Nomade Orquestra | 2014

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.

Album closer ‘Garuda’ finds Nomade Orchestra in a more contemplative, mood. Bringing together soaring Chinese flutes, Hawaiian style fuzz guitar, snake charming saxophone and some world class Oud playing from guest musician Luciano Sallun, the track is a spiritual wonder. It is a fitting conclusion to a highly sensory journey that recalls the mystical jazz musings of Herbie Hancock and Pharoah Sanders while sounding like the Brazilian take on Taoism. Making music like none other in Brazil, or indeed the world, Nomade Orquestra lead the way.

Entre Mundos | 2017

Nomade Orquestra return from the stratosphere via Brazil with their second offering: EntreMundos (Between Worlds). Gazing outward through a kaleidoscope from the heart of São Paulo’s jazz scene, the collective consciousness of the ten-man orquestra has dreamt up an adventurous amalgam of earth’s most far reaching musical cultures. Recorded at Red Bull Studios, Sao Paulo, EntreMundos is like a cosmic musical playground where Ethio-jazz, Indian classical and Oriental sounds dance around Afro-Brazilian roots rhythms and Northern hemisphere jazz, funk, soul, library music and hip-hop influences. The sheer vastness of the album is astounding, Nomade Orquestra have quite literally conquered the world in sound.

Nomade Orquestra are some the most accomplished musicians in their city. They’re also avid record collectors, citing the coming-together of their expansive musical knowledges as key to their unique sound.

Album opener ‘Jardim de Zaira’ – a tribute to the neighbourhood on the outskirts of the famous ABC region, where the band meet and rehearse – hosts a playful unison of vibraphone, guitar, horns and keyboards reminiscent of Stereolab’s funkiest late ‘90s output. ‘Felag Mengu’ lies somewhere between the groovy, brooding ethio-jazz of Mulatu Astatke and Tinariwen’s hazy desert Rock, and ‘Olho do Tempo’ is another enchanting incarnation of the band’s impossible to define brand of global roots music. The album’s wildest moment comes from the roaring off-road, big-band joy-ride ‘Rinoceronte Blues’ with hill-billy harmonica, soulful organ stabs and soaring horn arrangements further highlighting the depths of Nomade Orquestra’s endless span of influences.

With Gilles Peterson singing their praise and rave reviews from the likes of Wax Poetics, Record Collector and Songlines, last year, Nomade Orquestra’s self-titled debut album launched them from humble beginnings to international recognition.

Vox Populi / Vox Machina vol 1 | 2019

A quartet that has since swollen into a decet from their beginnings in 2012, Brazilian band Nomade Orquestra musicians pride themselves on stretching far and beyond their jazz roots to create a sound that’s hard to pinpoint, but inclusive of various cultures across the world. Last year they released two LPs, Vox Populi Vol 1 (released on 14^th June 2019) and Vox Machina Vol 1 (put out on 25^th October 2019).

Both LPs contain eight tracks, and whilst the main difference between the pair is that Vox Populi contains vocalists, it would be inaccurate to say that Vox Machina is a completely instrumental version of its counterpart. Instead, both albums can be thought of as two alternative realities, connecting pairs of songs that share melody lines applied differently in terms of pitch, timbre or tempo.

Russo  Passapusso (Baiana System), Juçara Marçal (Metá Metá), Siba (Mestre Ambrósio) and Edgar (O Novissimo Edgar) feature throughout Vox Populi, each playing different characters that help direct the musical narratives being told to the audiences. Opening with Edgar in “Ocidentes Acontecem”, you feel like you are being introduced to a twisted circus. Russo has a gravel-like quality to his voice as he raps in the aptly titled “Agente Russo”: as if he is warning us of something imminent.

In contrast, Juçara plays a more mediating role as she plays to her strengths in “Eró Iroko” and “Poeta Penso”. In the latter, the closing track, she progresses from soft coos to staccato interjections that play through the song’s ending syncopated rhythms to reach a satisfying conclusion, perfect for a summer’s sunset.

In Vox Machina, the absence of vocals means it’s much easier to get lost in the music, as the musicians have fewer constraints to limit their freedoms. For instance, when comparing “Constante Mesmice” with “Bepolar” – the most recognisable pair across the tracklists – the latter takes a more wild, freeform jazz turn in the middle of the song that is more gratifying in isolation.

“Agente Laranja” feels riddled with paranoia and bewilderment as the brass, woodwind and bass sections clash. There are some conventional moments such as “Segundo Instante”, in which the Orquestra wanders into bluesy territory, or the swan song “Horizonte Manso”, but the musical freedom can sometimes impede on potential catharsis as a listener, leaving you more intrigued rather than enamoured by what you’re hearing.

If you’re looking for something more accessible and easier to sink into, Vox Populi is the one for you. If, however, you need to be let loose, then delve into the beautiful chaos that is Vox Machina. Either way, nothing can take away from Nomade Orquestra’s ability to continue challenging themselves and diversifying their output.

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