|
|
 |
Global Hit (Audio)
|
| Click Here to go back. |
The World (Public Radio International), Global Hit (Audio) >>
Yesterday, The World's Marco Werman introduced us to the Brazilian notion of anthropophagi. It's an artistic concept that likens the musical blending of sounds from around the globe to cannibalism. Today, Marco introduces us to a Brazilian percussionist who's gathering his material closer to home.
Anthropophagi is essentially artistic recycling. On his debut recording, percussionist and producer Ramiro Musotto, adds a layer of literal meaning to the recycling concept. His song "Botellero" begins with a recording Musotto made of a bottle collector riding through the street with his horse drawn cart.
Ramiro Musotto: Maybe you, in your house you have a lot of bottles. OK, in United States you put these things in the streets, you know? But here in Brazil and Argentina you wait to the botellero coming, and he has this chant: "Botellero, botellero, I buy everything. If you have something in your house that you don't want, you give me, or I buy it..." And he projects his voice with a very very primitive microphone and a very old speaker, you know. And the sound is incredible because you only get this kind of sound with this kind of primitive technology.
Brazilian anthropophagi look to the entire world for inspiration. Ramiro Musotto tunes his ear to the sounds around him in South America. As a percussionist and the former leader of a punk rock band, Musotto tends to really shake up those sounds.
Several tracks on Musotto's recording "Sudaka" attempt to negotiate the lines between South American indigenous rhythms and those of the 21st century dance floor.
Ramiro Musotto: Today's electronic is based on repetition, repetition of loops, repetition of cyclic music. And the electronic music is music for dance. A lot of people together. It's similar to the indigenous people, because the indigenous people at least in South America, they do their music based on repetition of little patterns you know. And they are all dancing to the same song, and it's very similar to today's electronic music. It's very obvious to me to try to blend these two apparently different kinds of music. But they are very very similar.
As if to prove the point to himself, Ramiro Musotto played the final mix of his track "Xavantes" to the Brazilian Indians he sampled after the CD came out.
Ramiro Musotto: They loved the final mix. They said "wow, you respect our words, you respect our groove, and you mixed it with this new thing?"
It's hard to believe the indigenous people of Brazil have a word for "groove" in the vocabulary. But listen to Ramiro Musotto's music, and you might start to think "groove" came from Brazil.
For The world, I'm Marco Werman. 02/11/04 >> go there
|
| Click Here to go back. |
|
 |
|
|
|
