Brazil’s Bonde Do Role created an enormous buzz when they burst to attention early last year. While they were easily the most widely heard example of that mysterious and intriguing ‘baile funk’ sound that was emerging out of their country, the appeal of Bonde Do Role went much further than that. It seemed like they’d almost managed to flip dance music on it head with their infectious take on sample-heavy party music that mixed Beatles and Metallica samples with Portuguese slang. But then, it was over almost as soon as it began. Just as things were really taking off and the whole world was sitting up and taking notice, charismatic frontwoman Marina Vello quit the band, forcing them to cancel a string of dates that would have seen them in Australia over the New Year period.
However, all was not lost. Remaining band-members DJ Gorky and Pedro aired a reality TV production on Brazil’s MTV, where they searched out a hopeful replacements who had to partake in mud wrestling and Karaoke, among other tasks. Sound wacky? Have you listened to Bonde Do Role? In the end, they found not one but two new Brazilian MCs. Well sort of… The new recruits were Ana Bernardino and Laura Taylor, the later a Brazilian-dwelling Kiwi.
Taking some well needed timeout after a 12-hour drive, Laura found the time to chats with ITM about the her new life as part of Bonde Do Role and the hectic tour schedule they now have. “It’s great, we just arrived in Texas today and we’ve been driving for 12 hours to get here. We’re playing a show tonight with [fellow antipodeans] The Deathset, which should be fun”.
Not too bad start to a musical career for Taylor, who was in desperate need on a job to begin with. Forgoing the typical path of toil and trouble on the way to fame and fortune, she went straight into the band and onto the road. But so how did a New Zealander become involved with Brazil’s newest export? “I’ve spent about half my life in both countries. My Dad is Brazilian and my mother is from New Zealand. I heard that Marina had left the band, and really needed a job. They [Gorky and Pedro] were friends of mine and I contacted Gorky about joining them. He was really keen, but they had the MTV thing happening, so I had to send in a video and compete just like the rest. It was kinda embarrassing, but I got through. I would’ve been so burnt if I hadn’t!”
They’ll soon finally be making it down to Australia after a few false starts, but the next stage of course would be to lay down some new material as ‘Bonde Do Role Mk.2’. But Laura is playing down the idea, due to a tour that’s got no end in sight. “We haven’t done any recording,” she confesses. “We’ve got ideas, but we’re on the road so much. We’ve got a really busy tour schedule – once the US tour is over, we’re heading to Australia and then we’ll be moving to Berlin for a few months for the European festival season”.
While heavy touring may have prevented the band from hitting the studio, Laura confirms that the band have been playing around with ideas on the road and are keen to get down to recording when the finally get a chance. The question begs though: with that move to Berlin, could it be that we’ll have a minimal techno influence on the new Bonde Do Role Sound? After a bit of giggle down the phone line, Laura plays down the idea. “We haven’t got any sound as such, there never really was a particular Bonde do Role Sound. But it will be different, because there’s Anna and myself now – it’s new band now.” Living in dance music’s cultural capital will have its benefits, of course. It’ll make life easier for touring, for one. “Berlin is cheap to live and you’re so close to everywhere else in Europe. It can be a hard in Brazil, because it’s such a long was to go on tour.”
Having created some real buzz in the music world last year after crashing into the scene with their signing to Diplo’s influential Mad Decent label, and then striking a deal with UK indie label Domino, the band have become an established name. But what does Brazil think of their most resent export? “We’re bigger everywhere else. In Brazil they love to hate us, they don’t get us… In Brazil people don’t understand our attitude. People think we need to take music more seriously, but we’re a party band!”
Check out Brazil’s notorious “party band” for yourself when they play the following dates…
Sat 31 June – Canberra, Warehouse Winter Festival
Sun 1 Jun – Perth, We Love Ministry
Wed 4 Jun – Prince, Melbourne
Fri 6 Jun – Forum, Sydney
Sat 7 Jun – We Love Sounds, Melbourne
Sun 8 Jun – We Love Sounds, Sydney
And check out this clip of Gorky and Pedro grilling potential replacement MCs on MTV – along with footage of the afore mentioned mud wrestling! Oh yeah, a crash course in speaking Brazilian might also help…
macc4 says...
is brazilian a language? i think you mean portugese