Village Voice: "Joyous, revelatory, and socially aware"
Jul 15, 2008 08:00 PM
CAROL COOPER
When Gilberto Gil first recorded "Maracatú Atómico" in the early '70s, could he foresee how U.S. drummer Scott Kettner and his Nation Beat combo would embrace that same Afro-Brazilian rhythm three decades later? Like a multi-cultural dream, Nation Beat's new Legends of the Preacher floats Liliana Araujo's bold contralto over a synergistic blend of bluegrass," jazz-funeral" riffs, and Pernambucan carnival percussion—plus melodies influenced by Iberia's exiled Jews and Moors—into something joyous, revelatory, and socially aware. The band’s equally revolutionary label Modiba Records will donate 10% of proceeds from Legends to support the community work of Corpos Percussivos in Brazil. With Klezmatics.