Edu K Interview

Inizialmente un fenomeno locale, il Baile Funk è approdato in Europa soprattutto grazie all'intento divulgativo di djs come il berlinese Daniel Haaksman, assumendo pian piano un significato differente da come lo intendono i brasiliani. Un po' ovunque si tende a considerarlo come la versione carioca del bassone di Miami. I media brasiliani tendono a definirlo come il funk di Rio De Janeiro. Diventato in parte famoso per una delle sue diramazioni (il Proibidão, attraverso cui si soleva celebrare i signori della droga delle favelas... detenere un cd di questa branca a Rio comportava l'arresto...), il baile funk venne diffuso principalmente in grosse feste di strada nei sobborghi di Rio, a qualcuna delle quali si è stimata una partecipazione di oltre 200.000 persone, in cui spesso avvenivano vere e proprie tenzoni fra clan rivali (qualcuno ricorda che in alcuni locali in cui si tenevano questo genere di "feste", qualche morto scappava, e in segno di vittoria il clan vittorioso imbrattava di sangue le mura). Fortunatamente la violenza a cui si associava il Baile Funk è andata scemando e anzi è diventato il veicolo di denuncia delle pecche del governo brasiliano per la noncuranza dei problemi delle favelas. Molto spesso le liriche contengono riferimenti più che espliciti al sesso, tanto da attrarre gradualmente -anche per questa ragione- l'attenzione dei turisti. Il simpatico Edu K, esponente molto popolare a Rio, non si esime certo dall'escludere questi riferimenti. Il suo Miami Rock 2000 fu considerato il manifesto del Baile Funk. Adoggi, ritorna sotto i riflettori del mondo con Frénetiko con un intento: quello di porre le basi per un nuovo correntone: il Baile Punk. Ci sarà riuscito? A voi l'ardua sentenza. Frattanto vi proponiamo una chiacchierata con l'autore della mitica Popozuda Rock'n'Roll. Edu K "Frenétiko" (Man Recordings, Distr.Audioglobe) 01.Intro 02.Funkeiro C.B. 03.Sex-O-Matic 04.Faz (Que Eu Gosto) 05.Frenétiko 06.Quero Ser Ator Porno 07.Hot Mama 08.Sexy 09.Bundalele 10.Bambambam 11.Gatas Gatas Gatas 12.Da Punk Funk 13.Popozuda Rock'n'Roll BONUS TRACKS 14.Sex-O-Matic (Reggaeton remix) 15.Popozuda Rock'n'Roll (Reggaeton Remix)

Hi there. How r u? Heeey, I'm really fine, havin' da time of my life now my album is comin' out all over the world... probably my oldest dream come true!

You're very famous in Brasil, but almost unknown to Italian audience. So introduce yourself... Well, I've been fuckin' around with music since I was 10 years old... right in da disco era, when I was a lil' Tony Manero street punk n' I've played with this post punk band, Defalla, for 20 years, messin' with all kinds of music styles in a mix as wide as wide as samba+ hip-hop+ thrash metal n' punk, hehehe... a lil' messy y'see, hehehe - n I'm a producer as well... producin' all types o' shit, from brasilian pop rock bands 2 heavy metal remixes for Baile Funk queen, Deize Tigrona. I've been partyin' a lot n' raisin' all kinds o' hell all these years n' am known for my wild stage show n' da hole in my pockets since, I never really had a huge hit record in Brasil ( besides Popozuda, of course)... I was 2 busy havin a ball, heheh!

Some musical critics argues that the tracks of your album are too simplicistic to be considered really revolutionary as well as quite monotonal... What's your answer to them? First of all, I don't intend 2 be revolutionary : I think all revolution the world could take by now has already happened ? I really think it's gonna take a lil' time before sumthin' really new n' revolutionary appears in the horizon ? as far as I'm concerned, we're still livin' in an 80's oriented world ( as Chuck D. sez " Cycles, cycles, life runs in cycles"), music n ' fashion wise : all that's new right now is some kinda different blend of stuff that's been around before! About my music beein' 2 simplistic, well, that IS a fact, hehehe : my shit is totally stripped 2 the bone, y'know, in a punk/d.i.y. way ? what really matters 2 me is makin' kick ass party music n' nuthin' else!

