Arnaldo Antunes
Brazilian Rock & Pop

Saiba
(2004)
 

Tribalistas (CD)

Tribalistas (DVD)

Imagine Joni Mitchell joined forces with David Byrne and Outkasts' Andre 3000 and they all made a CD together. What do you get? A supergroup, for sure. And a real eclectic one. That's exactly what The Tribalistas are, an eclectic supergroup made of three of the current main forces in modern MPB-pop: reigning diva Marisa Monte, Bahia funkmeister Carlinhos Brown and avant-garde poet-rocker Arnaldo Antunes. The resulting CD reaped huge rewards - registering top sales and scooping most awards it had been nominated for - with its perky, playful stance. All three artists seem to be having loads of fun on simple tracks that beautifully integrate each member's qualities and characteristics. The poppish mega-hit "Já Sei Namorar" (watch for a chorus that bears more than a slight resemblance to Sly and The Family Stone's "Family Affair") and the manifesto "Tribalistas" ("The Tribalistas don't want to be right/ don't want to be sure/ have neither reason nor religion / don't get involved in gossip, doctrines or arguments") are great examples of how Arnaldo's wordplay, Marisa's classically trained voice and Carlinhos's up-to-the-minute pop sensibilities combine really well and form a very specific musical entity. An actual family affair is concocted for the lullaby  "Anjo da Guarda", which features the voice of Dora Buarque de Hollanda - Brown's daughter and MPB giant Chico Buarque's granddaughter. --J. Emilio Rondeau