"

Juliana Yazbeck: "Aashaq"

Adolfo Echeverria: "Sabrosa Bacalao"

Mayra Andrade: "Afeto"

Rita Indiana: "El Blue"

Mayra Andrade: "Afeto"(reprise)

Nina Miranda: "I Am"

Kakaxa: "Jungle"

Ifriqqiya Electrique: "La Illah Illah Allah"

Tiago Di Mauro’s (pictured below) notes on some of the songs:

 

1) Josyara - "Nanã" 

From everything I am hearing recently, Josyara is the most exciting discovery. She is the first Bahian in a long time that re-accesses and re-implements the musical elements in her songs that come from the drylands, the Sertão do Brazil. A songwriter and a powerful acoustic guitar player herself she modernises the music adding electronica. She comes from Juazeiro, homeland of João Gilberto, the father of Bossa Nova. She is definitely the João Gilberto of this millennium for her generation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkUBUdVcD2E

2) Leo Cavalcanti - "Ainda Aqui Sonhando" 

Leo Cavalcanti is the son of Pericles Cavalcanti, a powerful songwriter and singer from Rio de Janeiro. Leo Cavalcanti is living at the moment in Salvador and has published two albums already. I noticed him because of this specific song. He talks about the struggles of rejected love and being a singer in a moment where fascism is taking over everywhere. I felt the lyrics are spot on. He connects poetry to the political moment and made this mellow folk kind of ballad. The music video is hot too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-uVvZA7E-8

3) Mondo Gascaro - "Dan Bila" 

I write for this amazing film magazine, "DMovies". I get to go to hot film festivals such as the Berlinale, Cannes and Venice and get to see tons of films. After watching many films, we can lose a bit of the sensibility to films. If they don’t impress you, you don’t connect. I was in that mood when I saw this Indonesian film called Memory of my Body about the famous Indonesian dancer-actor Rianto. I must admit the film didn’t touch me that much but the amazing sound track excited me. I waited for the credits and took notes on Mondo Gascaro. It blew my mind. So 1960s. It's a hybrid of so many other names I know but still so original and connected me completely to the music scene of Indonesia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6QxKgW8MWc

4) Nina Miranda - "The Cage" 

I love Nina. I have loads of respect for her art and work. We worked together on the music video of "The Cage", managing to film in Liverpool Street, one of the busiest locations in London. We were a huge team of British and Brazilians pals and were doing some guerrilla-style shooting for this neo-chaotic song. An intense day that made me cry at the end because I put so much energy into it to make it happen properly. I think the track is a contemporary pop rock mantra: get me out of the cage! Fits perfectly with our days. We are supposed to be going onwards and it feels the opposite. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cErCFh_1_Ng

5) Aricia Mess - "Meu Bem Bem" 

Aricia the Wonderful. Read her headline and listen to "Super Legal" and tell me how not to love her songs, her vibe: Queen of psyco-quilombolas, radical batuques. Afro-shock-chic" Brazilian via soul and funk and with righteous black pride. She is currently working on her new album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSmd4eBnjXA

6) Tiganá Santana - "Mon’ami" 

Tiganá is collaborating with a lot of the most important Brazilian musicians. The results he accomplishes in his songs are both sophisticated and melancholic. Genius!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9LEtNtMxNw

7) Juliana Yazbeck - "Aashaq" 

Juliana is part of the London music scene. She just released this new EP and jumped from being an interpreter to songwriter. She also embraced her Arabic origins and created an album full of originality by mixing elements of Brit Pop into it.

https://www.youtube.com/user/julianayazbeck

8) Mayra Andrade - "Afeto" 

She is back! One of the great stars from Capo Verde.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5PsIN_FkF4

9) Gal Costa - "Minha Voz, Minha Vida"

My favourite singer, a crystal voice from an album that symbolises perfection for Brazilian music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkB6TwgnRjA