Criolo - 'Subirusdoistiozin' / 'Mario'

World Music Corner

Criolo - 'Subirusdoistiozin' (2011)

It's all in the hips today as we move with the excellent Brazilian rapper and street poet, Criolo. Huge in his native Brazil where he has been at the forefront of the Hip Hop scene for the past 20 years, combining an eclectic style, of Jazz, Soul, Afropop, Samba and even Reggae to 'good' effect. But like his music, his roots are firmly in São Paulo, notably the sprawling Flavela where he grew up in poverty, becoming a voice for an entire community.

Criolo, likes to play 'castles'...

Both tracks are taken from, 'Nó Na Orelha' (Knot in the Ear), one of the top albums of 2011 in Brazil and which was released internationally, to critical acclaim, earlier this year. It has subsequently become one of my favourites of the year and a soundtrack to a sodden summer after reading about it in Songlines magazine.

You don't need to understand Portuguese to enjoy this, the impeccable musicianship of his band and Criolo's unique singing flow makes it unmistakably Brazilian. Music of this quality deserves to be heard. Right, I don't care what the weather is doing, I'm off out to sit in my son's sandpit and sip Caiparinha's in my speedos.

Criolo - 'Mario' (2011)

Here is a great article on Criolo taken from the Guardian earlier this year.....

Criolo's official site

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