By Thaís Britto, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – Imagine nine crazy guys jumping all over the stage and playing a very lively kind of rock’n’roll, mixed with other rhythms and instruments like saxophone, transverse flute and trombone.
They are Móveis Coloniais de Acaju, band from Brasília that performs next Saturday in Circo Voador to release their second album. “C_mpl_te” (a joke with the verb to complete, that means the same in Portuguese) carries the responsibility of keeping up with the quality of their first and well acknowledged record, “Idem”.
But, as the flutist Beto Mejía states, the band is still searching for a musical identity: “In this album, we focused the concept of group and the further participation of all the musicians in processes ranging from production to composition”.
The audience also plays a very important role at Móveis’ concerts. The musicians like to say that the relationship built with the fans during shows are part of the performances. Even the joke in the album’s name is related to that: “Our job is only completed when we are on stage, sharing all this with the people that come to watch us”, says Fabio Pedroza, the bass player. It’s the truth: their concerts look more like a big party and, at the end, the band members come down from the stage and join the audience in a big circle to sing the last song.
The good humor is definitely one of the group’s brands. Starting with “Móveis coloniais de Acaju”: a long strange name – that is perfect to rouse the curiosity about them – supposedly refers to an obscure conflict called Revolta do Acaju where the Portuguese colonizers and the native indians had fought side-by-side for the first time against the British, who were using the native’s labor to built furniture (móveis coloniais means colonial furniture, by the way).
Fun is also a good word to describe their music, with such a wide range of influences that makes it mostly nondescript, or a “bulgarian feijoada”, as they like to say themselves. It’s possible to hear the echoes of the Eastern Europe, some ska and northeastern Brazilian sounds. All this accompanied by witty lyrics, that go from the cute “Copacabana” to the ironic “E agora, Gregório?” or “Esquilo não samba”. Among the new songs, the highlights are the melodic “O tempo” and “Adeus” and the rocky “Lista de casamento”.
Among the specialized media, “C_mpl_ete” is being described as one of the best albums released this year in Brazil. Constantly compared with another respected Brazilian rock band called Los Hermanos, the boys from Móveis Coloniais de Acaju are ready to step into the space left vacant since their break in 2007.
Both mix rock with unusual rhythms, invest in intelligent/funny/cute lyrics and have fans that sometimes even seem like followers of a sect. The anarchy Móveis promotes on stage is well received, as well as, among other things, the powerful voice of its lead singer, André Gonzáles. One thing is for sure: you’ll have a lot of fun in their audience.
Móveis Coloniais de Acaju concert
(opening band: Djangos)
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
Circo Voador, at 10 pm
Rua dos Arcos s/nº, Lapa
Tel.: 2533-0354
Tickets: R$40 (full) and R$20 (student card)
www.circovoador.com.br