Thursday, September 28, 2006
Music / Post No Bills Funk carioca today
Posted by Peter Margasak on 09.28.06 at 11:58 AM
A couple of days ago a reader disputed my claim that Tetine was behind the curve, gently calling me a “clueless American crit.” Because the duo hosts a radio show on England’s Resonance station called Slum Dunk and has curated a decent collection of funk carioca, they've gotten lots of exposure, which has allowed them to become flavor of the moment. Most funk carioca artists in Rio de Janeiro are from favelas (slums) and thus poor, have scant access to the media, and don’t speak English. Tetine’s take on funk carioca has a relatively high-tech gloss that's missing from the real Brazilian stuff. That on its own isn't a good reason to disparage their music; it only takes a pair of ears to realize that they're ridiculously over-the-top to the point of parody.
What rubs me the wrong way is that while Tetine may be aware of what’s happening in Rio, they’re bandwagon jumpers. Check out earlier Tetine tracks like “She’s Not a Girl Who Misses Much” and “Russian Roulette” and it’s clear that in a previous incarnation not so long ago they were riding a lame musical trend: weak neo-80s synth pop.
I spent a few weeks in Brazil earlier this year, and a fantastic tune called “Ela So Pensa Em Beijar” by MC Leozinho was the ubiquitous summertime hit. (The best way for an American to buy the song is to pick up this strange compilation, a collection of Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho’s fave tunes.) The song grabbed me because it was adapting the beats of funk carioca for pop music, using strummed acoustic guitars, melodic synth patterns, and mildly soulful, sung vocals rather than the usual gruff rapping. Funk Mix, a swell new anthology compiled by DJ Marlboro—the longtime kingpin of Rio’s funk carioca scene and Diplo’s key Brazilian buddy—proves that the sound of the MC Leozinho track was no fluke, but rather a new paradigm. The collection has some straight-up, lean funk carioca: “Satisfação” by Tati Quebra-Barraco (whose mighty “Boladona,” which swiped its primary melody line from Devo’s “Mongoloid," was another smash in Brazil this year) and “Cria Asa, Periquita” by MC Brio Levby, which nicely samples some yodeling. But most the CD follows the new model, with a distinct R & B twist that betrays R. Kelly’s reach.
It’s not all good, but it’s a fascinating (and perhaps inevitable) commercially oriented mutation of standard funk carioca, whose bares-bones rawness is one of its most appealing characteristics. I’m not about to prognosticate on the future of Brazilian pop music, but this stuff certainly seems more fecund and exciting than the warmed-over slop Tetine was dishing out at the Empty Bottle last week.
Comments (14)
Showing 1-14 of 14
Hi Peter, i do respect you as a jornalist but i didn't get your point this time. I saw Tetine's performance at the Wire's festival and I loved it!! It wasn't meaningless at all. Ok maybe it's a bit strong for those who have a weak heart... Eliete had a tail on and she was in control of all instruments etc... It is still a very rare thing to see a woman in all senses that controls what men are doing and she is not invisible at all! I loved the punk carioca style they brought to such a diverse audience. It's crystal clear that what they do is not funk carioca in the sense of Tati Quebra Barraco, MC Leaozinho etc... I never thought they were from the slums in brasil. They make it clear and I'm not a music journalist. Is it necessary? As for the 'parody' quote in your text I think that Bonde do Role (the Curitiba trio sponsored by Diplo) - who in my opinion do good parodies of funk carioca - they do try to sound like the favela singers and THEY are getting all the credits. Not Tati, not Deise, MC Leaozinho etc. Tetine have their own way of doing it and that's what makes them so special. The Lick My Favela album is a brillant example of what they do. It's punk rock, no wave, funk carioca, miami bass, performance art... Did you hear that? What I didn't get in your critic is: Are you really worried with the social issue? Why you don't make you point in relation to Diplo then?. Is it because he is a MAN or because he is AMERICAN???
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My point was simply that Tetine is hardly the cutting edge of funk carioca. I didn't say them claimed to be from the slums, but the media has given them class A status due to a host of extramusical circumstances--which is nothing new. Diplo is a DJ, spinning that stuff--he doesn't blather about being a funk carioca artist. Tetine opened the show by announcing they were going to play some funk carioca
I didn't go to the show, but I love their music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8myiWctaXfA LICK MY BOLIVIA lICK MY BRASILIA lICK MY URUGUAI LICK MY CARAAAAAACAS!!!!!
hey peter as I said before I'm one of your readers but I think this time round you got it very wrongly. I heard what Bruno said during the show. He mentioned the confusion btw 'Baile Funk' which is the party itself and 'Funk carioca' which is the style, simple as this. Maybe you got it too literally. He meant the style itself. If they called it 'funk carioca' in order to talk about the style this def doesn't mean they are taking advantage of anything related to it. On the contrary I suppose. Remember Funk Carioca - the style - is all about sampling, sampling and sampling! Therefore to me this means CELEBRATION!! Not to mention that they were not playing rumba, were they? I don't think that is the case anyway. As you said before they have made all sorts of music/non music related pieces and they've been around for a while. There isn't too much hype around them. As for Diplo I can't say much, he's a DJ and that's all. Never saw him with a micropone though. As far as I read the hype is around him. He's more well known that any funk carioca artist this you have to agree! :-) On top of that I should tell that Tetine is loved in Brazil mainly in the undreground scene where they are regarded as some sort of a tropical Trobbing Gristle so much radical stuff they did around the country. The same thing can be said in relation to a number of funk carioca artists they are involved with... INDEPENDENTLY!! I can assure you that 2 weeks in Brazil is not enough to understand the whole brazilian music debate and the scene.
