DAY 1
The Boom Booms arrive in Manaus, Brazil after a delayed flight in Atlanta, Georgia! We were fortunate to play a show on the first night here, kicking off the weekend for 400 local Brazilians!! The party setting was an outdoor back-lot with graffiti on the walls, a projection screen and a thumping Brazilian DJ. We arrived early to soundcheck borrowed instruments – managed to procure everything except congas. We thought Europeans knew how to rock it late but Brazilians have an innate threshold for high energy partying and will usually carry it on until a cheers to the sun. The crowd arrived in groups throughout the night, filling the floor and swarming the bar. To order was Brahma beer and “Caprinhas”, which is a Brazilian drink made with Cachaça (sugar cane rum), crushed ice, fresh-sliced lime and refined sugar. Its like a red-bullkick in the face with all the happy gliding feelings of a Gin or Vodka drink back home.

 

The opening act was a local group called Maracatu Eco Sapopema, with 6 large wooden drums (alfaia drums) 4 shakers (agbas) and a drum-toting band leader that cued all the members with a whistle in his mouth to boom, bam, and rikki tikki takki, you know? They played traditional-style Maracatu. The history for this style can be found below. Also, Check out our list of Brazilian artists on this site!! lots of traditional melodies and rhythms can be heard in the music of popular artists today.

The band was so generous and patient teaching us Maracatu rhythms and dances after the show. Theo was given a Cajon drum so that we had something to play on the road. Thank you Maracatu Eco Sapopema! They taught us about some of the Amazonia tribes and their way of communicating in the forest: Amazon Indigenous peoples would use large sticks to strike tree roots and create an echo up the tree, and through the forest!  In the Amazon the roots can protrude out of the ground, leading all the way up the tree and reaching a height of 200 feet or more. They call this “Indeious tambo” in Brazilian portuguese (Indigneous drum). Everyone had a great night dancing and singing until morning. We arrived back at our hostel just in time for café da manhã (breakfast)

Maracatu Artists:

“Chico Science and Nação Zumbi” – band Check out the track Da Lama Ao Caos!


“Rio Maracatu” – Maracatu super group


*We will have footage of our friends “Sapopema Maracatu” on our 1st Episode so tune in!

 

Maracatu is a style of music that originated in north-eastern coastal Brazil. It has been performed this way since the 17th century and orignated from African slaves that came from Congo. With voodoo and tribal roots it can be a transient rhythmic style with lots of off syncopated bass and bell hits. The rhythms are usually a variety of Toque rhythms and the singing carries over as a melodic anthem repititous in the “chorus”. The large (gongue) bell is the commanding intsrument in line with the Alfaias (rope strung, bass-heavy drums). This basis is put together by a caixa (snare) and several Agba or Ganza shakers. Hoping to pick up more of the secrets of Maracatu as the trip progresses.

Thanks for reading in! Hours and hours of footage have been recorded, we are expecting to have the first episode up in early February.

BoomBOOM!!!