Rio de Janeiro has traditionally moved to the rhythmic intensity of samba and the cool sway of bossa nova. But the city’s urban youth also has a strong predilection for homegrown hip-hop – a genre A Filial deftly melds with the city’s musical legacy on their U.S. debut, $1,99, out in December on NYC label Verge Records. When the five-member crew first banded together they recorded tracks using a PlayStation, a karaoke machine, a $10 mic, and a musical toy, all dubbed down on a secondhand cassette. On their latest ouput A Filial remained committed to their rudimentary roots. They laid down beats on hacked software in two of the members’ non-sound proof apartment overlooking Rio, surrounded by forests in the bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa. GGC corresponded via email with A Filial trumpeter and MC Ben Lamar, a former teacher who grew up in Chicago's southside listening to his father's Brazilian music collection. The story of his friendship with A Filial founder Edu Lopes transcends cultural, geographical and language barriers through a common love of music that's universal.

GGC: What does A Filial mean? What's the story behind the name?

BL: A Filial has its magical origins from the Portuguese word “filho” which means “son”. A Filial is the child of the relationship between music and the people who are involved in its creation. Its the awareness that the project is simply the result of the web of relationships that keep it alive and healthy with the love of a child.

GGC: You guys were skateboarders before you became musicians or before you decided to band together as such, right? How has that particular sub-culture influenced your sound and the band's perspective?

BL: The first members of the group met on the street while skating. In Brazil, skateboard is an important element of the Hip Hop culture. In the U.S. there are basically 3 elements of Hip Hop: Rapping, Breaking, and Graffiti. In Brazil there is a fourth element added and that’s Skating. The skateboard culture when viewed in its earliest and rawest form has a strong connection to the earliest and rawest forms music or any art form for that matter. It’s done on the streets, close to the people, and represents a sense of expressive rebellion.

GGC: What are some of your influences from American hip-hop, past and present and Brazil's rich musical landscape?

BL: Hard question. The list is infinite. Edu and I have had many hip hop listening sessions in our old apartment and on the playlist included artist like the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Run-Dmc, NWA, Krs One, Jungle Brothers, ATCQ, De La Soul,Wu Tang, Gang Starr, Mf Doom, Mc Lyte, just to name a few. Of course the Brazilian musical landscape is vast...We’ve been influenced by many from Cartola to Pixinguinha...Jobim to Baden Powell…Hermeto Pascoal to Luis Gonzaga..The groups of Tropicalismo, Jorge Ben, Chico Buarque..once again just to name a few.

GGC: In $1,99 you explore a lot of rhythms and styles from the Northeast - like maracatú, forro, frevo -- both in lyrical context and in the arrangements. Is there something about music from the Northeast that lends itself to be easily transplanted within the context of hip-hop music?

BL: Well I think the music and rhythms of the Northeast need to be heard more. Most people outside of Brazil are not really hip to the sounds and culture of that region. The Brazilian music that is mostly exported or accepted by the rest of the globe is the music and style that came out of the Bossa Nova movement, which is amazingly beautiful, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg of Brazilian music culture. I know many great Brazilian musicians, legends, masters who suffer from this. On this album we tried to be slick and pay homage to the different rhythms/styles rarely heard, especially in Hip-Hop. But we tried to do it our way with total respect of the ancestors. Everything that is beautiful lends itself for integration so the music of the Northeast, or from wherever, lends itself to the context of Hip-Hop.

GGC: I noticed that the first part of the album is very bass heavy and then it becomes more organic, with more of a focus on Brazilian roots music and I think there are even a few instrumental tracks. There's a lot of variety and different contours. Can you go into the structure of the album a little and what you guys had set out to accomplish?

BL:There was no pre-planned structure of the album. We try to keep the music as honest as possible.The main goal is to touch on every human emotion. Sometimes as swe need different vehicles to express different emotions. The vehicle can be bass heavy, electro, or acoustic. As along as we are able to express issues that are present in our lives at the moment then the music is honest.

GGC: You actually grew up in Chicago. What is your connection with Brazil and Brazilian music and how did you end up becoming a part of a Brazilian hip-hop crew?

