sexta-feira, 30 de março de 2007

The AfroReggae Digital Studio!!!

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Since Tuesday I've been preparing the Radio Links workshop for next week, taking Portuguese classes (yes I'm needing a crash course to help it click) and working on the website upgrade with the Dychpher team in London (braps to Dave, Muce & Marc - mwah)... The acoustic materials are now (very nearly) up in the studio - we've got foam, carpet and AfroReggae colours on the walls - the only thing remaining to do now is to get the desk made and the equipment in - it's all very exciting. Max & I have been working hard on the final design of the studio and we're now at a piont where we're both happy - have a look at the diagrams above of the studio set up - sexy eh!!
I've also made it onto Brazilian TV apparently..! The State Governors visit attracted widespread press attention and the footage shown on O Globo TV included a shot of me I'm told - I bet I looked sweaty (it was really hot in there)... I'm also doing my third interview on 5Live tonight and am sat ready at my computer with the skype headset waiting for the call... oooo here we go... tchau!

This week I've mostly learnt the words:
Amizade - Friendship
Suadade - A feeling of missing someone
Esmero - Meticulousness
Geringonca - Contraption
Anjo - Angel
Desajeitado - Clumsy
Frequencia - Frequency
Morder - To Bite (Just because they're some of my favourite words I've learnt in class)

terça-feira, 27 de março de 2007

Recently I have mostly learnt the words:
Borboleta - Buttefly (like I put round the pool)
O Churrasco - BBQ (as in what we had)
Aparelho - Equipment (as in what we're sorting for the studio)
Carpete - Carpet (as in what we're laying in the studio)
Aula - Lesson (as in what I'm giving a lot of at the moment)
Cama - Bed (as in what I need to be in more)

That's me behind the Gov and Jose Jnr - head of AfroReggae - on the mic.

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Awwwww

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Well today I've just got back from Lucas where the Governor of Rio State - Sergio Cabral - was inaugurating our centre. The kids put on a great show for him - drumming, violin playing, Capoeira and singing - it was quite a special affair. It was also a good chance for us to raise awareness about AfroReggae Digital and we're hoping to meet with the Governor, as well as a heap of journalists, in due course.
The sun is still shining here, and I'm sat inside on my computer - wouldn't change it for the world though...

View of the DJ booth from the "chill out room"

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The music at the party was sweet!

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As well as conducting workshops, compiling more workshops and loading equipment into the studio, we threw a BBQ on Sunday for all our Rio friends. We invited the AfroReggae crew and all the people we've met so far on our travels - mostly a mix of artists, musicians, promoters and people working in the music industry here. We sorted a sound system, threw a hell of a lot of meat on the barbie and I added the girlie touch with rose petals and sparkles on the floor, floating candles in the pool and paper butterflies all around the place. The party went off! This amazing DJ from Chile spun beats for hours, the DnB crew represented, then the legendary DJ Sany finished off with some Baile Funk - nice. Everyone had a great time and as well as being a lot of fun, it was a very successful public relations exercise. In true promoter style I was running about all day and got my first bit of sausage and a beer at the restaurant myself, Max, the DnB crew and the Baile crew went to late at night after the party. It was all worth it though! Braps to all the people with Monday morning injuries (feet / head / arms etc) after the buckets of Cachaca that were drowned!!

Editing Jingles

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Recording Jingles

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Honestly where does the time go??
The workshops are going really really well - it's such a joy to work with these kids and I'm so impressed by how quickly they're picking up the basics of radio... never before have I worked with a group who instantly understand and can navigate around the editing software, it's simply inspiring. Our core team is emerging already and I'm feeling really confident about their skill set - I'm positive that leaving AfroReggae Digital in their hands will ensure its success.

quarta-feira, 21 de março de 2007

Jammin in the evening

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Since the weekend I've been to Parada de Lucas a few times... I had a meeting with the staff about the workshop plan, which begins for real next Saturday. The idea is to run the Introductory workshop for the next few weeks in order to establish a core group of 10 passionate and committed kids to train to run the station whilst also enthusing as many faveladors as possible to get involved. There'll be a 4 hour workshop every Saturday and 2 hour workshops on Monday-Thursday, with one group coming Mon & Wed, the other group Tues & Thurs. The groups rotate each week. I've also been there lugging equipment and getting foam up on the walls!
This week I've also been in the studio with the DnB crew. Met this lovely lovely couple - Shobhan and Smash - from San Fran who are staying in our house in Santa Teresa. Shobhan sings AMAZINGLY and Smash is pretty darn good on vocals and guitar too... We got chatting and arranged for her to lay down some vocals and get a DnB remix (she's an old skool DnB head - started the scene in San Fran) from the boys here. So we trudged off to studio for a session and the legendary DJ Fabio Machado is currently remixing it. Watch this space for the next LK!!!! (Yeah and I want my cut guys!). After the studio sess we had a BBQ at our place and it got musically messy! Shobhan & Smash on the guitar, Mario Z on the DnB freestyle tip and some of the other residents playing Samba - mostly improv, all live, all mind blowing! Sweet.

