Quem Somos

“Percussion, minimal instrumental accompaniment, vocal chants, improvisations and ambient sounds are layered to create a musical tapestry which is primordial, ritualistic, bold and dramatic in nature. Polyphonic choirs congregate with global shaman to unleash the magical power of words and the hypnotic qualities of drums. The ceremonies begin, spirits evoked, the creator appeased and finally the world is brought back from an apocalyptic brink.

Sounding similar to a Philip Glass opera, the overall feel is one of a performance soundtrack to a contemporary dance piece perhaps, no surprise, given Mawaca’s sell out theatrical stage shows. For “Rupestres Sonoros”, their sixth studio album, they stay closer to their Sao Paulo home and gather songs and stories of the Kaxinawa, Surui, Gavião and the Wari people of Amazonia.

Voices are used to create rhythm, singing in ancient languages with the addition of vocal improvisations, inspired by the rock carvings from Brazil’s archeological heritage. The “testimonies in stone that make us reflect on our human condition”, cites Magda Pucci, the group’s musical director and arranger, who successfully demonstrates that metaphysical questions remain the same irrespective of our time or place on the earth. ‘Tamota Moriore / Kokiriko no Bushi’ explores commonality between both Japanese and Brazilian customs. ‘Waiko Koman’ is the sound of chaos, the explosion that created the earth, knowledge held by the Suruí Meticulous research and a desire to pay homage to the indigenous people, sees Marlui Miranda lending her support with a vocal solo on ‘Matsã Kawa’. In addition to the music, there’s plenty to explore with the accompanying forty page illustrated booklet detailing musicians, the lyrics and background to each song plus references to the numerous field recordings and academic texts. Currently written in Portuguese this may change with a full international release”.