Diplo/Mad Decent goes to Brazil

Diplo is best known to me for his Spank Rock, Amanda Blank and Santigold work, and of course his Major Lazer project with UK bloke and Sinden compadre, Switch.

But, I never knew of Diplo's love affair with Brazilian baile funk. Back in 2004, he released Favela on Blast: Rio Baile Funk 2004 and Favela Strikes Back, and in 2006 he launched his record label, Mad Decent, signing Brazilian baile funk group, Bonde do Role.

Below are some teasers of Diplo's film on the baile funk scene. To a novice like me it looks like the Brazilian version of the Jamaican dancehall scene!


Favela on Blast intro (USA version with Diplo's voice) from Leandro HBL on Vimeo.


Favela On Blast - Official Trailer from Mad Decent on Vimeo.

B-Boy 2.0

What has Darmouth College, one of the 46 Ivy League colleges in the US, got to do with hip hop? Well, I discovered that The Hopkins Center gave Bruno Beltrão's "Grupo de Rua" its U.S. premiere.

Before I read that the UK's "The Guardian" newspaper described the show as “Raw 21st-century expression... Extraordinarily brilliant," I went to see the show at Redcat (thanks Sam) and was taken by the Brazilian choreographer's interpretation and metamorphsis of b-boying.

The video below shows elements of breakdance, popping, locking and crunk, yet never conforms with the most established forms of these street dances. No, with Grupo de Rua, Bruno Beltrão and his nine-member troupe deconstruct the typical "one-on-one battles" and synchronized crew routines to create the latest in the H-Series, H3.

"Unlike other choreographers, Bruno Beltrão does not seek to transpose the street to the stage, but to enrich hip hop with the infinite possibilities of choreography." Isabelle Poulin

Learn more about Beltrão and Grupo de Rua here.