Focus On Olodum - Salvador Bahia

Edited by Azizi Powell

Madagascar Olodum



matteosedda, Uploaded on Mar 24, 2011

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This post focuses on the Brazilian group Olodum. Here's some information about that group from its YouTube bio page:
"Olodum is a cultural activism group created with the objectives of fighting racial discrimination and socioeconomic inequality. They have recorded ten LPs/CDs and have worked with Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Cliff, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, and Spike Lee. The group draws 4,000 people to parade in the bloco (which has about 200 musicians) at Salvador BA carnival, gives lectures on social and political issues, and publishes a monthly news journal, Bantu Nagô. The group also runs a factory for clothes and musical instruments sold to the public and a school for Salvador's poor children.

Olodum was created in Salvador, BA, in April 25, 1979. Olodum takes its name from the Yoruba deity Olodumaré ("God of Gods," in Yoruba language). Originally a bloco afro (a Bahian Carnival association devoted to research and the celebratation of black culture), the group drew 800 people to the streets in their first Carnival (1980). In the next year, they already had 2,000 affiliates. In 1983, the group constituted the Grupo Cultural Olodum. Neguinho do Samba joined the group that year as mestre (master) and is the figure responsible for the winning combination of samba and reggae that characterizes the group's musical approach. In 1984, Olodum was acknowledged as a state public utility organization, had 3,000 people parading in their bloco, was featured in the documentary Carnival Bahia. In 1987, their first LP, Egito, Madagascar, made a hit with "Faraó," by Luciano Gomes dos Santos, and sold more than 50,000 copies. Two years later, the group did their first performances in Europe and, in the next year, played again in Europe and in Japan, Argentina, and Chile."

FEATURED VIDEOS

Video #1: Madagascar Olodum

This video is placed at the top of this post.

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Video #2: Olodum Salvador Bahia HD



Uploaded by MrRonny63 on Feb 12, 2011
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Here are four English language comments from that viewer comment thread:
"michael jackson's song THAY DON'T CARE ABOUT US !! :)"
-BIRDANGAL; December 2012

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"@BIRDANGAL actually, it's one of the original beats created by the "olodum movement" that was born in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. And no, the beat from MJ song is different, if you listen carefully. Check "Paul Simon Obvious Child" (that was released in 1990, meaning 15 years earlier than MJs) and there you will find this exact beat!"
-MrBrunoLKSl, December 2012

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"Has nearly the same ritm as paul simon the obvious child. Very nice done. Nice hd video too. super! Greetings from holland."
-ghj9018 February 2012

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"@ghj9018 Paul Simon borrowed the rythm from Olodum, actually, and it was Olodum that did the percussion for the song to which you are referring. They are awesome!"
-quackzinho ; February 2012

[Editor: Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y11yMCnhxZE for a sound file of Paul Simon's "The Obvious Child".]

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Video #3: Michael Jackson - They Don't Care About Us



Uploaded by michaeljacksonVEVO on Oct 2, 2009

Music video by Michael Jackson performing They Don't Care About Us. (C) 1996 MJJ Productions Inc.

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Video #4: Batucadas do olodum (BAHIA,SALVADOR)



Uploaded by MyRockpower on Sep 3, 2009
-snip-
Here's information about the meaning of the Portuguese word "batucada" from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batucada:

"Batucada is a substyle of samba and refers to an African influenced Brazilian percussive style, usually performed by an ensemble, known as a Bateria. Batucada is characterized by its repetitive style and fast pace"

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Video #5: OLODUM CARNAVAL 2011 - RITOS DOGONS



Uploaded by marlinh0 on Oct 19, 2011

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Video #6: Olodum / Requebra



Uploaded by denisvick on Jun 11, 2011

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Video #7: Olodum - Oh Berimbau!



Uploaded by maxten on Mar 2, 2009

Oh berimbau
pedaço de arame pedaço de pau
juntou com a cabaça virou berimbau
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berimbau:
"The berimbau... Brazilian Portuguese... is a single-string percussion instrument, a musical bow, from Brazil. The berimbau's origins are not entirely clear, but there is not much doubt about its African origin, as no Indigenous Brazilian or European people use musical bows, and very similar instruments are played in the southern parts of Africa. The berimbau was eventually incorporated into the practice of the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira, where it commands how the capoeiristas move in the roda."

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