Sexadelia, funkadelia and a touch of punk seems to be almost a constant to some punkey bands of south and central america. Very few of them reached a certain notriety in Europe. One of them has been Manos Arriba. Even if in a certain sense, you propose some stereotypes of your land which are well radicated in some sextourists... What's your idea about this vision?? I don't know?I think latin people fit well in that whole sensual/sexual stereotype ? I think it has a lot 2 do with the heavy tropical climate, the laid back vibe, the rhythm n' of course, THE WOMEN ? at least in my case, hehehe! But, in terms of lyrical imagery, I dig deep in the good ol' days of old school NYC hip-hop, Miami bass n of course, dancehall so, it's all about sex, havin' a good time n' a lotta rock'n'roll debauchery!

Who's the sampled Tarzan in Quero Ser Ator Porno? Hheheeheheheheh, that's me, huahuahuahauhuahau!!!!!!!!! Me, myself n' I!

Edu K... like Edu-Kinesthesie? Hehheheeh?well, the K stands for a Brasilian expression that means cock as well as kool, hehehe!

What about your experience in Defalla? It was great! We traveled a lot, partied a lot, messed with peoples minds a lot , hehehe n' it was a whole lotta fun! We've been the first ones 2 mix hip-hop n rock in Brasil n' the first ones 2 use a sampler in a recording as well ? we opened the path for a whole generation of Brasilian rock'n'rollers n' we released crazy ass albums that really never sold that well but, we didn't even care ? we were havin' the time of our lives makin' music as freewheelin' as possible.

Popozuda Rock'n'Roll became famous for having been the spottrack by German division of Coca-Cola... How did that track reached Coca Cola advertisers? I think they got a hold of the track by Daniel Haaksman's (Man Recordings main man) Favela Booty Beats compilation, which featured Popozuda! So, I think he's the responsible for that, heheh!

How did you meet Deize ? Well, there's this friend of mine, Denise Garcia, who made this really kool movie about Rio Baile funk girls, "I'm Ugly But I'm Trendy" n' I was totally blown away by the star of the movie which happened 2 be Deize Tigrona so, she introduced me 2 her n' we clicked right away! Deize wanted 2 do some different type of tracks other than Baile funk n' so, I did a hard-rock remix for her "Injeção" track, for starters ? the one which inspired M.I.A.'s "Bucky Done Gun". N' now we're workin' on an idea for a Man Recordings Deize album 2 be produced by me!

We've seen an old picture... Hooo that crest!!! You, criminal, why did you cut it????? Hheheheeheheheh! Ye, that's some craaaazee shit, huh? Hheheheeh! I've been thru all kinds of shit with my hair style n' clothes, hehehe ? I can't stand still!

It was 1984! What did it change in the meanwhile in your viewpoint on mankind, art, music and so on? Well, I think a lot of the naivete went down the drain, which I think is a shame n' the whole industry has grown a whole lot 2 ? which is good n' bad at the same time ? nowadays it's all about the benjamins, innit anyways? Heheheh! I miss a lot of the rawness n' "I don't give a fuck" attitude I think we had back then! But at the same time, with the internet n' shit, now it's possible 4 you 2 make music right at your bedroom, right next 2 yer bed, hehee, n' splash it all around the world, which is my case! That's fuckin cool, I guess!

We know you used to get freaky while performing. Are you thinking any new suite for nexterious live-shows? You mean visually? Well, I don't know? Anything can happen when it comes 2 me, heheh! But now tha style is mo street/hip-hop oriented.

Any jump on Italian show set??? We're planin' an 2006 European summer tour so, who knows? I would love 2 go partyin' with some bootylicious Italian popozudas, allright, heheeh!