for the 2nd time.....BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM! Boom. ti cuh BOOM. ti cuh uh. ti cuh BOOM.

Olodum: This bloco afro rocks the block, no joking around.

There is a musical phenomenon in Brazil that I find inspiring. It is the musical organizations that are centered on community. Groups like Filhos do Gandhy (Sons of Ghandi), Ile Aiye, and Olodum all give back to their members, many of whom were poor children growing up in favelas (slums). Many of the articles that I read give credit to Olodum and Ile Aiye for their strong dedication to community activism. Both of the groups have profited from the exportation of their talent to the world. Olodum performed with Michael Jackson and Paul Simon. Watch the King of Pop’s video HERE (Olodum takes over at 4:54) and the old fogie’s video HERE. (I like both of them, but I can’t tell which guy looks more ridiculous in these videos. In any case, this globalization was not an accident. Olodum specifically pointed itself in the global direction, and this brought them international fame and also money. At the same time, the blocos afros (African Blocks) retained their local ties to a degree that famous American musicians almost never do. Ever. For instance, HERE is a website with the addresses and telephone numbers of the groups in Bahia. Other Brazilian musical styles have also achieved international fame. Apparently, the US and Brazil used to have an agreement known as the “good neighbor policy,” and they would share cultural things. For instance, this sweet Donald Duck cartoon, in which he meets José Carioca, the Brazilian parrot. At 2:30, Donald enters and he learns how to samba, drinks cachaça (strong alcohol), and then dances at Copacabana. There are plenty of other examples of international Brazilian music, but I am most excited to hear music by Timbalada, which is my favorite. Come to class, and you will hear!