Portuguese Blog

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MPB, Música Popular Brasileira, is a sort of ‘super-genre’ of music that has it’s roots in the post-Bossa Nova era of the mid- to late-60′s. MPB encompasses many different styles of music, ranging from those with jazzy bossa-nova influences to rock and pop music very similar to that found in North America.

Generally MPB signifies any style of music that is relatively current and recognized as, frankly, widely popular and distinctly Brazilian. I suppose MPB is a pretty good moniker indeed.

MPB FM, a radio station broadcasting out of Rio de Janeiro (where else!?), serves as a fantastic soundtrack to the ‘cidade maravilhosa’ …

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The repenique is a common Brazilian drum that is part of the ‘batucada’ as well as the larger samba school ensembles. It is a high-pitched tom drum (as opposed to the ‘caixa’ or snare drum) and adds a crucial element to the oceanic samba sound.

Typically, the repenique is played with a stick in one hand (usually the right one) and no stick in the left. The left hand plays the drum as well, but with fingers instead. The stick can produce a powerful rim shot and the bare hand provides both the ability to muffle the sound and also produces a mellower striking tone.

Watch the video… it speaks for itself.