By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Hot on the heels of the release of his debut solo album, Portuguese producer, DJ, and founding member of the group Buraka Som Sistema, João Barbosa, aka Branko, returns to Rio de Janeiro to again join the Wobble party at Fosfobox in Copacabana on Sunday, September 6th.
The popular Wobble parties are well-known for bringing to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo the best of world beats and bass including the newest releases from the genres of global bass, trap, and UK garage, among others. Wobble is also famous for inviting guests from throughout Brazil and from around the world to join the crew of resident DJs featuring Rodrigo S., Marginal Men, and Fabio Heinz, during the parties.
Branko is no exception and Sunday night will not be his first appearance at the party. Last here during January of this year, Branko recently spoke to The Rio Times about the event.
“I found it to be a very good event. I have followed the lineup online and the work of Marginal Men and feel that it is an event that is building a good bridge between a more peripheral culture and downtown São Paulo and this is essential when you are trying to build a scene,” he said.
Branko will stop in at the Wobble party as part of his ongoing Club Atlas World Tour, held in support of his debut solo album, Atlas. Released on the Enchufada label and available in all major digital stories as of September 4th, Atlas, includes the songs “Eventually (feat. Alex Rita & Bison),” “Let Me Go (feat. Nonku Phiri & Mr. Carmack)” and “Take Off” (feat. Princess Nokia).
Branko is currently best known for his work with Portuguese electronic group Buraka Som Sistema. Created in 2002 by Branko with DJ Rio (Rui Pité), Kalaf Ângelo, and Angolan producer, Conductor (Andro Carvalho), Buraka Som Sistema built a following and won critical acclaim for blending African zouk, kuduro, and world beats. Their sounds have been referred to as “progressive kudro” and “zouk bass” and their creative blending of genres earned them an MTV Europe Music Award for Best Portuguese Act in 2008.
“[Buraka Som Sistema] originated from the idea of creating a sound of Lisbon, which was really a mixture of all realities that live in the city,” Branko said of the co-founding of the group. “Half of the band is Angolan and the other half is Portuguese, so I wanted to do something that could touch all people.”
When asked how and why he originally became involved with music Branko said; “I started making music on my dad’s computer in 1998 or 99 and from there never stopped. My influences were everything and anything, from looking for samples from distant places in the world to all the London scene of broken beat etc that was developing at the time.”
Working with the Cool Train Crew and later founding the Buraka Som Sistema, Branko has toured the world and collaborated with international artists including M.I.A., DJ Saborosa, Diplo, Petty, Pongolove, and Hot Chip, among others.
The globetrotting and collaborations increased his love of diverse music and sounds. This interest is illustrated in Branko’s recent Red Bull sponsored five-part webseries, “Atlas Unfolded.” In it, Branko travels to Amsterdam, São Paulo, Cape Town, New York and his hometown of Lisbon, documenting the making of Atlas and his intense interest in music from around the world.
“It was a long process of over a one year,” said Branko. “I was tracing the journey I wanted to do. The inspiration was the people and the energy of the cities.”
When asked if there was any difference between his new solo work and his work with Buraka Som Sistema, Branko said; “The idea and the musical vision is the same as Buraka, on my Enchufada label, or in my solo work. The difference is that I end up alone take all decisions and to reach a more personal result.”
In additional to Branko and the Wobble Crew will welcome Scratcha DVA from the UK, Cybass and Swinga on Sunday night.
What: Wobble with Branko
When: Sunday, September 6th, 10PM
Where: Fosfobox Bar, Rua Siqueira Campos, 143 – Copacabana
Entrance: R$30 – R$60