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FARO 040CD
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2000 release. From raw and unadorned vocal-drum tracks to truly Bahian, Afro-Brazilica, Grupo Batuque present Africa Brazil. The journey starts with the very beginnings of samba, whose predecessor arrived washed up on the coasts of Bahia as worship and freedom songs. This music provided the soundtrack to the Orixia based religion Candomble, and the acrobatic martial art, capoeira, which both grew from the African culture, newly arrived in Brazil. In Africa, music plays a functional, ritualistic part in everyday life. And this is the case in Brazil today, where music is an integral part of day to day life - climaxing with Carnival once a year. This is when most of the country gets out to dance along to the many Escolas do Samba ("samba schools") and Blocos taking part. The word "Samba" may come from the African Semba or "invitation to dance". Africa Brazil features percussion maestros Wilson Des Neves and Robertinho Silva. Other musicians include: Ivan Conti (drummer with Azymuth), Zezinho and Leo Leobonz - who has spent his years playing with Mongo Santamaria and Fania All-Stars. The African influences on the music and culture of Brazilian life cannot be overstated, with up to five million Africans from Ghana, Angola, Zaire and Nigeria, transplanted from their native lands to work as slaves in the plantations in Northeast Brazil. The immigrants brought their dance, language and religion, which they integrated with the strongly catholic and European culture, brought to Brazil by the colonial Portuguese. This album features the voice of Aleuda singing Jongos - a highly improvisational form of ceremonial music brought from Ghana. Other vocalists are Sergao and Aperacidinha from the favelas of Madariera on the northern outskirts of Rio. Also included is "Read Between The Lines" featuring Marcina Arnold with help DJ/producer Roc Hunter. The track is available again for everyone who missed it first time round when it was released earlier in the year to a very enthusiastic response, media and club wise. A London/Rio collaboration - this frenetic paced Afro/samba is carried by Marcina's powerful vocal and is supported by full horn section. "Keyzer" is dedicated to Banda Black Rio and Fela Kuti - Fela's rhythm and groove, but keeping the samba through the "Gaffeira" melodies of the horn section. There is also an authentic sambossa, the breezy "Sa Con Janga" with Wilson Des Neves on drums, a track done in the style of The Ipanemas, the original Afro samba group.
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FARO 098CD
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2005 release. Far Out Recordings are proud to release the fifth album from Grupo Batuque, O Tempo Do Samba. A feel-good album of up-tempo Brazilian rhythms that pays homage to the samba beat, O Tempo Do Samba features ten full-length album tracks, plus eight percussive and vocal edits, hot-on-the-heels of the Tony Allen remixes of the first single from the album, Afro Black. The core of the album was written by Ivan Conti who, as one third of Azymuth and a regular Far Out Recordings contributor, needs no introduction. He was helped by infamous percussionist Cidinho Moreira, who has previously performed with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon as well as the crème de la crème of Brazilian artists and, who on O Tempo Do Samba, is backed up on percussion by Pirulito, a regular member of Jorge Ben's legendary Banda Ze Pretinho in the '70s. Nico Rezende is a famous Brazilian pianist who had major success in the '80s as did composer, songwriter and saxophonist, Leo Gandelman, who worked on the searing horn arrangements that punctuate the album. The two lead vocalists are Fabiola and Claudemir De Silva. Fabiola was one of the most famous Brazilian samba singers from the '70s to the '90s, whilst newcomer Claudemir is both a poet and Sambista who is just beginning to get recognition for his impressive talents. Featuring seven vocal tracks including the 12" dancefloor monster "Afro Black" and the anthemic closing track "O Tempo", O Tempo Do Samba is undoubtedly Grupo Batuque's most accessible album to date. Whilst previous Grupo Batuque albums have often concentrated on the percussive rhythms, O Tempo Do Samba resets the balance with a set of songs, that, while keeping the percussion to the fore, form an album that will not only appeal to sambistas and percussionists, but anyone who digs the beat from Brazil.
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FARO 107CD
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2006 release. Far Out Recordings present Ole Ola - Futebol Bonito!, a percussion driven project inspired by futebol, Brazil's favorite love affair. Ole Ola features explosive Brazilian football songs and slamming remixes, plus crowd recordings from Brazil's largest stadium, as well as classic football commentary. Ole Ola is for both fans of football and Brazilian/world music. Recorded in Rio during the carnival, Ole Ola is a celebration of football and samba and features some of Brazil's finest percussionists on one album: Dom Um Romao, Ivan Conti (Azymuth), Wilson Das Neves (The Ipanemas), Dom Chacal, Cidinho Moreira and members of Imperio Serrano, Rio's most traditional samba school. The vibe is full-on batucadas, funky swinging sambas, traditional football songs plus slamming electronic remixes from Da Lata, Osunlade, Fauna Flash and Zero dB, which all captures the spirit of Brazilian football. To complete the experience and capture the excitement of the stadium, live recordings from inside Rio De Janerio's Maracarna Stadium and Sao Paulo's Morumbi Stadium are included, mixed in with snatches of classic radio commentary. Ole Ola evokes the passion and madness that any football fan has for the game with new versions of classic Brazilian football songs including the theme tune for the Brazilian equivalent of "Match of the Day" ? "Na Cadencia do Samba". Ole Ola combines the most slamming tracks from two previous Grupo Batuque albums Samba De Futebol and Rhythmix to create 71 minutes of non-stop percussive football madness. Featuring recordings made inside the Maracana Stadium in Rio featuring the torcida ("supporters group") of the football team Flamengo. Ole Ola shows why Flamengo's torcida are one of the most feared crowds in Brazil.
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FARO 064CD
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2002 release. Far Out Recordings brings together some of the best producer/remixers world-wide to create a concept album inspired by the music of the highly acclaimed percussive collective Grupo Batuque. The collaborators decided to put together an album of cutting-edge tracks influenced by the passion of samba to take a contemporary look at the work of Grupo Batuque that is perfect for the club and home listening. Grupo Batuque's work has been massively sampled over the years to create some hugely successful tracks and this diverse album pays homage to their music. This album includes Jamie Anderson's "Do Anything" and the anthemic "Between The Lines", already a club classic and now blowing up dancefloors on 12" with a fresh remix from Big Bang. 4Hero's exclusive track "The Samba" brings uplifting vibes influenced by their dynamic Afro-percussive beats and samba rhythms. Fauna Flash's slamming bassline on the version of "Ole Ola", originally from the Samba De Futebol (1998), will get you in the mood for World Cup fever. From the same album, Zero dB takes the frenetic rhythms to the ecstatic climax of the pulsating carnival. Masters At Work pick up the Afro-beat influence on samba with their reworking of "Keyzer" dedicated to Brazilian funk group Banda Black Rio and Fela Kuti, from the Grammy nominated album Africa Brazil (FARO 040CD, 2000). There are also groundbreaking mixes from Da Lata, Osunlade, Viper Squad and Roc Hunter. Rhythmix, with the blistering beats of the streets, is guaranteed to shake up dancefloors globally but is also perfect for a lounging cocktail party.
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