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CD Review
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Afrobeat Blog, CD Review >>
What do you get when you take the aggressive, tough mentality of Rio de Janeiro, the rhythm, flavor, and style of Brazilian samba, and the dance-floor shaking, hard-driving sensibility of American hip-hop? A Filial, Rio’s homegrown hip-hop posse that celebrates Brazilian culture while fusing it with hip-hop to incorporate it into a mainstream sound. Their first American full-length album, $1.99, is set to hit record stores nationwide December 15, 2008 on Verge Records.
Fifties bossa nova mixed samba with jazz, sixties tropicália mixed samba with rock, and A Filial mixes Brazilian roots music and other world influences in the envelope of rap and hip hop culture. On $1,99, with the group’s percussionist Rodrigo Pacato, A Filial explores the unmistakable rhythms and harmonies of Northeastern Brazil and the new spirit of Rio’s old samba spots in notorious neighborhoods like Lapa, where racy nightlife meets crumbling colonial facades.
Rapping in English as well as Portuguese, A Filial simultaneously is recognizable and foreign to the average American hip-hop fan. Their beats draw from American influences like the Beastie Boys and NWA, as well as Brazilian macaratu. They mix the two worlds of sound perfectly to create a soundscape that’s delightfully danceable and downright funky.
A Filial came out of Rio’s skateboarding scene and a hip hop circle known as the Hemp Family. “Our first tape was made using a Playstation, a karaoke set, a $10 mic, a toy that made music, and a used cassette,” founding MC Edu Lopes recalls. “We wanted to develop a hip hop sound that was more regionally based.” The following year a track was licensed to the skateboard brand Agacê for their “Todos Ouvidos” or “All Heard” compilation.
Now A Filial is releasing their first album, growing in popularity internationally, and growing together as a group. Their sound incorporates influences and styles from all over the world, so as they grow and travel to new places, expect their sound to continue to grow as well. 09/18/08 >> go there
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