I've Been Listening To... Diplo, Gilberto Gil, and They Live!
For the past eight or nine years, I've had a major soft spot in my heart for the music coming out of Brazilian favelas. I'm a believer in the fact that poor people often make the best music and if you know anything about the favelas (shantytowns) just outside of Rio de Janeiro, then you might already know how popular baile funk was around the beginning of this decade. The DJs and music makers in those hoods have undoubtedly moved on to something else by now, but I'm still a fan of the sweaty, Carioca-style mashups of Miami bass, electro, and bump-n-grind beats that comprise baile funk. This Diplo remix of the song "Percao" sort of epitomizes what the genre is all about. My favorite moment is at the 1:22 mark of the video.
I guess I've been on a little Brazilian kick recently but that's a good thing as it's lead me back to one of my favorite singers of all-time, Gilberto Gil. The song above, "Expresso 2222" always puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it. It's a pretty song with deft guitar work, solid percussion, and a festive enough feel to it that it makes me envision much warmer weather than what we're experiencing outside right now.
On the local tip, They Live! has definitely been catching my ear lately. They've sort of got an old school West Coast feel to them and are a lot of fun to watch live. For those that don't already know, the group is comprised of Gatsby aka ace blogger extraordinaire Larry Mizell Jr. and DJ Bles One. They're making moves locally, getting booked for lot's of shows, and recently put out of one of my favorite local music videos of the year with what's above. Check it.
1 comment(s)
Billy Shakes says:
Gilberto Gil is one of my favorites as well. His voice is just amazing and I can listen to it any time.
Thanks for that!
Posted On: Wednesday, Apr. 15 2009 @ 10:21AM