Continental/Discos Mariposa (Argentina), 1974
1. Apelo (4:14)
2. Grinfa Louca (2:58)
3. Olhos Risonhos (4:55)
4. Microfones Metalicos (3:08)
5. Tramba (3:01)
6. A Mente (2:31)
7. Olhar Animal (5:10)
8. Madalena (2:52)
9. Mensageiro (3:07)
10.Cristina (3:01)
A Review:
"A Brazilian underground classic from the early 70s -- mindblowing work that mixes heavy percussion with lots of guitar -- in a style that's samba soul one minute, but heavier rock the next! There's a bit of a Jorge Ben influence going on at times -- particularly in the way the record uses quickly-strummed acoustic guitar next to the earthy rhythms -- but the overall sound is also a bit more fragile at times, and rougher around the edges, especially at its most expressive moments. But that quality only serves to make the album more striking -- an instantly captivating set that needs no previous cultural knowledge at all! Really tremendous stuff -- the kind of lost treasure that will have you scratching your head, but loving it at the same time!"
In 1974 the label Continental released a rare album, with the name of the band very big over the
cover--Paulo Bagunca e a Tropa Maldita--that left a strong impression on a small underground portion
of Brazilian youth. The band name was deliberately provoking--Bagunca afterall means mess or
confusion (big scandal), while "tropa maldita" means damned, or wicked soldiers. You can easily
see why the name of the band was an inciter to the record buying public. The media at the time were
less creative; they called this sort of music "electric pop."
The record does contain different styles of songs, some with a special conception like 'Grinfa Louca'
with its hallucination inducing afro beat, or 'Madalena,' which is a kind of carnaval samba a la
Jorge Ben, only with a Moog (or similar keyboard), which gives the song an electronic touch.
The conception of the percussion was very important; it sometimes feels like the percussion in Santana.
And we also have some orchestral parts like in 'Apelo' because they are by the same arranger,
Laercio de Freitas.
The record was very emblematic and futuristic for that era, mixing different influences, ranging from
Jorge Ben to Traffic (if they had afro percussion!), with jazz touches and elements of the black
sounds of that era. In a 1972 interview with the magazine Rolling Stone, Bagunca considered his music
"something that comes from deep inside, from the heart, from my caverns, dreams and nightmares."
Some journalists compared Paulo Bagunca a little bit with Bob Dylan--not for the musical sound,
but because of the intention of the band, and the strength of their words.
Paulo Bagunca e a Tropa Maldita were from Cruzada de Sao Sebastiao, in Rio de Janeiro. The band
was born at a festival organized for the community. Bagunca was the leader and vocalist. The other
musicians were Guerra (atabaque, a percussion instrument), Oswaldo (acoustic guitar), Gelson (bongo),
and Flavia (bass). Until the recording of the album, the band played in underground venues in Rio de
Janeiro, such as in the theatre Bolso (Teatro de Bolso).
Paulo Bagunca and the tropa Maldita do really subterranean music with deep Brazilian roots. The
words and the sound are purely the product of the place where they live, the famous Cruzada Sao
Sebastiao, in the heart of the South of Rio de janeiro, between Ipanema and Leblon.
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