Marcio Local

Marcio Local presents two great traditions in modern Brazilian music: the samba—the heavily percussive Afro-Brazilian dance music that took its modern form in the early twentieth century; and soul—the African American music rooted in the blues that attracted a mass audience in Brazil in the 1960s and 1970s. Mr. Local combines these two genres to forge new variations of samba-soul by exploring the ever-expanding soundscape of Rio.

Born in 1976 in Realengo—a working-class neighborhood on the north side of Rio— Mr. Local grew up inspired by bateria, the massive drum corps that paraded behind the floats during carnival and Gilberto Gil’s 1969 hit “Aquele Abraço” which celebrated the connections between modern samba and soccer, Brazil’s national sport. On nearly every track of Mr. Local’s album, Marcio Local Says, “Don dree don day don don”: Adventures in Samba Soul, the echoes of soul samba grooves from the 1960s and 1970s are emulated. On this album, Mr. Local pays homage to earlier generations of black artists in Brazil who forged new combinations of R&B, soul, and funk with samba, bossa nova, and other Brazilian sounds. He collaborated with producer Armando Pittigliani, who worked with Jorge Ben at the beginning of his career in the 1960s. Mr. Local revives a playful style of soul samba, bolstered by a fat horn section, often involving risqué double entendre and flirtatious boasting in songs like “Ela não tá nem aí,” “She pays no mind,” and one of his local hits, “Happy Endings.”

By the time Mr. Local was born, the north side had emerged as the epicenter of a new cultural movement dubbed “Black Rio,” which attracted thousands of young Afro-Brazilians to all-night dance parties with soundtracks that were heavy on soul and funk. Although rarely articulated in political or racial terms, the “Black Rio” scene provided young Afro-Brazilians a new vocabulary and style to express a distinctly “black” identity in a country that officially celebrated non-racialism that often obscured deep inequalities and prejudices. The house band of this movement was the famous Banda Black Rio, led by a family friend, saxophonist Oberdan Magalhães, who would bring Mr. Local to shows. In the 1980s rock and reggae also entered the mix and by the 1990s, a vibrant home-grown dance hall culture exploded around the electronic beats of the bailes funk. All of this inspires Marcio Local’s sound.

Today Mr. Local resides in Santa Teresa. Many reports from Rio today speak of narcotic-gang warfare and police repression. The denunciation of violence has inevitably emerged as a key theme in a lot of the contemporary culture of urban Brazil and this context lurks in the background of Mr. Local’s music. His tunes are populated by street savvy hustlers, soccer stars, talented dancers, and elegant black women. These songs celebrate a Rio de Janeiro steeped in Afro-Brazilian traditions, yet constantly reinventing new sounds and styles.

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1/8/09: Marcio Local

Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, this group constantly reinvents new sounds and styles drawing inspiration from R&B, soul, and funk infused with samba, bossa nova, and other Brazilian sounds.

Marcio Local

Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, this group constantly reinvents new sounds and styles drawing inspiration from R&B, soul, and funk infused with samba, bossa nova, and other Brazilian sounds.

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Marcio Local

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