BL: I’m from the Southside of Chicago. My connection with Brazil began with my father and his late night music listening sessions that he allowed me and my older brother to be apart of. His record collection included everything from Soul, Jazz, Musicals, Rock, John Williams’s movie soundtracks, whatever. But the thing that set him apart from the rest of the people he knew was his Brazilian collection. So I grew up listening to the music of Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim. That sound introduced me, like many other people of the world, to Brazil. So I decided to move to Brazil on the fly without knowing anyone, without speaking Portuguese, nor having much money.. always. I just travel with my instrument and the memories of the listening sessions with my father. The hunger to learn more about that sound and culture gave me courage to do what I did. To make a long crazy adventure short, I felt that there was part of me in Brazil so I took the risk to actually meet this side of Ben Lamar. The other Ben Lamar changed my life but he owes me some money..always. As for A Filial.. I actually jammed with them at one of the early A Filial shows in 2003. Edu and I somehow found a way to communicate with my non existent Portuguese and his terrible English. We taught one another each other’s language just from him picking me up from my over-priced “gringo” rate Copacabana apartment and hanging out discussing music. Actually Edu and I became friends through our similar childhood love for the music Jobim. Edu would sing the lyrics and I would hum the melody.

GGC: Where do you live now?

BL: Good question. Once again to make a crazy adventure short…I’m back in Chicago at the moment, but still living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I’m split between two worlds…maybe three at the moment.

GGC: Edu Lopes has said that A Filial's first tape was made using a Playstation, a karaoke set, a $10 mic, a toy that made music, and a used cassette. What recording techniques does the band use these days? Anything innovative or a little off-kilter?

BL: Well in Brazil things can always become little off-kilter. The people there have the skill to make do with many things that other people would have no idea how to utilize. From this I learned a lot. I wouldn’t say for this recording that we used anything “innovative”. I think the innovativeness lived in our endurance. I guess this is common for most independent artist like ourselves. Of course, we used the normal “Cracked” computer software, terrible mics, non-sound proof room, bounced back from being robbed multiple times of instruments at gunpoint..but hey…that’s the life of an independent artist. The other “off-kilter” recording techniques are secret…OOHH!!!

GGC: How does A Filial stand out from other Brazilian hip-hop crews?

BL: First I’d like to say there is great underground Hip-Hop in Brazil. I feel A Filial does a good job at mixing the musical traditions of Brazil with the modern sounds of today without watering down the traditional richness of the music genres we include in our sound. We also bring the hardcore Carioca swing to Hip-Hop. There can be a lot of “dark/negative” Hip Hop in Brazil as well as in the rest of the world . Sure this is just a result of the environment, but every member of A Filial has first hand experience in dealing with these same hostile environments. We try to deal with this reality in different way…different sounds, colors, and light.

GGC: What's the hip-hop scene like in Rio and how is it different from Sao Paulo?

BL: The Sao Paulo music scene is a more open-minded than Rio. It also has more venues for experimental bands in all genres of music. There’s more work in S.P. of course because it’s bigger and it’s the financial center of Brazil. Rio can be closed-minded at times for musicians who desire to do something other than traditional samba. But Rio has a flavor, culture and intimacy that Sao Paulo can never have. The music traditions that live in Rio give the scene a different type of edge and different type of swing.

What's the concept behind $1,99?

BL: $1,99 refers to the $1,99 stores in Brazil which are the equivalent to the 99-cent stores in the U.S. These stores are filled with a variety of affordable items for everybody. It’s a price for the every day folk. A millionaire can shop there alongside a person who only has $1,99 to their name. The title kind of represents accessibility. But in the end it's just good music.

GGC: Tell me about Rio's Santa Teresa neighborhood, where many of the band members live if I'm not mistaken. How has it influenced the concept and sound behind $1,99?

