Biography
The brainchild of Brazilian natives Alex Koberle and Emiliano Benevides and Americano bassist Carl Remde, Bat Makumba is the crossroads between the equatorial beats of Brazil and the punk, rock and funk influences of the U.S. and Europe. Locals to San Francisco, Bat Makumba's show is a hip renegade carnaval party full of tropicalia tinged ska, punk influenced forro, and rock infused samba.
Since their debut in 2000 Bat Makumba have garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base throughout the West Coast. Winners of a California Music Award for Best Latin Alternative Album and a SF Weekly Music Award for Best World Music Band, Bat Makumba have been hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of Five Latin Bands to Watch, and their debut album was named one of the Best Records of the Year by the East Bay Express.
Incorporating the varied influences of horn player David Gibbs, keyboardist Jason Moen and drummer Noah Waldman, Bat Makumba's live show brings together an international palette of musicians and instrumentation (including accordion, zabumba, megaphone, clarinet and alfaia). Named after the 70s classic Tropicalia song by Caetano Veloso + Gilberto Gil (popularized by Os Mutantes), "Bat Makumba" loosely translates to mean the mixing of Brazilian traditionalism with international pop culture.
How would you describe the sound of this CD?
‘Boteco’ is an artful mixture of neo-futuristic traditional Brazilian rhythms with the right quantity of the best North American spices. It is funk and rock boiling and baking with samba, maracatu, frevo and baiao.
What are the main influences for the CDs?
Chico Science, Samba Schools (from the warm sunny street Carnivals of Brazil), Lenine, Brazilian Modernism and Tropicalism, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Zappa, Serge Gainsbourg, Chico Buarque among many others.
What is the significance of ‘Boteco’?
Think about the French Cafés where all the intellectuals would meet, the PUB (Public Houses) in England and Ireland or a San Francisco, North Beach Beatnik café or bar.
A boteco is a small bar or pub in Brasil were you can find dealers and philosophers, pimps and doctors talking about life, writing poems or theatre plays, sharing ideas about soccer and politics or simply celebrating or lamenting their lives. They are usually the last bars you find open (if they ever close), so it is where a bohemian can finish the night or start the day.
What makes Bat Makumba unique?
Put Pele and Mohammed Ali in a fictional mix machine. Now add Frank Zappa, Sergio Mendes, Tom Jobim and Roger Waters and fuse into one. What a mix eh?
Bat Makumba is this fusion, multiplied by 2.
Don't miss this kinetic, percussive music... join the renegade carnaval party that is Bat Makumba!
Instrumentation
Alex Koberle - Lead vocals, guitars, percussion
Emiliano Benevides - Percussion, vocals
Carl Remde - Bass, vocals, percussion
David Gibbs - Saxophone, clarinet, flute, percussion, vocals
Jason Moen - Keyboards, guitar
Noah Waldman - Drums, percussion
Discography
BAT MAKUMBA - BOTECO
The second, full length CD released 11/07
BAT MAKUMBA
Self-titled, debut CD released 06/03
"Outstanding Latin Alternative Album" - California Music Awards (winner 2004)
"One of the Best Records of 2003" - East Bay Express
Both CDs can be heard on World/Brazilian radio programs and streaming on the internet.
Links
| http://www.batmakumba.com |