Black$ea Não Maya Vs Txiga Produções - "AfroBatukada"

Being prolific is an advantage in and of itself. As mentioned here before, God loves a working man. But the ability to churn out a large amount of product indicates neither adoration nor adulation. Consider 1970s sitcom The Brady Bunch. With a straightforward, albeit unlikely, premise a super-family is created by two newly single parents. Both adults happen to have three children of their own, and by way of a second marriage create a new household. Five seasons and four decades later the cultural impact of the television program continues to reverberate in the American psyche. But while the Bunch's five seasons are no outlier - Leave it to Beaver and Sanford and Son boast six each - its total number of episodes is; the aforementioned showcase 200+ and 135 episodes respectively. On a per episode rate basis, then, it appears that the Brady Bunch was much more effective in buying good will from the viewing public. Quantity v. quality.

Like the Brady Bunch, Black$ea Não Maya too does the most with what little they release. Since dropping the excellent "mix batidas do guetto" in July, BNM has only one original song to their name. And that song too - a kuduro called "Voçê é feia" - was quite good. As a matter of fact, BNM has only three short form credits to their name in the past three months. But like the second act of a screenplay, the plot thickens. Now, Noronha, Perigoso, and Kolt, appear to preside over an ever expanding household; like the fictional television family of yore. The latest addition to the extended family, which includes Produtor Big Vado and Dj Locks among others, is non-other than the Oreias outfit Txiga Produções.

"AfroBatukada" is a composition marked by surprises, beginning with the foundational rhythm. Eight single beats mark the beginning of the track. What follows is a staple of the BNM sound: the fast-tempo. But while the miscellaneous syncopation is not new the beat is, unexpectedly ending with an drum fill. When coupled with the brief string and cymbal ambient sounds, a sense of suspense is created. What will follows are call-and-response vocals (one higher pitched, one lower pitched) completing the rhythm section. Unlike the joint BNM-DDPR release, "AfroBatukada" is not a single, joint effort. Instead, it resembles more the CDM-Txiga collaboration from earlier this week. Each collective takes authorship over their own section. The sum of their parts makes up the whole. BNM is first, expanding the synth to two-bars with introducing a batida rhythm. Second is Txiga, marking its entrance with a scream. Digital drums are brought into the mix and the beat takes a turn back towards batuca. The higher pitched vocals sample become shorter and more frequent. Ultimately the foundational rhythm returns, as does the lower pitched vocals. Impressively, the order works to the song's benefit, facilitating the steadily increasing energy. Another quality release.

- John Noggle