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EYE-POPPING GROOVE WITH SARAVAH SOUL

Forget Elvis Presley - It's the disco Movement that lives on!

I'm not talking about R&B and Soul revivals on the dancefloor, nor glitterballs (which you can find in any old nightclub anyhow). And I'm not talking about Samuel L. Jackson playing Shaft on the silver screen, or Jackie Brown with its seventies jive-soul soundtrack. I'm just talking about some fresh blood here. People who, with immesnse talent, are bringing all of this musical baggage (excluding Elvis, of course), bang up to date.

Saravah Soul is a new band whose greatest asset is the ability to create music that transcends its R&B infl uences. The eight-piece group have an incredible aptitude for mixing the swing of James Brown with the cream of Brasilian regional music, such as Maracatu, Coco, and the Mangrove Beat movement as a whole. It's incredible how a drum beat here and a cuíca or agogô there go so well with brass instruments like trombones, trumpets and saxophones.

This melting pot is never gratuitous, although the musical styles are all very eclectic. The song Oil is thicker than blood, for example, is very reminiscent of James Brown, whilst Arroz com Feijão sounds like Caetano Veloso and It's doing my head has a hint of Jorge Ben Jor to it (the last two artists, if you didn't know, are highly respected in Brasil).

Check out their MySpace page (myspace.com/saravahsoul) to listen to their songs, which are available to download. Não posso te levar a sério (Tru-Thoughts) is the name of the debut album of the band, which is half British half Brasilian. The songs are lively, and you'll soon find yourself tapping your feet to them. What's more, the lyrics (some of which are sang in Portuguese) are intelligent, and if listening to Saravah Soul with your headphones or on the dance floor gets you going, then their live show will blow you away. Otto Nascarella, the lead vocalist, has a seemingly limitless energy and is an incredible breakdancer.JD


Words: Mariana Landau | Picture: Claudio Soriano