Do you ever wonder what happened when this-- Get up offa that thing And shake 'til you feel better - Made its way from house parties in the States to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro?
The answer is baile funk.
("Joga Pra Lua" by Anitta) While baile funk is a Brazilian invention, it maintains an allegiance to the drum and bass derived from American funk and soul.
But without the Afros and emphasis on the groove, you're probably wondering, is it really funk?
(synth music) - Funk was the domain of black folks in the early seventies, but once you put it out there into the world, you don't know who it's gonna affect.
(Iasmin speaking in Portuguese) (Portuguese music playing) (Iasmin speaking in Portuguese) - If you wanna understand how we get from James Brown to Anitta, first you need to know what makes a song funky.
Two major elements that make a song funky are a repetitive danceable bassline, and a syncopated rhythm.
Basslines are integral to funk music.
They're simple to allow the groove to speak for itself.
("One Nation Under a Groove" by Funkadelic) Baile funk still has those basslines, but they're made digitally, giving them a more distorted electronic feel.
("Pump" by Sanvtto featuring Mc KF) Syncopated rhythms are another hallmark of funk music created by emphasizing an offbeat of a measure.
("Funky Drummer" by James Brown) Ain't it funky Ain't it funky - [Host] These rhythms would then go on to influence hip hop in the eighties.
A whole lot of superstars on this day to that night - [Host] And then migrate to Brazil where early baile funk hits mirrored records from the US.
For instance, Abdullah's "Melo da Mulher Feia" is an interpolation of 2 Live Crew's "Do Wah Diddy" that features Portuguese lyric.
("Melo da Mulher Feia" by Abdullah) I met this girl standing on the block singing - Baile funk keeps that funk syncopation, but adds a twist.
Traditional funk puts emphasis on the one.
1, 2, 3, 4.
(drums playing) Baile funk starts adding a little bit of syncopation, putting the kick on one and the and of two, and the and of three, and moving, alternating some snare hits kinda like this.
1, 2, 3, 4.
(drums playing) - [Host] These core drum patterns gave birth to Rio's homegrown standard, an original rhythmic cell called tamborzao, born in the late nineties.
Tamborazo, a Brazilian Portuguese word that translates to big drum, is a blend of electronic beats with acoustic samples like congas and hand drums, often used in Afro-Brazilian religions and samba.
("Ta OK" by Dennis E Kevin O Chris) Afrobeat has served as another influence on baile funk.
Born in Nigeria, it's an African music genre pioneered by Fela Kuti.
It blends West African rhythms and American funk music.
("Sorrow, Tears, and Blood" by Fela Kuti and Afrika 70) (Iasmin speaking in Portuguese) - But it's not just the musical elements that baile funk, and American funk share.
They both are products of the Afro populations in their countries of origin.
Baile funks' political goals are just as important as its musical influences.
Funk gave chants like, "Say it loud, "I'm black and I'm proud," and soul power to black Americans, while Afro-Brazilians were partying to promote pride and resistance to oppression against the dictatorial military regime in Brazil.
- The call to dance is not just a call to dance, but also a call to come together and to protest.
- Colorful, brash, and sometimes explicit, baile funk is a politically-charged movement that remains a powerful tool of resistance for Afro-Brazilian people.
(Iasmin speaking in Portuguese) - [Host] The dawn of the digital era meant that baile funk could finally go worldwide.
The 2000s ushered in a legion of favela and bedroom producers.
It was their job to spread baile funk, and they made sure it flooded party scenes from New York City to Eastern Europe.
(Iasmin speaking in Portuguese) - Similar to other international sounds like dancehall and bhangra, baile funk has since captivated pop stars like Madonna-- Just move your body I said go do it good yeah - [Host] And Travis Scott.
You trip, take it like nine out of 10 (yeah) - [Host] Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion also gave us the 2023 baile funk inspired single, "Bongos".
Bang, looking like money (go) You could print my face on a dollar - The current movement in baile funk is being driven by established and rising acts from all over Brazil.
From Sao Paulo's "MC Hariel" to Belo Horizante's "DJ Anderson Do Paraiso", to the current popularity of stars like Anitta-- ("Monstrao" by Anitta) - [Host] And Ludmilla.
("Rainha da Favela" by Ludmilla) (Iasmin speaking in Portuguese) - Though baile funk still underscores life in the favelas, it also scores viral dance trends-- (baile funk music playing) (Iasmin speaking in Portuguese) - Baile funk took funk and spun it in another direction.
What other genres have funk in their DNA?
(funk music playing)
Passport
Follow Us