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we’ve been waiting many years for the new Messiah. The unusual aspect of the
whole situation is elsewhere; the new claim to the throne, wasn’t born in Harlem nor
in Watts, nor in any other American ghetto. He was born - first of eight sons of a poor
family - in Canadeal Pequeno, state of Bahia, in the deep North east of Brazil. He was
registered, around the mid seventies (in these cases you can never be precise), by the
name of Antonio Carlos Santos Freita. As you can see, nothing more Brazilian.
Only that Carlos, since his early years, wanted to be called
Carlinhos, which corresponds more or less to our Charlie. In his teenage years, by chance
he crashed into a tornado which was going to change his entire existence, the "Your
Majesty's Sex Machine", James Brown. With this we mean, that inextricable melting pot
of sex, "soul", the burning "ref" of frenetic rhythms, of beautiful
girls thrilled by the show which the Godfather took around the world, Brazil included. It
happened right there, captured by that sassy demonstration of black beauty- do you
remember the password of those years, "Say it loud, I’m black and I'm
proud"?- that our Charlie decided to seize the opportunity. That, had to be the
mission of his life. His name - so insignificant compared to the names of Caetano Veloso
and Chico Barque de Hollanda - had to be changed in something more magniloquent like,
Carlinhos
Brown.
No sooner said than done. It’s so true that today,
Carlinhos is perhaps one of the most extraordinary "sex machines" on earth. He
says that, after all, the recipe of his music is quite simple. " I only try to bridge
Brazilian samba and American black soul " he says friendly. "Adding, just to
make it even more desirable, some exotic spices like Arabic and Latin music, but mostly
Central African music. Nothing more, nothing less."
Exactly, but the fact is that this original "synthesis
between Africa and Hollywood", as he loves calling it, is a cocktail of high
alcoholic strength even capable of making the teetotalers and the crippled dance.
When Carlinhos enters the scene, usually dressed with a long
purple coat (his favorite color), and a tall golden crown rising from his endless
dreadlocks, and everyone has the impression of having stuck their fingers in the plug. The
energy runs like a river; the saxophone and trumpet players spin out "reffs"
over "reffs", faster and faster, frenetic. The percussionists (many), seemed
possessed by the sacred "loa" of rhythm. Three beautiful chorus singers - very
sensual - which take no interest for their microphones, breaking out with an impressive
series of ritual dances around his body. He, as the authentic Sun King of the situation,
first let’s them vent, then, mischievous, throws his long coat to the public,
remaining bare from the waist up. Ready for his act.
"All this is very natural and traditional too", says
the youngest of the Browns smiling from beneath his big sunglasses, which cover a
good half of his bony face. "It’s the joy of living in a pure state, the same
that, since always, the natives of Canadeal have. And it’s also a heart felt homage
to my great music Maestros: Caetano Veloso and Joao Bosco, Nando Rey and Djavan. But, most
of all to Osvaldo Alves da Silva, better known as Master Pintado do Bongo. The first one
who started me to the mystery of percussion, in the street bands of my country."
The fact that, when recalling these Maestros, Carlinhos did
not include the Americans Bill Laswell, Wayne Shorter and Lee Ritenour (with whom he
worked with in these recent years), and Sepultura, Kings of Brazil’s trash-pulp rock
(for whom he wrote three songs for the record "Roots"), isn’t a sign of
arrogance. The thing is that they got in contact when they were all at the same level:
when he was already notorious, although he still had not recorded his first album, the
fantastic "Alfagamabetizado". He smiled again when I pointed that out; then he
clearly makes us understand that it’s all water under the bridge. Now, he’s
great. Maybe not like the Godfather of his youngster’s dreams, but he’s almost
there, and time is on his side.
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