Lucas Santtana

The African beat has always been essential to Brazil’s music. But now the new generation of musicians, singers and rappers are tweaking the basics of Fela’s funk to fit with samba swing, bossa tempo and nordestino nous. John Armstrong’s new compilation Afrobeat Brasil features 14 blazing tracks from 2011 to 2017 that nod towards Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali and beyond – with feet firmly in Brazil. For the first time outside Brazil, a careful selection of modern Afrobeat- inspired tunes from across several Brazilian genres, taking in cutting-edge players from Rio, São Paulo, Salvador, Porto Alegre –and even Paris. No slavish Fela Kuti copycats these, but rather Afrobeat and other specific African tempos and rhythms used as a blueprint, a building- block for new directions in Brazilian music.