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LP
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DAYD 002LP
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Legendary Brazilian group Orquestra Afro-Brasileira are reborn for first new album in over fifty years, produced by Beastie Boys collaborator Mario Caldato Jr. Led by maverick composer Abigail Moura, Orquestra Afro-Brasileira were one of the most influential yet overlooked groups in Brazilian music history. Operating for almost thirty years until 1970, they released just two albums -- the first of which, Obaluayê, has recently been reissued by Day Dreamer Records -- and left behind a legacy of Afro-Brazilian consciousness that continues to resonate today. Combining Yoruba spirituality, folk tales, Candomblé chants and West African percussion with the instrumentation of the big band jazz tradition in the United States, the Orquestra placed Afro-Brazilian heritage in a new and vital context. Weaving emancipatory narratives into complex poly-rhythms and powerful, syncopated horn lines, the group educated and enlightened all those who saw them perform. For Abigail's protégé and percussionist on the group's 1968 album Carlos Negreiros, the message of the group's music had a profound impact: "I became aware of what it is to be black," he says, "discovering the extraordinary potential of the Afro-Brazilian culture in the making of the national ethos." Now the last remaining member of the original Orquestra, Carlos was tracked down by producer Mario Caldato Jr. to oversee the first new album of Orquestra Afro-Brasileira material since 1968. "I was overwhelmed with the percussive rhythms, beautiful deep vocals and combined energy," Caldato Jr. explains. "It felt like the most authentic Brazilian roots music I had ever heard. It was raw and dynamic, a pure organic sound and energy." Alongside arranger Caio Cezar, Carlos assembled his Orquestra to record five tracks at Berna Ceppas' Estudio Maravilha 8 studio in Rio De Janeiro. With percussion, horns and vocals cut in single takes over three days, the session captured the intuitive, pure and natural spirit of the group in full flow. Following the success of the initial session, five additional tracks were recorded at the iconic Estudio CIA dos Tecnicos in Copacabana to complete the album. 80 Anos is a contemporary incarnation of Abigail Moura's vision, bristling with the flair of the original recordings. "This is an important continuation of the Orquestra Afro Brasileira sound and movement that is still strong and relevant today," Caldato Jr. says. 180 gram vinyl.
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10"
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DAYD 001LP
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Day Dreamer present a reissue of Orquestra Afro-Brasileira's Obaluayê, originally released in 1957. Ground-breaking orchestral jazz rooted in Afro-Brazilian rhythms and Yoruba spirituality, Obaluayê is one of the most important albums in Brazilian musical history. Little is known about Orquestra Afro-Brasileira, and that which is tends towards folklore. Conducted by maestro Abigail Moura, the group took to the stage around a hundred times between 1942 and 1970, releasing just two records -- the eponymous 1968 album Orquestra Afro-Brasileria and Obaluayê, originally released on Todamerica in 1957. A self-taught conductor and arranger, Abigail assembled Orquestra Afro-Brasileira in order to tell stories of Afro-Brazilian heritage and speak of the "dramas and tragedies experienced by my race." The Orquestra celebrated significant dates and influential Black Brazilian historical figures in its performances, with a repertoire that moved between folk tales, Candomblé chants and macumbas (or invocations) of orixá -- the Yoruba deities sent by Olodumare to provide guidance for life on earth. Comprised of around twenty musicians, the Orquestra combined traditional Brazilian and West African percussion instruments such as Agogô, Afoxé, Ganzá, Atabaques and Angona-puíta, with the sounds of saxophones, trombones, clarinets and the piano from the big band jazz tradition. Inspired by the orixá responsible for the balance between disease and cure, Obaluayê opens with a sermon, tracing the origins of the rhythms and their drums to the moments of joy, love and resistance that music provided in the horrific daily conditions faced by African slaves. For Abigail's protégé and percussionist on the group's 1968 album Carlos Negreiros, the power of the message was little short of life-changing: "I became aware of what itis to be black," he says, "discovering the extraordinary potential of the Afro-Brazilian culture in the making of the national ethos." Although overlooked at the time, Orquestra Afro-Brasileira inspired a generation of musicians such as Moacir Santos, as well as an array of contemporary devotees, such as hip-hop pioneer DJ Nuts and Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato Jr. That Caldato Jr. has since tracked Carlos down to record a third Orquestra album is a testament to its lasting importance. Reissued on vinyl for the first time in over sixty years by Day Dreamer Records a new sub label from Direct-to-Disc specialists Night Dreamer, Obaluayê is described by Carlos as "an icon of black music in Latin America." The time has come for Abigail and the Orquestra to receive the recognition they deserve. Tip-on jacket sleeve matching original pressing.
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