Monobloco
Encyclopedia
Monobloco is a Brazilian bloco
, or street band, that plays during Carnaval
in Rio de Janeiro
and is also a professional touring show. Unlike most of Rio's blocos
, which tend play one type of music (typically samba
), Monobloco has become extremely popular among younger people because of its 'fresh' sound, playing a mix of various rhythms such as coco
, ciranda, marcha, xote
, samba-charme, and particularly samba-rock and funk
, as well as carnaval sambas. It continues to grow in popularity each year, and can be seen as a symbol of the resurging popularity in Carnaval blocos in Rio de Janeiro.
The group was formed by members of rock band Pedro Luís e A Parede in 2000 as an education project and continues to run a percussion course each year. However, the group's popularity soon led to the creation of a professional touring band, the Monobloco Show, which has toured extensively around Brazil and has also travelled internationally.
Their public 'rehearsals' at Fundição Progresso in Lapa, the nightclub district of central Rio De Janeiro, regularly attract up to 4,000 paying spectators on the Friday nights leading up to Carnival. At these shows the group consists of over 100 percussionists as well as singers and cavaquinho player. Famous musicians and singers are often featured at these shows as guest performers. The bloco performs for free on the street once a year. That used to take place in the neighborhood of Copacabana, on the Sunday following Carnival, thus 'closing' Carnaval. In 2006, the city asked them to perform at 9am, instead of later in the day, so that fewer people would come. Nevertheless, they attracted tens of thousands of people to parade with them, dancing along the road and the adjacent beach. In 2007 they performed again at 9am attracting an estimated 80,000 people and in 2008 200.000. In 2009 the city asked the bloco to move to the downtown business center, where the performance would not disturb the citizens during the weekend. They attracted a crowd estimated in 400.000.
In 2002 the group released an eponymous CD. Their second release, a live CD and DVD entitled "Monobloco Ao Vivo", recorded in October 2006 and released in 2007, has had tremendous success. They released a new live CD, "10", in early 2010. 10 was recorded at Fundição Progresso in the autumn of 2009.
Their name comes from the fact that, when it was founded, they had the idea of recording the sound of the entire bloco with just one microphone, hence "mono"-bloco.
and Wellington Batucada.
Blocos
Blocos are the street bands and groups that are the main popular expression in Rio de Janeiro Carnival in Brazil. These demonstrations are mixed under the term "street carnival", a term that still includes the bandstands and parades at Rio Branco Avenue, and happen during a period of about one...
, or street band, that plays during Carnaval
Brazilian Carnival
The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival," from carnelevare, "to remove meat." Carnival celebrations...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and is also a professional touring show. Unlike most of Rio's blocos
Blocos
Blocos are the street bands and groups that are the main popular expression in Rio de Janeiro Carnival in Brazil. These demonstrations are mixed under the term "street carnival", a term that still includes the bandstands and parades at Rio Branco Avenue, and happen during a period of about one...
, which tend play one type of music (typically samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
), Monobloco has become extremely popular among younger people because of its 'fresh' sound, playing a mix of various rhythms such as coco
Coco
Coco, CoCo, Co-Co or similar can mean:*Co-Co locomotives, a code for a locomotive wheel arrangement with two six-wheeled bogies with all axles powered, with a separate motor per axle*Co-Co , a British pop group...
, ciranda, marcha, xote
Xote
Xote is a Brazilian music genre and dance for pairs or groups of four. It is the local equivalent of the German schottische. Xote is a common type of forró dancing....
, samba-charme, and particularly samba-rock and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, as well as carnaval sambas. It continues to grow in popularity each year, and can be seen as a symbol of the resurging popularity in Carnaval blocos in Rio de Janeiro.
The group was formed by members of rock band Pedro Luís e A Parede in 2000 as an education project and continues to run a percussion course each year. However, the group's popularity soon led to the creation of a professional touring band, the Monobloco Show, which has toured extensively around Brazil and has also travelled internationally.
Their public 'rehearsals' at Fundição Progresso in Lapa, the nightclub district of central Rio De Janeiro, regularly attract up to 4,000 paying spectators on the Friday nights leading up to Carnival. At these shows the group consists of over 100 percussionists as well as singers and cavaquinho player. Famous musicians and singers are often featured at these shows as guest performers. The bloco performs for free on the street once a year. That used to take place in the neighborhood of Copacabana, on the Sunday following Carnival, thus 'closing' Carnaval. In 2006, the city asked them to perform at 9am, instead of later in the day, so that fewer people would come. Nevertheless, they attracted tens of thousands of people to parade with them, dancing along the road and the adjacent beach. In 2007 they performed again at 9am attracting an estimated 80,000 people and in 2008 200.000. In 2009 the city asked the bloco to move to the downtown business center, where the performance would not disturb the citizens during the weekend. They attracted a crowd estimated in 400.000.
In 2002 the group released an eponymous CD. Their second release, a live CD and DVD entitled "Monobloco Ao Vivo", recorded in October 2006 and released in 2007, has had tremendous success. They released a new live CD, "10", in early 2010. 10 was recorded at Fundição Progresso in the autumn of 2009.
Their name comes from the fact that, when it was founded, they had the idea of recording the sound of the entire bloco with just one microphone, hence "mono"-bloco.
Touring
The Monobloco Show toured the United Kingdom for the first time in July 2007 and returned again in 2008 and 2009. They have also toured in Portugal, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand where as well as performing at various venues they conducted workshops for local bands such as AKSambaAKSamba
AKSamba is a percussion group based in Auckland, New Zealand. While predominantly inspired by Brazilian rhythms, the group's music also incorporates international rhythms such as drum'n'bass, funk, disco and ska, as well as West African ones....
and Wellington Batucada.
External links
- Monobloco Official Site (in Portuguese)
- Monobloco UK Site (in English)