So when you think of Brazilian music, you might think of the bossa nova muzak heard in hotel lobbies and elevators or perhaps the tropicalia that Beck's been diggin' on for awhile. You might even think of Rio's carnaval music or the soundtrack to Black Orpheus. Diplo's Favela Stikes Back? Sepultura? I tried.
In any case, you probably don't think of Northeastern Brazil's folk music, but Cordel de Fogo Encantado ("Rope of Magic Fire") might just give you a reason to.
Think drums. Lots of drums. Lots of percussion and lots of big thundering drums. Add the versatile playing of a single acoustic guitar. Ok. Now, add the confrontational voice of a prophet-like poet. Finally, a healthy serving of crowd-like back-up vocals and the occasional atmospheric sample.
You are starting to hear the potent, mutated samba of Cordel.
Formed in 1997 in the sertão region of Pernambuco as a theatrical poetry/music hybrid, Cordel charges their traditional Northeastern influences (the samba de coco part) with a more maniacal, almost electric percussive drive reminiscent of Recife's Mangue Bit movement. The percussionists cite influences ranging from Afro-Brazilian axé music and candomblé rituals to, of all things, Slipknot. Yeah, Slipknot. Lead vocalist Lirinha has been publicly reading poetry since he was twelve and his forceful intonation lends a distinctive avant-garde feel to the whole sound.
The five members of Cordel have more recently been gaining international recognition for their rapturous performances, and although they have yet to tour the US, they have taken their show to Europe, which is a good distance considering they had only one album to their name. In fact, the five members of Cordel self-released it, and they apparently moved something like 45,000 copies (!) without pursuing any sort of TV or radio promotion. Their shows and their music were their selling points. The shows themselves are huge theatrical productions with lights, props, and the occasional face paint: impressive considering the semi-D.I.Y. aesthetics behind the entire endeavor.
Although the group first viewed their music primarily as a link between Lirinha's poems, the power of their sound is a force in and of itself. While the lyrics might have some trouble in translation, the sound definitely won't. Check this stuff out.
(Also, if you like what you hear or are just curious, track down their DVD if you can. That's as close to a real Cordel performance as you are going to get for now. They've also released a second album titled O Palhaço do Circo sem Futuro.)
More about: Cordel do Fogo Encantado