BL: Santa Teresa is a mountain top neighborhood near the center of Rio. It has a strong bohemian vibe . Art is very alive there. Unlike in some U.S. and European trendy neighborhoods where it looks cool and artsy but the price to live is ridiculous. A Parisian friend of mine calls these neighborhoods “Bo-Bour” ( pronounced “Bo-Bo”) which means :Bohemian/Bourgeois. Santa Teresa is very authentic. You can have a mansion next to a favela but everyone uses the same bakery and same bar. I think the violence or reality that surrounds it will keep it from turning into a complete “Bo-Bour” hood…hopefully. Three of the members lived in Santa Teresa during the recording of $1,99. The rest in live in Zona Norte (northside) of Rio. This is a place where most tourist never get see. I love it up there. It has some of the warmest people in Zona Norte and some of the best musicians live there. But of course in Zona Norte lives a lot of reality.. a lot. The type of reality that makes the inner-city problems of the States look like child’s play. Santa Teresa is almost a natural barrier between The south and north zone of Rio. The south zone has its famed richer neighborhoods like Ipanema , Leblon, and so on. In Santa you are in the middle of two different worlds. Edu and I had an apartment in Equitativa, which is an old apartment complex higher in the forest of Santa Teresa right next to the favela Morro dos Prazeres, which has great Baile Funk parties by the way. We have some of the best views of the city as well. We recorded the album in our apartment along with the sounds of the complex and the forest..monkeys, tucans,cicadas, & etc. So of course, the neighborhood of Santa along with other neighborhoods of Rio has influenced the sound of the album. In the beginning of the instrumental song “Maluisa” ( which is the first song Edu & I composed together..5years ago) you can hear sounds of insects and birds. Those are the sounds we heard everyday. If you just put a mic outside the window you can capture “REAL MUSIC”…the music of nature.

GGC: Does A Filial believe that music has a role in shaping social consciousness and promoting global awareness of important issues?

BL: Yes..without a doubt. I remember watching a documentary about the great Panamanian singer Ruben Blades and him mentioning the reason why he went into music and acting. There is a great illiteracy rate growing in the world today..Latin America…Africa and with my experience teaching in the U.S. its presence is strong there as well. Some people can’t read about the issues of today. An artist of the people should always create something to move the people. Now in which direction? I don’t know…depends on the artist. Music has always been a communication tool. It can be used for awareness, education, or whatever. One thing I did learn is that you can’t be preaching when sharing info. That will turn a lot of heads away. I got dissed by a lot of 4th and 3rd graders in my short time teaching. The 7th & 8th graders loved me though. I think the same applies to everyone. So our music isn’t preachy but we have our slick way of promoting global awareness for sure.

GGC: How did Verge Records get involved with A Filial?

BL: I’m not sure of the exact details of the story. I know Emmanuel Zunz of Verge got in contact with Edu Lopes of A Filial through an artist friend of ours by then name of Felipe Motta.

GGC: Can you describe what unique ingredient each member brings to the band, including yourself?

BL: Edu Lopes is a great writer/lyricist. He has a unique way of playing with the Portuguese language. He is also the leader, the guy hustling to keep the project and sound of A Filial alive. He brings his knowledge of the Rio underground music/skate scene. He was also an integral part of the Hemp Family ( Marcelo D2, Bnegao,etc). Flavio 52 is the grandson of a Brazilian renaissance man and samba legend, Heitor dos Prazeres. Spending time with his family is the greatest lesson of soul, samba, and art I’ve ever received. He brings the raw samba tradition into the mix. DJ Castro is a very musical DJ, which is very hard to find. His endless will to learn brings a fresh energy to the table. He is also a big dub DJ in Brazil performing with talented artist such as Black Alien & Bnegao. Rodrigo Pacatu is very important because he brings the rich tradition of Brazilian rhythm to the mix and knows how to translate it in a modern context. His experience of playing percussion ranges from Samba, Forro, MPB, and Cuban music to Baile Funk. And last but not least the Southside boy. Well it's hard to say what I bring exactly without feeling weird. I bring another flavor of Las Americas via Alabama and the Southside of Chicago. I hope my first hand experience in searching for different sounds in various genres of music without compromise helps the sound of A Filial or any other project that I’m involved in.

-- by Lissette Corsa