SCIENCE
CHICO
SCIENCE
FROM THE MANGUE TO THE WORLDBrazilian music is undoubtedly passing through a moment of renovation and doubling of strengths within its ranks. But among the few that are doing something really modern and daring, such as Daúde, Carlihnos Brown, Chico César, Skank or Arnaldo Antunes, we find the name of Chico Science & Nação Zumbi in a very privileged place.
Chico Science hails from up there in Northeastern Brazil, Recife (the capital city of Pernambuco), and its mix of Northeastern sounds works as one of the best sonic cocktails of the latest years. Its recipe takes the rhythmic basis of maracatu, embolada, coco-de-roda and ciranda. Various drums set the tempo under a non-stop pop-rock electric guitar not unlike wave signals from a satellite. Fronting it all is the prophet-like voice of Chico Science, serving up poetic images typical of "cordel" literature blended to urban and technological themes. It places Northeastern Brazil within a less folklorical and more transgressive context, as well as including the excellent and enthralling musical manifestations of Pernambuco in world music's daily menu.
Since the so-called mangue-beat movement appeared in 1991 and took Brazil by storm, Chico Science & Nação Zumbi made two records, Da Lama Ao Caos (1994) and now Afrociberdelia (1996), and became one of the fastest-rising bands in Brazil. They played with Gilberto Gil in New York's Central Park (1995), participated in the Montreux Jazz Festival (1995), at the Miles Davis Hall, played in Germany, Holland and Belgium. And this year they are repeating the same route USA—Europe, bar Montreux.
Chico Science's audience are growing fast in Brazil and abroad. Its sound is modern and enthralling. And, even for the Brazilians most on-the-prowl for the most creative sound from all over the world, Chico's music goes well beyond much of what has been considered innovating in the USA, Europe and other regions. Chico Science is tearing down some frontiers of age and musical spaces as well. Even groups that usually don't mix their tastes are Chico's fans, such as heavy metallers, rappers, rockers, MPB fans.
In this exclusive interview with Chico Science without Nação Zumbi, we talked about the group's present, the new disc (Afrociberdelia), Brazilian music, the international career, musical influences, Internet, perspectives, the record company, gigs, rehearsals, arrangements and everything that concerns to the music itself. Thus we hope to help everybody to know a little more about this talented group of young Pernambucan Brazilian musicians. We also invite our readers to send their questions to Chico Science, so we can help our chat last much longer. May things go the way they should go.
Walter de Silva
THE NEW CD AFROCIBERDELIA
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