Old-school funk beat
The accelerated beats of the mixes performed by DJs echo throughout the warehouse. It's the signal for the dance to begin. Funk began to take shape in the United States in the 1960s, as a crossover of soul, jazz and blues. But Rio created its own funk, with many references to black music and with lyrics that portray the everyday life and culture of Rio's favelas and outskirts.
Photo: Monique Cabral - Carnival in Cinelândia - 2008 - Agência Tyba
Image description: This is a photograph of people dancing funk in Cinelândia during the street carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in February 2008. In the image, several people are dancing together, with a central figure standing out, wearing black and white underwear with the text "NOMADIC" visible. Around them, other people, including a woman in denim shorts and a black top, are actively taking part in the dancing. The spatial arrangement shows the dancers close to one another, creating a vibrant and lively scene typical of carnival.The melody of this funk is always very simple and uses just one chord to create the harmony. It's marked by the strong rhythm of the electric bass and the drums in the background. However, you can't talk about funk without understanding the importance of the sampler. Sampling is the art of extracting a piece of a musical composition from a recording and using it to build a new song.
Photo: Renata Mello - Funk dancer - Agência Tyba
Image description: This is a photograph of a funk dancer named Tatiana Ferreira, identified by the phone number 99631208, in Rio de Janeiro, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The image shows Tatiana's back, with her curly hair and a tattoo on her spine. She is wearing a two-strap top and jeans. The background is dark, with colorful lights and abstract shapes, suggesting a nighttime or party setting.Using this technique, DJs create mashups, mixes, and concepts based on old hits. Over time, the original funk beat was altered, giving rise to a new sound: the "pancadão" or "tamborzão." Legend has it that this beat was inspired by the drums of umbanda and candomblé.
Oscar Cabral - Castelo das Pedras - Tyba Agency
Image description: This is a photograph of a funk dance party in Castelo das Pedras, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The image shows a crowd of people dancing in an environment lit by stage lights and smoke effects. The people are in motion, with some raising their arms and others dancing together. The background is dark, highlighting the stage lighting and smoke effects that create a festive atmosphere.What is certain is that the new style soon won over audiences. Rival crews faced off in competitions for the best sound system and the best DJ. Spontaneously, without any advertising on radio or television channels, funk broke out beyond the limits of the clubs on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, took over the streets and the city's South Zone, and set the whole country moving to its heavy beat. In 2008, a state law granted funk recognition as a cultural movement, and in 2009, the state law that had created stricter rules for holding baile parties was repealed.
