Summer Jams: Sonero goes funky

Willie Colon ft. Hector Lavoe-Che Che Cole


Antibalas-Che Che Cule

So the last summer jam post inspired me to do a little series of delicious rhythms that remind me of summer. In Spanish Harlem, no summer would be complete with out listening to Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe a couple hundred times. This super duo was more badass than Batman and Robin-putting out consistent hits for the Fania label back in the 60's and 70's.

In my opinion, there is no Sonero (salsa singer) better than Hector Lavoe. He is the Bob Marley and Fela Kuti of Spanish Harlem salsa. His voice is by far one of the most powerful when it comes to New York City Soneros-and the funny thing is, he wasn't even full Puerto Rican. He was actually half Jewish. Who says white people have no rhythm?

This song in particular is a funny one. It's called Che Che Cole. The song lyrics are actually about the song itself-Lavoe sings about how tasty the song is and how people dance to it all over the world. Funny part is this: While in Ghana I dropped this one on my weekly radio show. My co-host flipped out when he heard the lyrics, because Che Che Cole is actually a song from Ghana. He wasn't sure what language it was from, but he was sure it was Ghanaian. In fact, Osibisa made a song with the same title. Not sure how Lavoe knew this-but in the lyrics he pays homage to the track's rhythmic African roots.

Up next to it is Antibala's remake of the Lavoe track. This tune is one of the group's funkier hits, a break from the usual Afro-beat/Afro-Rock style. I used to think that no one could do it as good as Lavoe, but whoever sings on this track comes pretty close. Not only that, but they completely re-interpret Willie Colon's original composition and turn an otherwise tasty salsa hit into a super funky dance floor killer.

So here it is kiddies-perhaps one of the best salsa songs you will ever hear funktafied to make you move your hips even faster. Disfrute.

Summer Jams 1

213-Another Summer

So I'm a little late on it. . . 'cause summer has been in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere for the last two months. But I've been in Brazil and down here it's winter. However, it's never too late to start throwing up some of these. This one was inspired by O-Dub over at soulsides. . .and in fact I must say he does the whole summer jam thing much better. But I couldn't resist putting up a tasty commercial beat. This one comes from the 213 crew with a little help form Kanye. It's an old Eddie Kendricks sample (which is tasty as well), but that one we'll save for later. For now just enjoy this first installment of Summer Jams.

Jesus Loves Funky, Black Rio

Tim Maia-O Caminho do Bem


Tim Maia-Chocolate


Cassiano-Centro do Brazil

So after I put up the Racional tracks I thought a little bit more about all the stuff I was leaving out from the Black Rio (pronounced: Blackie Rio) era of Brazilian music. In fact, there is no possible way to do Brazilian music justice on a little blog like this-it’s just too damn deep and too diverse. But here I am, trying anyway. I should be embarrassed of the very little knowledge that I have about the music, but it’s hard not to share these funky beats.

So, that said, we find Tim Maia making a second appearance here-this time with a track off of Racional Vol.2, “O Caminho do Bem” and one of his famous singles “Chocolate.” With him the less famous, Cassiano makes his first appearance with a funky number called “Centro do Brazil” off his Cuban Soul LP.

What’s so special about these guys? Ask any Brazilian about Tim Maia and they’ll either sing you one of his various hits or go on about how damn groovy the man was. A musical mastermind who died before his time, Tim Maia brought a distinctly funky and soulful sound to Brazilian music. One listen to these tracks and there is no denying the American Funk/Soul influence. But he didn’t do it alone. Cassiano was fusing funky grooves into his sound around the same time Tim became successful. Cassiano actually composed some of Tim’s hit singles.

Both musicians were a part of a movement in Brazilian music, specifically from Rio de Janeiro, called Black Rio. It was a time during Rio music when black musicians were becoming aware of their racial identity and their social position in Brazil. Not that different from American Funk and Soul at the time, their lyrics, album covers, and music reflected this new awareness. Songs like Luis Melodia song “Ebano”, meaning Ebony, or Jorge Ben’s “Negro é Lindo”, Black is Beautiful are just a few examples. For me this is an interesting time in Brazilian music, especially because racial awareness in Brazil today is very different than in the United States. This music reflected a time when the racial awareness in Brazil was more similar too that of the U.S.