I see you did some homework because on my comment on your cluelessness. I feel honored!! Still a lot of work to do tough. It reads more like MISINFORMATION TODAY ! Keep googling. BTW PJ are you sure you're not a music criti??? where's your blog???? xx
OK readers-- I'm curious. Since I've got it all wrong, tell me what's really happening in Brazil right now.
oh, yes...just a few weeks... i suggest you to spend a bit more time next time. you didn't get it! i'm not brazilian either but i guess i had more luck than you. i happened to see these guys once in sao paulo and i thought it was a delight!!! just to clarify: is diplo, role and all that bunch doing parody too? or is it just a clever flirt?
Wow it's hot in here like I've never seen before! PETER try Pedro Alexandre Sanches for real opinions on Brazilian music! http://pedroalexandresanches.blogspot.com/ ps: you have to speak the lingo
sorry but i can't help. have to ask you: 'Tetine’s take on funk carioca has a relatively high-tech gloss that's missing from the real Brazilian stuff' - jeeezzzzs!!!! what's the real brazilian stuff? rough poverty for export??? god bless you, and give you some 'glossier' thoughts to open you mind...
This would all be much easier if some of you commentators would actually bother to read what I wrote, but since that seems impossible, here goes. RE: Tara’s comment about Diplo—he’s just a DJ and he doesn’t claim to be more than that. He’s the guy who’s most responsible for introducing funk carioca to North Americans. I never mentioned anything about Bonde—I’m assuming you mean Bonde do Role, or did you mean Bonde do Ratão or your beloved Tetine’s Bonde do Tetão. Kill me, I’m not Brazilian and I don’t speak Portuguese. Does that mean I’m not allowed to have an opinion? I’ve only been to Brazil once but I have several thousand albums of Brazilian music and do everything to keep up with what’s happening there. As far as I know there aren’t many Americans writing about any sort of Brazilian music, and I do it any time I get a chance. Finally, I saw the Tetine show with a friend from Rio who works in the music biz, managing artists like Orquestra Imperial, Otto, and Autoramas, among others, and he’s organized plenty of events with DJ Marlboro. He had never heard of Tetine and he also thought they were terrible. Just because he had never heard of them doesn’t mean that they don’t have a following in Brazil, yes, but my own ears told me they were weak. I asked for suggestions of what’s happening in Brazil—I didn’t say what’s “real†in Brazil—and all anyone could do was suggest a Portuguese language blog (by the way, Portuguese is a language, not lingo). So much for the level of debate here.
hi peter, it's great that you try to keep yourself informed about brazilian music, you probably know much more than I do and i won't be able to suggest you anything. my point is that your comments about tetine lack information. it’s irresponsible to try to impose your opinion not using concepts properly. fair enough if you and you friend (who?) find them terrible, it's good to have different opinions. We have very different taste, I can tell you by just looking at your favourites on your blog. Diversity and debate is excellent! but i find slightly inadequate the way you defend your idea. The way you talk about parody is awful, sorry. I suppose - as a critic - you must have heard of appropriation or other concepts that would probably define better their work. There are not my beloved ones, as i said I’ve seen them just once, maybe two gigs. My impression was the opposite: I thought that finally somebody was dealing with funk carioca in a more creative way, instead of just using it as a music survey to try to promote themselves abroad. I’ve heard really bad stuff in rio about diplo when I didn’t even know who he was. even dj Marlboro has a very dubious role in his way of ‘promoting’ funk carioca in rio and internationally. I’m not sure if the ‘real’ funk ghetto is so happy and grateful to them as your fellows in America…and what’s this thing “he’s just a dj?†Isn’t he an artist too? by the way, no problemo you not speaking portuguese...and i agree, you don't have to be brazilian to talk about brazil. but let's avoid just superficial talk and personal taste getting too much on the way. otherwise, we go and read HELLO only. nice to meet you.
Trouble is people can't stand 'totalitarian one liners' anymore. It's like McDonald's music criticism - as fake as the meat you eat... or in your own words 'faker than vanila ice'. The blog I suggested you to check out is one of the best sources of Brazilian Music 'today' - all music/politics considered - including your very own topic. Past present and future without ever sounding pretencious or patronizing for a second. Funk Carioca is a fascinating subject full of twisted and contradictory internal politics... it would def help if you spoke 'the lingo'. it's slightly annoying the way you use 'other voices' to validate your opinions specially when you don't have one. People don't really care if you're friends with music biz managers in Rio, Diplo, Marlboro or whoever. I read your other posts on Brazilian music and I'm still not convinced about your points - a collection of several thousands of Brazilian albums don't make you any better writer or listener than anyone else. Aiiiiiii Carrasco minha bochecha ta ardendo!!!!! xxx
