When it comes to cultural movements in music, everyone is at least remotely familiar with the music of N.W.A. and Public Enemy, and the social commentary these artists offered regarding the state of the African-American community in the United States. However, just as Eazy E and Dre, and Chuck D and Flavor Flav truly revolutionized rap as a medium of opposition to government and social standards, it is perhaps the more acute music aficionado who is aware of the artists that shaped the 1960s Black Rio movement in Brazil.
An eclectic blend of samba, funk and soul, the Black Rio movement was the black Brazilian youth’s stand against a Brazilian government intent on suppressing their cultural expression. Black Rio 2: Original Samba Soul 1971-1979, the second compilation in the series by Strut Records, delves into the more underground realm of Black Rio, unearthing many of the smaller, less mainstream artists who ignited the movement.
Compiled by London-based DJ Cliffy, Black Rio 2 features upbeat samba chants and super-syncopated drum grooves, as well as many intermediary flavors. With some sounding straight out of a Stax Records box set, the tracks on Black Rio 2, to the Black Rio novice like myself, sound remarkably like American soul and funk, with the exception that all vocals are in Portuguese. But after all, there are people who do not ‘understand’ N.W.A. or Public Enemy, having not been fully involved in the struggles at hand. While it is nearly impossible to fully capture the universal essence of a musical movement or time period, Black Rio 2 does a masterful job addressing the many flavors and styles of the Black Rio movement.
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