Funk carioca

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Funk Carioca
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins
mid-1980s, Rio, BR
Typical instruments
Mainstream popularity Large mid-1990s and current in Brazil, Moderate mid-2000s in Eastern Europe.
Subgenres
Proibidão - Melodic funk

Funk Carioca (English: Rio Funk ), favela funk and, elsewhere in the world, baile funk, is a type of dance music from Rio de Janeiro, derived from Miami bass.[1][2] In Rio de Janeiro it is most often simply known as funk, although it is very different musically from what funk means in most other places.[3] "Baile funk", in Rio, refers not to the music, but to the actual parties in which the music is played. [4]

Contents

[edit] Overview

Funk is a direct derivative of Miami Bass and freestyle (another Miami-based genre) music from the United States. The reason why these genres, very localized in the USA, became popular and influential in Rio de Janeiro is due to proximity. Miami is a popular plane stop for Rio DJs to buy the latest American records.[5]. The rhythms of funk in its early days were mostly loops of electronic drums from Miami Bass or freestyle records, while a few artists composed them with actual drum machines. The most common drum beat was a loop of DJ Battery Brain's "808 volt", commonly referred to as "Voltmix", though Hassan's "Pump Up The Party" is also notable.[6] Now, funk rhythms use tamborzão rhythms in addition to the older drum machine loops. Tamborzão beats use samples of Brazilian hand drums, particularly the atabaque, in arrangements that are close to the same as those used in Maculelê capoeira.[7] Melodies are usually sampled. Older songs typically chopped up freestyle samples for the melody, or had none at all. Modern funk uses a set of samples from various sources, notably horn and accordion stabs, as well as the horn intro to the "Rocky" theme. Funk music has always used a small catalog of rhythms and samples which almost all songs take from (commonly with several in the same song). Funk carioca songs can either be instrumental or include rapping, singing, or something in between the two.[1][8] In February 11, 2001, the first U.S. reference to the music itself was made by Neil Strauss in the New York Times newspaper, recognizing it as a distinct musical genre, and along with Kwaito music in South Africa, one of the first new genres of electronic, street dance music to have become important outside North America and Europe.

[edit] Recognition in Europe

Until the year 2000, Funk Carioca was only a regional phenomenon. Then the European media began to report it's peculiar combination of music and social issues combined with a strong sexual appeal.

In 2001, for the first time, Baile funk tracks appeared on a Non-Brazilian label - on a compilation that was released by French DJ and music producer Jèrôme Pigeon from Fla-Flu Records. The album was named "Favela Chic" by NAÏVE Records and contained 3 old-school funk carioca hits, including the song "Popozuda Rock n´Roll" by De Falla.

In 2003, the tune "Quem Que Caguetou (Follow Me Follow Me)" by Black Alien & Speed, not a big hit in Brazil, was then used in a sports car advertisement in Europe, and it helped spread the word about baile funk. Berlin music journalist and DJ Daniel Haaksman released the seminal CD-compilations "Rio Baile Funk Favela Booty Beats" in 2004, and "More Favela Booty Beats 2006" through Essay Recordings Germany.[9] He launched the international career of "Popozuda Rock n´Roll" artist Edu K,[10] whose baile funk anthem was used in a soft drink TV advertisement in Germany. Haaksman continued to produce and distribute many new baile funk records, especially the EP series "Funk Mundial"[11] and "Baile Funk Masters" on his label Man Recordings.

In 2004, dance clubs from Eastern Europe, mainly Romania increased the popularity of funk due to the strong sexual appeal of the music and dance, also known as "Bonde das Popozudas". Many Rio funk artists started to do shows abroad at that time. DJ Marlboro and Favela Chic Paris club were the pioneer travellers/producers. The funk carioca production was until then limited to playing in the ghettos and the Brazilian pop market. DJ Marlboro,[12] a major composer of funk carioca's tunes declared in 2006 in the Brazilian "Isto É magazine" how astonished he was with the sudden overseas interest in the genre. He traveled in over 10 European countries.


In London, artists Tetine have also assembled an important pioneer compilation in 2004, "Slum Dunk Presents Funk Carioca mixed by Tetine", by Mr Bongo Records. In Italy, Irma Records released the 2005 compilation "Colors Music #4: Rio Funk". Many small European (notably Arcade Mode) and American (Flamin´Hotz, Nossa) labels released several compilations and EPs in bootleg formats.