One of the pictures I included on the workshop handouts

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WE'VE DONE THE FIRST RADIO WORKSHOP FOR THE KIDS!!!

Last weekend we did the first radio workshop for the children (and some of the staff) at Parada de Lucas, which went really really well. Everyone seemed to love it, which was fantastic and it definately served its purpose of inspiring the local community about AfroReggae Digital. I was especially pleased as I had constructed the whole workshop plan (sacrificing the Brazilian sunshine for 4 consecutive days) and this workshop is now established as our Introduction to Radio workshop. I also conducted the workshop in Portuguese!
After brief introductions and a round table discussions on radio and music, I introduced the basics of recording and editing through the concept of Jingles. We got the kids to think of their own DJ names, show names and jingle for their show. I then explained how to record (connecting the equipment, holding the mic, levels etc) and off they went recording their own jingles. We listened to the jingles then loaded them into Cool Edit (editing software), added a few sound effects and hey presto! The kids had made their first radio piece, and hadn't got bored once! In fact, that was the main difference I noticed in teaching the kids here compared to in England. They were so similar in many ways - appearance, likes, dislikes etc but their attitude was very different. The kids i met on Saturday anyway were very motivated. When they introduced themselves, nearly all mentioned how they wanted to do radio as a way of advancing their skill set and increasing their opportunities. For 15/16 year old boys I was impressed by their level of maturity and understanding. They are especially anxious at the moment, for reasons I cannot discuss here, but they still threw themselves into the exercises and I'm hoping I will be seeing them all again at AfroReggae Digital.

Went to Nativa with Natalie (Austrian radio presenter) & Gringo... Nat did an interview with Marcson whilst Gringo checked out the favela behind

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Me at Radio Nativa

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So I know it's been a hot minute since I wrote last but boy have I been busy...
Had a meeting with DJ/TV&Radio personality, Marcson Muller, last week at Radio Nativa, which was both inspiring and intersting. I wanted to find out a bit more how radio works here in Rio and source some contacts for equipment - especially radio desks, CDJs and MD recorders.

I'm also hoping to get him involved further in the project as he's doing something similar in another favela - it's not a radio station, but he is trying to elevate the status of the faveladors. His aim is to teach the Baile Funk MCs about the music industry - how to make money from it, how to distribute tunes, how to market themselves etc. He is so passionate about it I was in awe. He was saying that each favela has its own separate culture & identity and that, although a lot of imformation gets out about the favela, it is more often than not wrong. For 100,000 people living in the favela no more than 20 are really bad - selling drugs, killing etc. Most, like the rest of us, just want a good life and to do better. Unfortunately only the footballers make it out, and although the musicians and dancers have incredible talent they are presently unable to make a living from their skills.

Marcson also took me to a wicked party in the evening - braps to the local samba!!

quinta-feira, 15 de março de 2007

P.s Lough the Red Eye!

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I have mostly been staying in the last few days researching and writing radio workshops for the kids. There's a lot to do but i'm really enjoying getting stuck in. It's different compiling workshops for the kids here compared to my students in London - not only am I aware that the language (and all its nuances) is different, I also have to bear in mind that some of the children I'll be teaching don't even have basic literacy skills. I am therefore including lots of pictures and practical exercises!
I'm also putting together the Passion & Schowi show for broadcast - tidying up levels and adding idents... started teaching myself Audacity but have moved back to Audition because it's so much better for editing. It does feel wierd spending 10 hours a day inside on the computer with the sun shining outside but I'm not complaining!
Popped out one evening to join a jam - dancing / breaking / circus performing - in a wicked old warehouse building in Lapa - check the picture above with the crew - everyone there was incredibly talented - in more ways than one... yum.

segunda-feira, 12 de março de 2007

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Well life moves pretty quickly in Rio when it wants to... The drug lord who arrived at the party in Rochina the other Sunday is now being hunted by the police - apparently he is responsible for the murder of one favela woman and the dismemberment of another... nice... it seems no matter what kind of show the drug gangs put on, it will never hide the fact that their members are essentially cold-blooded killers.

On a more positive note, i've now moved house and am living in this amazing place in Santa Teresa - the hippy bohemian part of Rio (suits me down to the ground)... We're set up with a little office and can take a dip in the pool on our lunch break... I am having to watch out for a few creepy crawlies though - check the picture above - it's a massive caterpillar, which in fact is not a caterpillar but more of a dayglow pain machine - step on one and you'll get a horrible burn, if that is, the fever doesn't get you first...

