Dj Wayne [Txiga Pro] & Dj Mika - "Funana di Jovas"

Politics are useless.

Politicians, at best, are odious figures; at worst, they are a mausoleum where cash contributions go to die, safe and sound during a four year hibernation cycle.

Thus, election season is never difficult to notice. Once proper ceremonies conclude, and the suite preparations have been completed, the all important stage of consummation begins. As with any happy matrimony, the scent of salt and brimstone lingers. A slow burn overruns the unsown land, and what could once be described as a scenic view is now a heaping pile of sodomy. Vegetation no longer grows; although this is not the case everywhere. It was the Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr that said, "Politics became a door for injustice and carelessness."

Then again, the Mahdi Army was a significant force in the middle stages of the second Gulf War. And after considering the location of the author's IP address, perhaps it is best not to revere the dissenting side either.

But where institutions fails, art frequently succeeds. Muralism is not the only piece that rests within the domain of the public. Approval ratings for the governing elites may perpetually dwell on the lower rungs of the popularity ladder, but there are some human innovations that can never be entirely despised. Dancing is one such case, and funaná is a formidable facilitator - and neither is ever unwelcome. Sometimes laced with accordion riffs, laced with a thick groove at other moments, the Cape Verdean style is never lethargic. No longer confined to the realm of full band arrangements and analog instruments, funaná proves equally charged in the the electronic spectrum.

Such is the case with the track below: a collaborative effort between the Txiga Produções beat-maker Dj Wayne and independent producer Dj Mika. While Wayne has moved began working with different styles and batida tracks, his inclination has been to go slow. On Mika's front, his prior appearance on these pages came care of a mix of more traditional, group oriented funaná selections. Nonetheless, "Funana di Jovas" is a formidable effort released just last week. Of immediate note is the pair's decision to rely on an electric guitar for the primary melody; creating a pleasant breeze in the process. Scraper and chains provide supportive percussion at different points during the song, but the rhythmic star is Wayne and Mika's use of hi-hat. The beat is built around a kick/snare combination, as might be expected, but it is the subtle hitch on the 4th beat, as well as its role in the first interlude, that merits attention. With only one section proper, the structure of the song is still of interest. In addition to a short introduction, "Funana di Jovas" is A-interlude-B-A with with additional loops at the end and an outro. Although the interlude is the same length as the introduction, once the synth heavy B section begins, the final cut is graced with a needle pull before marching forward. Well worth the download.

Frankly, the author will likely never express negative sentiments towards any number in this style, giving rise to the idea of national funaná parties over their political counterparts.

- John Noggle