Afropop Worldwide

Renato Martins and his Funk Na Caixa label are back with a new mix of songs to get your body moving. The website continues in its efforts to present neo baile funk, the next generation of the 808 heavy music born from many of Brazil’s poorest communities. In addition to featuring the best and brightest from around Rio, the label seeks to include the works of producers from all over the globe. baile funk or funk carioca is a contemporary Brazilian born electronic dance music. This type of 'funk' carries with it a unique set of characteristics. There are no traces of the large ensembles of George Clinton, James Brown's tight horn sections or Sly Stone's political lyrics. Instead, this funk is created by a producer using an MPC and a rapper spitting verses. The drums become the focal point of the song, overtaking the melody and harmony—which are often nonexistent. Traditional Brazilian percussion instruments replace the American drum set. Lyrically, these songs deal with good times, parties and sexuality. Short sentences and phrases are often repeated throughout. This is party music through and through. While still clearly falling within the basic outlines of the genre, the Funk Na Caixa label works to expend baile’s parameters, and their latest release is no exception. O Novidade no Rio de Janeiro features the music of several producers and MC's from Brazil and London. Producer DJ BamBam has two songs back to back in the mix. Both feature a heavy samba reggae groove, but have subtle differences in the production which highlight the differences in the style. Mc Romantico's “Isso aqui esta sensacional” features a club ready set of manipulated drum tones reminiscent of American styles like Miami bass. Contrasting this vibe is Mc Kareca's “Bate com o bumbum no chao” which, at its core, is made up of an ensemble of Brazilian percussion and beatboxing. “Quero Bunda” by Mc Tipocki and DJ Rd da NH is even sparser in its production, with only a few reversed horn hits serving as the melody line. On top of this driving beat are Mc Tipocki's repeated lyric, “quero bunda” which loosely translates to “I want ass.” As you can probably tell, this new batch of Funk is more than ready for your next dance party.