Boogarins and Mdou Moctar join forces while breaking barriers with their music

BOOGARINS

Boogarins are a band from Goiânia, Brazil. The band was founded by Benke Ferraz and Dinho Almeida. After going through various lineup changes, the last and final additions to group were band members, Raphael Vaz and Ynaiã Bentrholdo. While Brazil is mostly known for tropical upbeat music from artists such as Jorge Ben Jor, Boogarins have become ambassadors of the current Alternative Psychedelia scene.

 The band released their first album, As Plantas Que Curam (The Healing Plants) in 2013. Their debut was followed by Manual ou Guia Livre de Dissolução dos Sonhos (Free Dream Dissolution Manual or Guide) in 2015 and continued to release a new album every two years.

Sombrou Dúvida (Shadow or Death) is their most recent album released on May 2019. It is easy to tell that on this album that the band is feeling even more comfortable in the studio and feel confident pushing their experimentation further.  Sombrou Dúvida lyrics feature dark imagery about desperation and angst seen through a lens of hope. Perhaps, this theme could be a reflection of their country’s current state.

At their show at Nashville’s Mercy Lounge, Boogarins played set that showcased all of their discography. The band sounded great live with Ynaiã driving the band with his steady drumming, Raphael filling the low end by alternating full synthesizes and bass, Benke following the rhythm with his psychedelic guitar riffs, and Dinho singing with his infectious melodies.

MDOU MOCTAR

Mdou Moctar is a musician from Agadez, Niger. He incorporates traditional Tuareg music in his style of guitar playing which he is bringing to an international audience. He gained his notoriety in his local music scene by trading music through memory cards and cellphones in Western Africa.

Both Boogarins and Mdou Moctar reminded their audience that music transcends language barriers. Even though the audience members may have not understood the artist’s lyrics, they could understand the intensity and emotions in their songs.

Coverage by Jorge Sierra

Images may not be used, modified, or cropped without permission from Jorge Sierra or SoundBite Magazine. Please contact SoundBite Magazine for use of photography.

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