Justin Timberlake

I can’t find the words right now to express how deeply saddened I am by Michael’s passing.  We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music.  He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together.  My heart goes out to his family and loved ones.

- Justin

With its luscious tropical weather, beautiful people (just look at any Victoria Secret catalog), cultural and racial diversity, a booming economy, and predilection for late-night dance parties, Brazil is a country with a wealth of assets. That said, we are increasingly impressed by the caliber of Brazilian electronic music these days. Below are some choice bands and DJs that know how to get the party started:

CSS/CANSEI DE SER SEXY

The eccentric band, CSS which is short for Cansei De Ser Sexy i.e. “I got tired of being sexy” in Portuguese, crafts feisty, party-inducing electro-rock. Lead Singer LoveFoxxx is especially known her raucous stage antics and flamboyant outfits (ranging from full face-paint and day-glo neon leotards to surprise strip-teases!)

VIDEO: CSS – Let’s Make Love and Listen To Death From Above

BONDE DO ROLE

While Bonde Do Role and CSS often get classified in the same style bucket, this young, hyper band tends to overlap more native sounds -  from baile funk to Brazilian percussion - with experimental club beats and synths and Portuguese rap-sing lyrics. PS The video below also offers a great peep into Brazilian "favela" and city life.

VIDEO: Bonde Do Role - Solta O Frango

BOSS IN DRAMA

This twenty-one year old DJ from Southern Brazil, Pericles Martin, i.e. Boss In Drama, carves smooth, sexy dance beats to listen to as the sun sets. Like a Brazilian one man Chromeo, he breezily mixes vocoder, electro-funk, hook-heavy synths, and 80s Italo disco. (If you dig these beats, he’s got tracks for download straight of his myspace.)

VIDEO: Boss In Drama – Favorite Song:

MONTAGE

The electro-pop style of duo Montage - Daniel Peixoto (lead singer and model) and Leco Jucá (producer) was inspired by “the tropical beaches and sex tourism of Fortaleza city.” That said, their music is definitely not tame: Imagine Prodigy meets Shiny Toy Guns with tons of Brazilian passion? Taste it only if you dare.

VIDEO: Montage - I Trust My Dealer

(*note: While we support the beat, we don’t necessarily support the language or theme)

DIPLO:

The Floridian DJ may not be a native Brazilian but he definitely was instrumental of bringing this brand of Brazilian music to an international audience. Diplo was one of the first US DJs to mash up native Brazilian baile funk and funk carioca music up with western DJ styles. i.e. creatively mixing Miami bass with samba drums loops, baile funk and rap. In other words, it’s music that’s “designed to be played as loud as possible, with the bass turned high in the sweltering, tropical night.”

(P.S. The videos Favela On Blast, which he put out on his label Mad Decent, are meant to capture as well as celebrate the brazen life in Rio’s slum areas.)

VIDEO: Diplo - Diplo DJing Live with Bonde Do Role Radioclit Feat. Amanda Blank

We remember:

“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.” - Michael Jackson

“And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance.”  - Michael Jackson

“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.” - Michael Jackson

Read what Justin had to say about Michael.

And here's an awesome video to show Michael's impact on the world:

 

NEXT POST: MICHAEL JACKSON (1959 - 2009)

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