The artist M.I.A. brought mainstream international popularity to Brazilian Funk with her single "Bucky Done Gun" released in 2005, and attention to a DJ called Diplo who worked as its producer. He had worked on M.I.A.'s 2004 mixtape Piracy Funds Terrorism in addition to the tracks "Baile Funk One", "Baile Funk Two", and "Baile Funk Three". He made a 2004 bootleg mix CD "Favela On Blast" after finding Ivanna Bergese compiled remix-tapes of her performance act "Yours Truly"

Some indie video-documentaries were made right after in Europe, especially in Germany and Sweden. Still, the focus was mainly on the social issues in the favelas. One of the most famous of these series of documentaries is "Mr Catra the faithful" (2005) by Danish filmmaker Andreas Johnsen, broadcasted by many European open and cable television channels.

In 2008 Berlin label Man Recordings released "Gringão", the debut album by German MC Gringo - the only non Brazilian MC performing in the bailes of Rio de Janeiro.

[edit] Criticism

In Brazil, Funk Carioca lyrics often criticized due to their violent and sexually explicit, as well as misogynistic content - the degradation of women as objects for sex is a recurring theme in funk Carioca. Girls are called "cachorras" - meaning bitches or female dogs - and "popozudas" - large asses.

Brazilian funk artists usually compose two different sets of similar lyrics for their songs: one gentler, more "appropriate" version, and another with a harsher, cruder set of lyrics. The first version is the one broadcast by local radio stations; the second is played in dance halls, parties, and in public by sound cars. [13] Recurrent lyric topics in Funk Carioca are explicit sexual positions, the funk party, the police force, and the life of slum dwellers in the favelas.[14] Another large part of the lyrics is the use of the world around them - mainly the poverty that has enveloped the area. This is usually denounced in the lyrics and the hope for a better life is carried through many of their messages.[8]

However, while they do talk about violence and crime, the lyrics of Funk Carioca songs do not advocate sexual violence. Additionally, while funk carioca frequently makes references to sexuality, it often employs euphemisms instead of bold statements.[15]

With its recent success in Europe, it is also criticized that Brazil is exporting music that is much inferior compared to the Bossa Nova that was made famous in the 1950s. It has been rumored that most of the funk projects in favelas are also financially backed by drug lords, thereby some lyrics deal much with challenging the police and law.

Defenders of funk argue that the genre is an authentic expression of low-income communities and the sexual lyrics reflect sexual freedom in Brazilian society. Left-wing sociologists say that such content reflects the life of the impoverished people who lack protection and better conditions due to insufficient State involvement in the favelas.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/16784-rio-baile-funk-favela-booty-beats/
  2. ^ http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/08/01/050801crmu_music?currentPage=1
  3. ^ Yúdice, George. "The Funkification of Rio." In Microphone Fiends, 193-220. London: Routledge, 1994.
  4. ^ http://www.favelafunk.net/Batidao_do_Funk.htm
  5. ^ http://eyesonbrazil.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/origins-of-funk-carioca/
  6. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvZhwcFJ_aw
  7. ^ http://comandodigital.com/kolleidosonic/?paged=8/
  8. ^ a b http://www.riofunk.org/
  9. ^ "Rio Baile Funk: Favela Booty Beats". http://www.essayrecordings.com/cd_bailefunk.htm. 
  10. ^ "Edu K". http://www.manrecordings.com/man08.html. 
  11. ^ "Funk Mundial". http://www.manrecordings.com/man10.html. 
  12. ^ "É BIG MIX O MANÉ". http://www2.uol.com.br/bigmix/djmarlboro.html. 
  13. ^ Sansone, Livio. "The Localization of Global Funk in Bahia and Rio." Brazilian Popular Music & Globalization, 139. London: Routledge, 2002
  14. ^ The Sound of Brazil's Funk Carioca: NPR Music
  15. ^ Sansone, Livio. "The Localization of Global Funk in Bahia and Rio." Brazilian Popular Music & Globalization, 139. London: Routledge, 2002

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funk_carioca"
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