and so it begins...

Monobloco, 2002: Madureira...É Assim Que É!

A big cyber hello to everyone out there... this audio blog is primarilly going to be dedicated to Brazilian music, since niches seem to be the trend out there, but naturally like anyone dedicated enough to post music to share with the world, I'm not going to be restricted to posting Brazilian tunes. Nor will the posts be relegated to the musical world, because it is often difficult to keep my big fat opinionated yapper shut. Nevertheless, here we go...

That being said, the first track is Monobloco, a Carnival Bloc from Rio de Janeiro. The 50 or so musicians in the group play a blend of Samba Batucada and hip-hop (or hippie hoppie as is it so affectionately known in Brazil). This track can be found on their 2002 recording.

The group was started by Pedro Luis, borne from his group PLAP! or Pedro Luis e A Parede (Pedro Luis and the Wall). Luis, a reknowned percussionist from the Tijuca area of Rio, started PLAP! in the early 90's, where they remained a key fixture in the underground music scene of Rio.

First, a couple of thank-yous. This website is indebted to O-dub and Soul Sides, the first music blog I frequented, and which is always filled with interesting and noteworthy posts. The other thank you goes to all the people I befriended in Brazil who were more than happy to pass along the names of groups I'd be interested in, so, pra vocês, eu mandou um abraço grande. Let's get this party started...