Bonde do Tigrão: big beats and schemes

The invasion was quick: from the suburban balls to the Rock In Rio 3 stage, where it was performed by Fernanda Abreu, Paula Toller and Max de Castro, the funk carioca (= from Rio) came like a hurricane (read article). It was only a matter of time before the industry would absorb the phenomenon and try to make a profit on it. Then, the artists who had been previously gathered in very successful compilations that were being sold at newsstands began having faces and names.

The first to get there is Bonde do Tigrão (literally, "bonde" means streetcar. In this case, it is about a group of people with similar tastes and attitude. Tigrão stands for "big tiger"), led by MC Leandrinho (Leandro Dionísio dos Santos Moraes), which is hitting the stores this week (in time to take advantage of the carnival season) via Sony Music, featuring the instant hit Bonde do Tigrão . The former supermarket clerk is 20 years-old and responsible for some of the greatest hits from the funk carioca: Tchu Tchuca ("come here to your tiger") and Cerol na Mão. These are back on the CD, along with variations on the very same themes.

Bonde do Tigrão is comprised of Leandro and three dancers: Tiaguinho, Vaguinho and Gustavo. Sony provided them with an accurate production that is closer to the early days of the rap, in the 80s, stuff like Afrika Bambaata and Grandmaster Flash - precisely the matrix of the funk made in Rio. A tiger roars at the beginning of every track, working like a Bonde trademark. In order to collect enough material to fill up a full CD, Tigrão and his producers (Victor Jr. and Mãozinha DJ) came up with things like Caçador de Tchutchuquinha (or Tchutchuquinha Hunter - thcutchuquinha stands for girl -, featuring a Friday the 13th sample), Cobra-Cega and Bate Bum-Bum. The lewdness levels go up on Que Coisa Louca (almost a porn song), Cerol na Mão 2 and Adoleta (this word does not exist, but it rhymes with a female body part).

As a major label product, Bonde do Tigrão couldn't just present the wild funk from the balls, even if it would be polished in studio. When the fire for that kind of music goes out (for the time being it is largely used by TV networks to pump up audience levels), there's always a whiter pop cousin, the so-called funk melody, upon which Claudinho & Buchecha have built a career. Todo Bobo, Minha Princesinha and Dá uma Tremidinha are clearly influenced by the duo, who, in their turn, are clearly influenced by pop master Lulu Santos. But the Bonde goes further, presenting the romantic ballad Tá de Brincadeira, aimed at well-behaved, romantic tchu-tchucas.