Curyman II

“A Revolta Dos Malês” provides a retelling of the largest slave revolt in Brazilian history. Backed by tribal percussion and a sage flute, Rogê is accompanied by a chorus of female singers and husky drummer Stephane San Juan who onomatopoeically lead the triumph of the slaves who rebelled against the imposition of Catholicism in 1835. Rogê's music is influenced by the Afro-Brazilian communities. and, more broadly, it is because of their struggle that the faith, culture and music of Candomblé and Islam are still prominent in Brazil today. “Rio De Janeiro e Janeiro” (with horns by Leon Michels and Dave Guy of the Menahan Street Band) lists the indigenous names of several places in Rio that sound beautiful when pronounced: “Glória, Urca, Paquetá/Vista Alegre, Humaitá/Ipanema , Arpo /Ramos, Jacarepaguá”—a testament to the beauty of the Brazilian Portuguese.

There are also moments of clarity jingaor the free Brazilian spirit, in Curyman II. The keyboard “O Topo Do Coqueiro” evokes the cobbled sidewalks of Lapa and the sunny boardwalk of Ipanema, while “A Força” declares the power of love (what else?) and salutes the central deities of Candomblé. Chord compositions everywhere Curyman II The composition and orchestration was done by one of the last living offspring of bossa nova and Brazilian jazz, Arthur Verocai. This is not their first collaboration. Verocai also wrote the string arrangements for the former Curyman album. And last year, on the first US tour of Verocai's self-titled 1972 classic crate-digger, Rogê was at the composer's side, playing acoustic guitar and singing along with a 30-piece orchestra. It's heartening to see such an important artist play a key role in Rogê's outreach to new audiences, and it marks another important aspect of the legacy that Rogê is a part of—a resilient and diverse legacy that he carried with him from the corner clubs in Rio , and one that illuminates all corners of his work as a solo artist today.