A side note here: A friend pointed out late one night while we were listening to Samba that even though Black Rio was more expressive about the idea that Black is Beautiful, Samba musicians have always had similar themes. Musicians like Marthino Da Villa (to be featured at length later on this blog) and Samba players from Partido Alto (Northern Brazil) have always had themes that emphasized the beauty of color and culture. Not so much as a black pride thing, but more as a celebration of Brazil’s African roots, part of which are the rich rhythms that musical styles like Samba and Maracatú are based on. This is the difference between black identity in Brazil and in the U.S.-Blackness is celebrated as a part of Brazilian culture and national identity where as in the U.S. it is used to separate a people from the culture and the people from the national identity. Samba, as it is said here, is “uma coisa nossa”, or a Brazilian thing. Hip-Hop, is not a U.S. thing, but a “Black” thing.

Ok. . .now back to Tim and Cassiano. I wouldn’t say that Tim Maia and Cassiano where responsible for the birth of the Black Rio movement, in fact some wouldn’t even consider them as a part of the movement. A statement like that would also be unfair to other musicians like Luis Melodia, Banda Black Rio, and even Jorge Ben. Each added something to the Black Rio sound and had different interpretations on it. But Tim and Cassiano are defiantly two of the most influential, each with an extensive body of work that reached far and deep into the movement. Their work even continues to influence musicians today. Hip-Hop producers have sampled from their work at length. These two guys are indeed amongst the funkiest that Brazil has to offer.

"Like Cocaine Straight from Bolivia. . ."

Wutang Clan-Method Man


Wutang Clan-C.R.E.A.M


Wu Tang Clan-Da Mysteries of Chessboxin'

A while back on my other blog I kicked off a series that I never followed up on. It was a top ten list of all time personal favorite LP's. Well now that I've got this audio blog I can keep up with it and provide the clips for you all to hear.

We'll kick it off fresh and say that this is the first one in this series. I have to stress-they are not in any order. In fact, now that I think of it, let's not even limit it to a top ten list. Let's just call it the Solid LP Selection. A tribute to well made LP's through out the history of music. What does it take to make the cut? The LP has to be solid all the way through, period.

So the very first Solid LP comes from the inner depths of the New York rap scene. Very few will dispute that Wu Tang Clan's first LP-Enter the Wu (36 Chambers) is one of the most well made and well put together rap LP's ever. In my opinion, this is still the Clan's best album to date. Not to say that there aren't other albums they put out that are solid-but this album is their most well produced, best arranged, and most lyrically ill.

I also have a sentimental attachment to this album, but few hip-hop heads don't. I'm sure all can remember the days when they played this tape over and over-at first trying to remember the lyrics and then to admire the crazy ill production. It was a good time for hip-hop, then they dropped this album and made it (hip-hop) better.

Most might say that the best tracks off of this LP are "C.R.E.A.M", for it's memorable lyrics and it's ill use of a tasty sample or maybe "Method Man" for the pure lyrical genius of Meth and the ill production that keeps your head nodding through as the track changes samples. But my personal favorite is "Da Mysteries of Chessboxin" because it is the best example of that edgy, raw, rapid fire team rapping that the Clan does so well . But the truth is every track on this LP is perfect. They all stand solid alone or together. This is one of hip-hop's heavyweights. . .period.

Beleza

Tim Maia-Que Beleza


Tim Maia-Bom Sento

These two are off a semi-rare pull form my crate digging a few weeks ago. They're off of Tim Maia's Racional Vol.1. The music off this album is perhaps some of his best, but the story behind it is also worth noting.

Tim Maia released Racional Vol. 1 and 2 on his own label Seroma in 1976. The arrangements to most of the tracks on this album had been written before the albums release in 1976. It wasn't until Tim Maia joined a cult called Universo em Desencanto, or Disenchanted Universe, that he added the lyrics. The lyrics are mostly an explanation of the cult's main beliefs: humans are parasites and responsible for most of the worlds ills and the worst crimes against nature (who would argue?). Fortunately, there is hope: if we choose to right our wrongs to the earth, truth can be received by tapping into a higher plane called the Mundo Racional. The truth, or rational energy, is the answer to solve the world’s ills. It all sounds groovy, but when Tim Maia didn't hear any voices from the Mundo Racional, he called it quits and tried to get people to forget this record existed. Unfortunately for him, this record is supper funky and full of soul.

Vol. 2 is more popular than Vol. 1, mainly because his track "No Caminho do Bem" off of Vol.2 was featured in the film City of God. In my opinion, the entire set is an experience. It really gives you an idea of what the cult was about and where Tim Maia was at during the time, but I'm throwing these two up because they're my favorite. Disfrute.