Benjamim Taubkin
In Brazil, we are unaware of almost all music production that take place in Latin America.
This empty space is a mystery to me. I say this because, despite all restrictions of the mass media and the appeal of the cultural industry from Europe and the US, I believe we end up missing so much with this disconnection among us.
The production in the continent is extremely rich and diverse, both in traditional and in contemporary music.
From the Brazilian perspective, this music scene presents many parallels with our neighbours such as similarities in artistic languages, production, distribution and cultural polices fields.
Only scratching the surface of this vast production, the article aims to launch shed some light on this immense universe. Each paragraph could be extended into many books or thesis, probably already published. Due to the limited space, I will only mention a few countries as example, this doesn't mean we wouldn't find the same diversity and richness (and sometimes even more) in the other countries.
To a certain extent, the effects of globalization could be seen in our continent some centuries ago and have been kept alive during all our history. If we focus specifically on the production of what is so-called traditional music, we will find a combination of diverse cultural elements which stem from Europe, Africa and the indigenous regions.
Therefore, various roots are already in this music, which gives me the impression that this music seems to be already prepared to exchange and absorb different formats of music in the world.
It was with surprised that I found in Costa Rica the ‘Calipso’, a music sung in English, and considered a national heritage. Originated 100 years ago due to the trade between Costa Rica and the US, this generated an exchange among black communities from New Orleans and Caribbean Atlantic Coast populations. As great source of information of this music you can find Manel Monastel, and also the two masters Ray Tico and Walter Ferguson. A label which has been recording a major part of this material is Papaya Music (www.papyamusic.com).
The same happens in Trinidad and Tobago: its music goes far beyond the steel drums orchestras, and even the 'calipso'. There´s also the important presence of the Indian music, which happen to come with the Indian immigration during the colonial period, as both countries were part of the former Britain Empire. This music was already there, when in the 50s' and 60s' was created the ‘Soca’, one of the most popular genres of the Caribbean Music, and today, among other expressions, the 'Chutney Music', a very suggestive name. On the website http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/chutney.html you can find many examples of this style. It is at least surprising as themes like 'Curry Back' seems to come from other regions.
The reggae originated from the 'Ska' is in some way a mixture of local rhythms (Jamaican), African and the Rhythm n' Blues from New Orleans. The result is a music that since 1967 or 1968 is gaining an important space in the pop scene all around the world, generating from this other mixtures and sounds. In Brazil, for instance, we have the group Olodum and the 'Samba Reggae', especially in Bahia. In Maranhão, another state in the Northeast of the country, you can find the massive presence of the 'Sound Systems'.
Actually, the 'Sound Systems' has been acting since the 40s' or 50s' as an essential tool of music distribution in other countries. The 'Colombian Cumbia', for instance, spread all over the continent, since 1950 (except in Brazil). In Mexico this happened mostly because of the 'Sonideros', who also play 'Salsa', especially in the peripheral areas in Mexico City; and even in the US where there’s large Mexican communities. An interesting project is 'El Proyecto Sonidero' http://elproyectosonidero.wordpress.com/ , organized by the young sociologist Mariana Salgado, who tracks the history and range of the Sonideros in the country.
And this seems to be highly diverse and fruitful. The contemporary 'Sound System' group 'Nortec Collective’ puts together, from the local music and the hip hop, a variety of musicians and VJs in the troubled Tijuana, a city that boards the US (www.norteccollective.com). There is also a very particular rock. A good example is the group Plastina Mosh (www.mrpmosh.com).
One of the most exciting and challenging places, where I recently visited is Colombia (which leads us to think about what the ideal situation for the creation of art is).
There I've found amazingly interesting projects in hip hop, Jazz, Pop and local music.
Colombia, as many other countries, has in fact a very solid tradition in music either in traditional, religious or profanes expressions; like in the wind, harmonica or 'marimbas' bands, which exist in all its country side.
Hence, groups and musicians such as Arnedo, Puerto Candelária, Primero mi Tia or Asdrúbal do a contemporary jazz each one in its way, but totally Colombian, based on local rhythms.