Today i've mostly learnt the words:
Minhocas - Worms (like how the caterpillars wiggle)
Mulher - Woman (coz it was international womans day last Thursday and all of Rio's women were carrying red roses)
Violao - Guitar (because someone we lives with plays it amazingly)

quinta-feira, 8 de março de 2007

Schowi & Passion

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look i did some work too - directing Gringo with his links

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the boys hard at work, from l-r DnB MC Mario Z, MC Gringo, Max, Ritchie, Passion & Showi

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WE'VE DONE THE FIRST RADIO SHOW FOR AFROREGGAE DIGITAL!!!!

I thought it was important to start bagging guest DJ shows for the station so spoke to Passion & Showi on Sunday about doing a 2 hour mix show... hooked up the studio of our new found friends - the Rio DnB crew - and hey presto, we have a show! I really enjoyed producing radio after a few week hiatus and it felt great to know we already have content for the station - watch out for the show, video footage, pictures and tracklistings from Passion & Showi coming soon!

Other than that have been having lots of meetings with AfroReggae, finalising work shop content and looking for somewhere to live - we have to be out of the apartment by the weekend...

Tonight though - it's all about the DnB again baby!!!
Went to the most amazing party on Sunday night - it was the first rave in the favela...
Rochina cast out the Baile Funk for one night and made way for Passion & Schowi - 2 superstar DJs from Germany - to hit the favela with some house, old skool and baltimore bass and boy was it good... I had a great little bop but it was observing the scene that was incredible... the club in Rochina was a three storey open air venue with a swimming pool on the roof - it had the most breathtaking views of the favela under the night sky... Then around 2am the peace was shattered as a black mercedes pulled up outside and the drug lord - at 29 (old in this game) currently the most wanted man in Rio - stepped out flanked by 4 boys with silver plated AKs... as soon as they walked into the club, fireworks went off overhead and the MC announced their presence - it was shocking to witness the extent of influence these people have in the favela.

segunda-feira, 5 de março de 2007

Check the old AfroReggae center in the background

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Rehearsals

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Posing next to some graf in the favela

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So Letitia has now gone and I'm missing my Dandy heaps... We had a great few last days though - we hooked up with my journo friend who is resident at the best Drum n Bass night in town and got down to some wicked DnB on Thursday... met the DnB crew here in Rio and trust me the DJs & MCs are on point... Max & Ritchie arrived on Friday and on Saturday we all went to Vigario Geral - the favela where AfroReggae was born. Had a great day checking in on 3 ofAfroReggae's band rehersals (there is the main band - AfroReggae and many sub groups), eating lunch, touring AfroReggae's new culutral centre and generally meeting the faveladors, who were all really really lovely, the kids especially... Perceptions have to change about the favela - ok as we were walking around there was a constant pop pop of AK47 fire but you know what they had a video shop.

sexta-feira, 2 de março de 2007

A Rio sunset (shot through LSDs sunglasses!)

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So in true Brazilian style I’ve been a bit slack writing my blog recently. It’s not because I haven’t been busy trust, it’s more that I’ve been getting into this Carioca vibe of everything taking time to do. When you’re abroad you realise just how much you take for granted in the UK. I’ve been trying to sort out internet access in my apartment for nearly 3 weeks now but because of Carnival everything shuts down, for weeks… By the time they did get round to it (yesterday) I’d decided it wasn’t worth blowing our limited budget on internet access and I’ve resigned myself to carrying my laptop down to the computer room at least twice a day – good for the old biceps I say!

Sorting out a mobile phone isn’t as easy as you’d think either. It’s not a case of buying a R$20 sim card and putting it in your phone, oh no – you need a code to unbar it, which of course the phone companies can’t help you with out here. What I’d hoped would be a simple job turned into a whole afternoons work. I went from Claro, to Oi, to a little phone shop in Copacabana. When my limited Portuguese wasn’t getting the message across about the problems I was having, the local prostitute, with some understanding of English from her time in Amsterdam, was roped into the discussion. She ended up taking me on a guided tour of the phone shops (local characters and hotels where she entertains) in the area. Suffice to say I’m still using my UK number and the apartment number.

It’s also not easy to find the simplest of things here. Now if you wanted fifty different varieties of shampoo or conditioner, one of the many many pharmacies can help you out. Buying shower gel and face wash is a bit harder. And then there’s the glue. I searched high and low for a bit of Pritt Stick (I need it for my journal ok). When I did find some in a tiny shop on the backstreets I was so happy. You should’ve seen my face though when I went to use it and it was all dried up – I think my bottom lip actually curled over.

On a more positive tip, I do now have an electricity regulator (which you really need out here to save all your batteries as the electricity supply fluctuates constantly) and have done a load of research on equipment prices. Printers and CDRs are about the same price as at home. CDJs are massively more expensive, so if anybody’s got any sitting around not being used, or knows anyone who’d like to donate please do get in touch ;) Letitia and I had a great time walking the rustic streets of Rio for equipment, stopping off for a tasty & cheap lunch with the locals and stumbling across the clothes shops - little summer dresses with wedge heels is my latest new look.


