By Nathan M. Walters, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Since 2003, Nugrooves, a bi-monthly party based in São Paulo, has been following the instructions of James Brown and making it funky. The party, which revolves around various musical styles, including nufunk, nujazz, and downbeat, arrives this Friday at Copacabana’s Fosfobox Club for a funky dance party.
The party is not only intended to get people on the floor on Friday, but, as many recent events have been focused, to introduce more musical styles to a city known for its great taste in music.
Dedicated club-goers may feel that the nightlife in Rio too often ends watching the sunset at Arpoador. For most, the nightlife in São Paulo is light years ahead of the city of samba, as are international meccas like New York, London and Paris.
Yet for DJ and producer Rodrigo Ulson (aka Trotter), founder of the Royal Soul Records label in 2006, Rio is a club scene with incredible potential. “The nature of Rio speaks music, the city breaths music, every time I am there I get inspired.”
Trotter is happy to be returning to the city as the Nugrooves headliner, and hopes to “bring back those fantastic 70’s feelings, to reconnect with what an old school party is all about!” A listen to one of Trotter’s mix can’t help but inspire some soul shaking, a great sampling of 70’s and 90’s dance classics set to modern beats.
Trotter has been on the world touring circuit for years, regularly performing throughout Europe and the U.S. and, most recently, in New Zealand. But Rio remains a key city for Royal Soul Records and the Nugrooves Party, a strategic point to spread the word of new Brazilian rhythms.
“Rio de Janeiro is a key city internationally, it’s Brazil’s cultural capital. People all over the planet love Rio, not only because of the incredible natural beauty, but also because it is the birthplace of so much great music, so many great artists”
Rio has a long tradition of forging new musical styles, samba, bossa nova, tropicalia, and baile funk just to name a few.
For those on a mission to find a new sound, a look at Fosfobox in Copacabana this weekend should do the trick. A venue known for drawling the underground scene out to enjoy various styles of electronic and dance music.
Giselle Canavezzi, a Carioca model and promoter recalls; “my first experience at Fosfobox was seven years ago and it was also the first time I ever heard electronic music. It’s still a great place to hear alternative and underground music in Rio.”
A warning though if you have never been, the venue does not really get started until 1AM, and then not really happening until later, 2-3AM before the place really gets shaking, so rest up.
Location: Fosfobox, Rua Siqueira Campos, 143, Copacabana
Price: R$40, R$30 (lista amiga before 1AM), R$35 (lista amiga after 1AM)
Starts: Friday, June 29th, 11PM