Likewise in hip-hop, the group Choc Quib Town mixes electronic beats to sounds of marimba, from the Pacific Coast. Or the Meridian Brothers, who do a very good electronic music.
It is worth to also mention projects like La Revuelta, Mojarra Electrical, which are doing a pop music, totally local.
One interesting site is La Distritofonica (www.ladistritofonica.com) comprises a number of groups with different tendencies (some are listed above).
Bolivia has one of the most interesting musical projects that I've recently heard: the Experimental Instrumental Native Orchestra. They unite procedures of the European contemporary classical music to a very local sound, using instruments such as 'zampone', and 'quema'. The result is exhilarating.
Argentina itself is another musical continent.
A country with cosmopolitan vocation has been in dialogue with the American and European music long time ago. More recently with the Brazilian Music.
The Argentine rock has a history. Charly Garcia, Spinetta, Litto Nebbia are almost mythical figures in many of the Hispanic-speaking countries. In jazz and its offshoots, many of its musicians have an important presence inside and outside the country, as Dino Saluzzi, Carlos Franzetti, and more recently Puente Celeste, Escalandrum, Gulherme Klein, among many others...
An interesting initiative in this field is 'Baú Records', a label that has been recording many local artists, with avant-garde proposals. (www.baurecords.com.ar)
Other rhythms like chacarera, Zamba, have been modernized by extremely talented musicians such as Mariana Baraj, Carlos Aguirre, Juan Quintero, Aca Seca, and Quique Sinesi. It is a whole high talented generation doing a new music, extremely rich and creative.
In Uruguay, despite being a such small country, with approximately 3 million people, its music doesn't stop to exist and grow.
One of the most interesting project from the 'Candombe', is Hugo Fatoruso e seu Rei Tambor', or the bassist Popo Romano. Besides other mixtures like Abuela Coca, and No te va a gustar. There are other sideways as Supervielle, pianist, who is member of 'Bajo Fondo', who has also a very creative solo project.
Mauricio Urbal, an important Uruguayan musician, has been maintaining the label Tacauabe, and releasing most of the local production, including the talented Herman Klang (www.myspace.com/hermanklang).
An important aspect to highlight is the movement of Latin American musicians in the world, who take their music to centres like New York or Paris, and there they mix their music with other sounds, but without losing their identity. This has already happened before in Cuba, Puerto Rico or Panama. They end up contributing to spread these songs in other territories. Among them, we can find Lucia Pulido, Colombian; Aquiles Baez, Venezuelan; Minino Garay, Argentinean; and many others.
In Brazil, we had the influence of the bolero in the 40s’ and 50s’, and of the ‘protest music’ (which is not less beautiful), with artists like Violeta Parra, Mercedes Sosa and many others, when we shared the sad dictatorships.
And often in our borders, we always have influences from our neighbours. In the North of Brazil, in the state of Para, we have the Caribbean influence in the guitars grupos (guitarradas). One important contemporarz group is La Pupuña. Maranhão has been mentioned above. In the South, the culture of the ‘Pampas’ is well known, sharing this with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The Pantanal is a close relationship with the Paraguayan harp and chamamé. And recently, young musicians from Sao Paulo begin to visit Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia looking for exchanges and partnerships.
I conclude this review by making a reference to the musician and producer Gustavo Santaollala, who from rock to electronic tango, is occupying an important spot in the world, with two Oscars for his movies’ soundtracks and several gold records awarded as a musician and producer. Although for me his music is even more touching and rich when he is just playing 'charango'. Follow the link to see a beautiful performance from him: in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqUomOA2X-Y&feature=related. Thus, it seems important to dialogue and exchange languages and influences, but it is also desirable to preserve something from yourself, from your roots. Because if we do not play this music, who will do it?
Benjamim Taubkin
Musician and producer
As instrumentis and a fascinated by these discovers from a number of trips, meetings, concerts and talks in these countries, created in 2005 the project ‘América Contemporânea’, which unites 9 musicians from 6 countries: Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Bolivia.