I was unaware of the black history of Bossa Nova until coming across a post from @tinhaqueserpretooficial about singer Alaíde Costa, whom they call the real matriarch of the genre. She and singer, composer, and pianist Johnny Alf were instrumental in the movement before it really took off and was called “bossa nova”. Alaíde is still singing and you can find her on Instagram and Facebook.
Category: featured
HEAVY BAILE: Noturno 150 from Mah Ferraz on Vimeo.
I just found out about Brazilian funk music collective Heavy Baile thanks to this video (I know I’m late…). More importantly, this video is fun and original, showcasing one of the collective’s members, Ronald Sheick, jumping into the Metropolitan Museum’s classical art collection and at one point battling himself. #Decolonization always makes me smile :).
One of my favorite samba rock/funk cuts ever. I love putting people onto this, especially other DJ’s ;). Oh, and I love it for dancing, too, of course. The swing, the horn arrangement, the organ. It’s everything. I often miss hearing this in Brazilian funk and soul sets, but apparently it is a rare record. Fun fact: one of Copa 7’s band members, guitarist and composer Dionisio Santos (RIP), was based in NYC for some time. Enjoy!
“Tan Kalakatan” is one of my favorite tracks from Mayra Andrade’s latest album, Manga. I really like this live version filmed in Accra, Ghana last month. If you have 20 minutes I recommend watching the entire show. Also check out the first one she did for COLORS; fire.
Afrobeats track “Owner” is my favorite from Angolan/British singer and lyricist Carla Prata. The 21 year old is making big moves with an easy confidence. Already well-known in Angola, Portugal, and the UK, her recent COLORS performance of provocative new single, “Certified Freak” brings her to a wider audience. She got her start at 15 and just released her first EP, Roots, mid 2020. She talks about getting into music and international ambitions in this brief after COLORS interview.
