Rio Baile Funk
Favela Booty Beats
Essay Recordings
For years now, I’ve been wondering how the world music scene in our country became so lame. How, excluding electronic music’s experimentations, all we’ve been exposed to is the same stuff we were getting back in ‘96, when world music started taking off in the US. I was sure it was some kind of Putumayo conspiracy (though I will give them credit for their Groove series). And thanks to some traveling I’ve been fortunate to do recently and some friends looking out for me while they’ve been away, I’m almost convinced that a conspiracy is indeed afoot. ‘Cause world music has some very interesting offerings out there that have yet to reach our shores. There’s Malaysian Indian and Maori hip-hop. There’s Taiwanese R&B, and I’m sure tons of things we’ll never know about.
But partially (I’m sure) thanks to Diplo, we Americans now can enjoy one of the funnest cultural hybrids that few of us know exists: Baile. This exciting new genre is basically Brazilian bass. That woofer-thumping, rump-shaking rap made famous by 2 Live Crew has somehow flown farther south to land in Sao Paolo and has migrated back home in the form of Rio Baile Funk. This compilation is a pelvis-thrusting good time. A hedonistic party waiting to happen.
A bunch of Brazilian MCs you’ve never heard of before bang over the Miami beat with real party stoppers like “Pavaroty” and “Mulher Coca Cola,” the rocking “Popozuda Rock’n’Roll,” ’80s-synth stoppers “Cidade de Deus” and “Cavalo de Pau” and a “Who Let the Dogs Out?” reprise, “O Baile Todo.”
Though you’ll have no clue what they’re saying, the beat is unmistakable. For bass fans, this disc will be part-reminiscence and part-multicultural experience – and all-parts fun. I don’t know how often the bass crowd and world music crowd actually mix, but each can find common ground and a good time with these Favela Booty Beats.
Essay Recordings: http://www.essayrecordings.com
