“A Revolta Dos Malês” gives a retelling of the largest slave revolt in Brazil’s historical past. Backed by tribal percussion and a sage flute, Rogê is joined by a refrain of feminine singers and husky-voiced drummer Stephane San Juan who onomatopoeically drive residence the triumph of the slaves who rebelled towards the imposition of Catholicism in 1835. Rogê’s music bears the affect of those Afro-Brazilian communities; and, extra broadly, it’s due to their struggle that the religion, tradition, and music of Candomblé and Islam are nonetheless outstanding in Brazil right this moment. “Rio De Janeiro e Janeiro” (with horns from Menahan Avenue Band’s Leon Michels and Dave Man) lists the indigenous names of many Rio locales that sound downright beautiful when pronounced: “Glória, Urca, Paquetá/Vista Alegre, Humaitá/Ipanema, Arpoador/Ramos, Jacarepaguá”—a testomony to the fantastic thing about Brazilian Portuguese.
There are additionally moments of sheer ginga, or the free-flowing Brazilian spirit, on Curyman II. The keyboard-driven “O Topo Do Coqueiro” feels just like the cobblestoned sidewalks of Lapa and the sun-soaked boardwalk of Ipanema, whereas “A Força” toasts the ability of affection (what else?) and salutes the central deities of Candomblé. The string preparations all through Curyman II had been composed and orchestrated by one of many final dwelling scions of bossa nova and Brazilian jazz, Arthur Verocai. It’s not their first collaboration collectively; Verocai additionally wrote the string preparations for the primary Curyman album. And final yr, on the first-ever U.S. tour of Verocai’s 1972 self-titled crate-digger traditional, Rogê was beside the composer, enjoying acoustic guitar and singing alongside a 30-piece orchestra. It’s heartening to see such a big artist enjoying a pivotal position in Rogê’s attain in the direction of new audiences, and it marks one other essential side of the legacy of which Rogê is a component—a resilient and numerous heritage that he carried with him from the nook golf equipment in Rio, and one which lights up all corners of his work as a solo artist right this moment.
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