Nomade Orquestra came together in São Paulo in the year 2012, though they
could just as easily have emerged fully formed into our world from a mystical
land where spaced out jazz soundtracks daily life and the passing of time is
rhythm and groove… such is their elusive, ethereal yet highly accomplished and
deeply funky otherness.
The time is ripe for ten of the most talented and daring musicians working in
Brazil today to deliver their fully formed debut. Effortlessly weaving through
the disparate sounds of Brazil’s diverse musical diaspora, the group describe
themselves and their shared project as ‘the point where different musical
expressions and strands meet and interact in a unique way.’ From funk and soul
to Afrobeat, Ethio-grooves, dub and hip hop, their sound remains firmly anchored
in the world of jazz while taking off to the cosmic stratosphere and
incorporating electronic elements, alongside traditional Brazilian styles along
the way.
In line with the bands’ musical and spiritual influences, adopted from age old lineages of the global east, the album’s opening track ‘Samurai’ kicks off the psychedelic party with the strike of a gong. Dreamlike synths, Marcos Mauricio’s arresting piano and André Calixto’s beautifully expressive Tenor saxophone shed the first light on this enchanting incarnation of global roots music. ‘Sonhos de Tokyo’s hypnotic grooving bassline is complimented with psychedelic guitar riffs and ominous synth washes, building a sound both tranquil and unsettling. Bobby Mcferrin makes an appearance in spirit on ‘Bedum’, possibly the album’s most directly expressive track. ‘Morning Birds’, features the talents of Otis Trio’s Beto Montag, who brings his deft Marimba playing to the party for an Afrobeat-tinged beauty that further highlights the varied and deep roots of Nomade’s musical influences.