So I’ve obviously been doing a bit of partying as well, checking out the local music scene. I must start with a word of warning, and one that I think is most important and can’t actually believe no-one’s mentioned to me before - they do things a bit differently here in Rio when it comes to clubbing. OK so it might be me being a bit of a dunce / arrogant industry wanka* (*delete as appropriate) but I feel it my duty to report. First let me set the scene. I’ve just stepped off the plane and am a Gringo in a Carioca world. My first night out I’m on the guest list, my second night out I blag VIP entry on the door. My third night out I try the VIP line again; it’s not running this time so Tom & I start to queue. A few minutes later, we’re pulled out of the queue, escorted in through a side door and given a card (a bit like a credit card). We go up to the bar, no-one wants our money and instead all drinks go on the card. A bit of a dance and a few Caipirinhas later Tom & I are having a great time. Around 3am I decide it’s time to call it a night and go home. Thinking we’re all sorted, Tom & I walk out. We’re quickly re-directed by a burly security guard into the kitchen and are joined by four more security. They spend the next 15 minutes talking irately and rifling through Tom’s pockets. I do my best in my broken Portuguese (and a bit of sign language) to calm them down. After a few scary moments thinking “what the hell are we going to do?” I seem to be getting through and they eventually let us leave, having cleared out all the money we had (which incidentally was slightly less than the bill). Please be warned – when you go to a club in Rio, even in a posh area like Leblon, expect to be given a card and expect to pay the amount on the card at the end of the night. Being alone with five security in a kitchen in the middle of the night is not a good look.

(Un)surprisingly, somewhere I felt less threatened was at a Baile Funk party in the favela. Letitia, Tom & I were picked up by MC Gringo, his wife and two DJs from Germany touring South America – Passion & Schowi. After a spot of dinner we headed to Cantalago; a favela sitting between Copacabana & Ipanema. We grabbed a quick beer at a Samba club in the favela and when I say club what I really mean is about 20 people dancing, 10 sitting on plastic chairs, a singer, a drummer, a CD player and 8 speakers stacked on top of each other, all outside in the open night sky. We then hiked the steep climb up into the favela and after about 10 minutes I started to feel the bass hit my stomach.
We turned the corner and there were around 100 faveladors hanging around on the street outside this old warehouse type building. We moved through the crowd and sat on a wall for a few minutes to chill. I was the last person to take a seat and was about to ask this guy next to me, no more than 18 years old, to move along when I checked his AKA47 and a belt of grenades. Ohhkay. I looked around and picked out around 10 young boys all carrying guns of some sort. Although they were prominent and I was wary, I didn’t once feel like something awful was about to happen. The boys – all members of a gang – were there more to police the event than cause trouble and in fact, if you think about it it makes sense. It’s not like you can hire a security firm to work at these favela events and you certainly can’t rely on the police. The gangs don’t want any trouble at events they help to promote, especially if a few foreigners and Rio residents turn up.
Having said that, we moved into the party quite quickly which did feel safer than outside. Inside looked pretty much like any underground UK club – the decks were on a raised platform on one side, there was the usual VIP crew (including us) bubbling behind the decks, the bar was to the left of the decks (where the kiosk where you buy your tickets to buy the drinks also was!), a wall of speakers lay opposite the decks, to the right of them were steps upstairs to a small balcony area (it looked a little bit like Neighbourhood for those who know) and all around people were talking, dancing and getting down. If I’m honest I did feel a bit prang about stepping on someones foot and quickly stopped the brap brap hands in the air dance moves but it didn’t take long for me to really enjoy it. The music was baaaad! The DJ set warmed up the MC nicely, the dance floor was rammed and the vibe was electric. I saw some crazy dance moves, especially from the kids that looked no more than 12 years old and met some really cool people – also bumped into Helen C ex-1Xtra which was random but so good to see her. We bopped, stayed sober and went to bed happy around 5am – it was a great night.

Other than that, Letitia has been poked in her bikini by a Chinese man with a bike in the hotel lift and has been cooking some amazing omelettes. Tom has now gone which means the apartment is tidy, the light stays off in the bathroom (I do have electricity bills you know) and I no longer have hair straighteners to borrow. I’ve also been watching the local news and am no longer walking under buildings because all the awnings in Rio are falling down. We are mostly singing the classic Jungle track “It’s a Warning, warning, warning, warning….”

The last few days I have mostly learnt the words:

Cola – Glue (like what I wanted to buy for my diary)
Arma – Gun (like what I keep seeing everywhere)
Bofetada – Slap (like what Letitia and Tom keep doing to my bum)
Barato – Cheap (as in what I wish the CDJs were)