I’m crazy for Barbatuques! January 5, 2008
Posted by onemouthband in : Inspiries, Music, Recommendations , add a commentMan, oh man! Half my life ago I had this fledgling idea of combining a percussive ensemble like Stomp with the purely human music of a cappella like Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra. This body percussion and vocal band would combine elements of music, dance, and theater to take down the wall between performer and audience. Keith Terry’s Slammin’ (I pestered him for a year to let me in) is the closest thing I’d found in the world…until now. Meet Barbatuques.
Okay, so it’s got a long buildup and the rap section may be a bit much, but my first urge at the above sight was to run away to Brazil and join this circus. I may still, I’m in a cool down period while I find out everything I can and learn to read Portuguese. I am still shocked that they managed to escape my attention for so long. There are so many connections and commonalities: they cite Bobby McFerrin and Keith Terry as major influences, draw on the beatbox movement, and use a CircleSinging-like model. This is all stuff I know well, and I am no stranger to Brazilian music either. I suppose I should be grateful that life still hands me these beautiful surprises.If anybody knows anything about these people, or can help me translate, please let me know! Thanks!
