Trio Mocotó

Brazil's Trio Mocotó helped to create and define the style known as "samba soul" (or "samba rock" as it's widely known in Brazil) during the late 1960s and early ''70s in Rio and São Paulo, a period greatly influenced by the American Black Power movement.  They first gained notoriety as the backing band for Jorge Ben in 1969 helping the great Brazilian singer/songwriter move in a funk-influenced direction. In 1971, the trio made its first album and had a smash hit with the single "Coqueiro Verde."  Two other albums followed – the last one in 1975.  All three are now collectors items and can usually be found in the hands of the dance world's most adroit DJs.  

Even after splitting up in 1975, the three members of Trio Mocotó kept in touch, and would talk occasionally about doing another record.  Finally, the revival of interest in '70s music and  enthusiasm from DJs around the world convinced them it was time to get back together. Samba Rock is a cheerful, freewheeling return to those heady days in the early '70s when diverse American styles like soul, R&B, rock, and jazz collided with the rich traditions of Brazilian samba, tropicalismo, and bossa nova. All three original members are back – vocalist/drummer João Parahyba (who in the interim has been especially involved in Brazil's modern dance/rock scene, having worked with the acclaimed producer Suba on São Paulo Confessions and played on Bebel Gilberto's global hit Tanto Tempo), vocalist/percussionist Nereu Gargalo and vocalist/guitarist Luiz Carlos Fritz.  Even the instrumentation looks back to that time (when's the last time you heard a minimoog?).  But Trio Mocotó has not put together a musical time capsule; the new album offers a fresh take on the style they helped to form, adding subtle elements of electronics and tape effects, with occasional nods to modern dance and world music. 

Trio Mocotó's energetic vocals, the sly double entendres ("Mocotó" is a slang word that the group used to refer to the bare legs of the mini-skirted girls who danced to their music in the clubs of São Paulo), and the restrained sensuality sound as fresh now as they did thirty years ago.   Some songs, like the opening "Voltei Amor," have the gentle acoustic texture and subtly insistent percussion of Brazilian samba.  But listen closely and you'll hear the blips and twitters of modern electronica and some discreet processing and sampling of vocals.  Even Jorge Ben's song "Adelita," with its classic-sounding mix of jazzy guitar and horns, its samba rhythms and party-style vocals, gets a kick start from a contemporary rock beat. 

The group sticks close to the sound that initially made them famous on "Pensando Nela," a lyrical, charming ballad and the instrumental "Mocotó Beat."  The vibes and Fender-Rhodes piano adds some old-fashioned Brazilian/jazz touches to some of the album's tastiest tracks. 

Some of the songs on Samba Rock like "Tudo Bem," sport R&B-inflected horns married to samba beats.  The instantly recognizable Jobim tune "Águas De Março," is an instrumental track featuring the sounds of one of the most traditional Brazilian instruments, the cuíca.   Basically a small hand-held drum with a wire running through the middle of the drumhead, the cuíca has a curious whooping, almost bird-like sound.  It is often used as a sound effect, but here, in the hands of Trio Mocotó's Fritz, it actually plays the melody.