Da Lata: MPB made in England
The quartet includes a Brazilian vocalist and has seduced the critics with the debut album, Songs From The Tin
Silvio Essinger
24/01/2001
The new MPB being promoted worldwide is not restricted to Bebel Gilberto. Those who read British and American dance music magazines might have noticed that the critics have acclaimed the album Songs From The Tin (read review) , the debut release by the band Da Lata. "Truly inspiring", stated Musik magazine. "A faithful and soulful approach to Brazilian music", wrote the magazine Straight No Chaser. Behind the tipically carioca (from Rio) expression (which dates back to the 80s, when the ship Solano Star dumped hundreds of tins filled with prime quality weed on the Brazilian coast; from then on, the slang for nice or good became "da lata", or, "from the tin") lies the quartet: Chris Franck, Patrick Forge, Oli Savill and Brazilian singer Liliana Chachian, who also writes the music and lyrics (in Portuguese) for such songs as Prá Manhã, O Mago e a Borboleta, Rio Vida and Cores.
Released last June, the album brings news by the São Paulo-born vocalist, who moved to London 18 years ago to study psychology, got into music and never returned. Raised into a bossa nova/African music environment, Liliana used to play the percussion with Pet Shop Boys. She also backed up Brazilian acts like Airto Moreira and Dom Um Romão while on tour in Europe.
During a brief stay in São Paulo, the singer spoke to AllBrazilianMusic about the success achieved with the group Da Lata and about how Brazilian music is now being appreciated in England. "The DJs have been playing a wide range of Brazilian music, including stuff from the 60s which, theoretically, wouldn't make it in a club. Of course, there's a lot of crap, too. But there are people in England who know more about Brazilian music than native Brazilians".
Da Lata's origins can be found on the project Batu, which Chris and Patrick (two Brazilian music enthusiasts) started around 1992. Oli Savill used to play the percussion with Liliana for the Pet Shop Boys, and introduced her to them in 1995. In little time, the four would be putting Da Lata together. Their first attempt was a house version of Edu Lobo's Ponteio, getting some visibility on English clubs. "It was more of a studio project", tells Liliana. Then, each musician went out for their personal things.
Smoke City on the way
Invited by Joyce to DJ in Rio, Patrick met the Brazilian singer Nina Miranda, who had shortly before recorded (with English musician Marc Brown) the Brazilian accent trip hop Underwater Love, which ended up being the soundtrack for a Levi's commercial ad. Back in England, Patrick, Nina, Marc and Chris launched the project Smoke City, releasing an album in 1997, Flying Away. It featured Underwater... and two other successful tracks: Mr. Gorgeous and a trip hop version of Tom Jobim's Águas de Março.
Smoke City recorded a second album, which hasn't been put out, yet (according to Liliana, some parts are being re-done and it should come out early this year). In the meantime, Liliana joined Smoke City as a percussionist, touring with the band, although not abandoning the plans for Da Lata. By mid-1998, Liliana, Chris, Patrick and Oli recorded the single Pra Manhã, getting rave reviews, especially in Japan. The quartet's name became so popular that granted them an invitation to make a full album on Palm Pictures, a label that has been recently established by Island's (U2, Bob Marley) founder, Chris Blackwell.
Songs From The Tin was written by Liliana, Oli and Chris (Patrick works more as a DJ). But it was hard to keep it as a studio project. "I am used to performing live", says the vocalist. So they decided to turn Da Lata into a band, being totally supported by the label. Prior to the CD hitting the stores, the musicians were already on the road, touring Europe, USA (they played the Body & Soul fest, at the Central Park), Canadá and Japan, where Da Lata was warmly welcomed. "They would sing in Portuguese and cry. One Japanese man said to me: 'I don't know what you sing about, but I know what you mean'", recalls Liliana.
The band now follows a jazz festival route around Europe - they don't have any plans to perform in Brazil -, while the singer states that their audience is vast: "There are jazz fans, nightclub regulars, Brazilian music fans... Luckily enough, our album catched all different types of public." When time allows, Liliana records with other artists and writes music for other projects, such as Masters at Work, Arakatuba and Negrocan. She is also starting a label with Oli, intending to record jazz and percussion groups, as well as contemporary music.
Songs From the Tin's coming out in Brazil, but she doesn't see Da Lata being turned into a huge success in her native country. "This is my home, from where I've taken everything that I carried to England. But the local audiences are so different" she believes. Nonetheless, Liliana is excited about the musical moment in Brazil: "Independently on what is being created there, Brazilian people are listening to more Brazilian music - which they didn't when I left the country. That's the best way for them to become more selective and to develop their tastes in music."
Released last June, the album brings news by the São Paulo-born vocalist, who moved to London 18 years ago to study psychology, got into music and never returned. Raised into a bossa nova/African music environment, Liliana used to play the percussion with Pet Shop Boys. She also backed up Brazilian acts like Airto Moreira and Dom Um Romão while on tour in Europe.
During a brief stay in São Paulo, the singer spoke to AllBrazilianMusic about the success achieved with the group Da Lata and about how Brazilian music is now being appreciated in England. "The DJs have been playing a wide range of Brazilian music, including stuff from the 60s which, theoretically, wouldn't make it in a club. Of course, there's a lot of crap, too. But there are people in England who know more about Brazilian music than native Brazilians".
Da Lata's origins can be found on the project Batu, which Chris and Patrick (two Brazilian music enthusiasts) started around 1992. Oli Savill used to play the percussion with Liliana for the Pet Shop Boys, and introduced her to them in 1995. In little time, the four would be putting Da Lata together. Their first attempt was a house version of Edu Lobo's Ponteio, getting some visibility on English clubs. "It was more of a studio project", tells Liliana. Then, each musician went out for their personal things.
Smoke City on the way
Invited by Joyce to DJ in Rio, Patrick met the Brazilian singer Nina Miranda, who had shortly before recorded (with English musician Marc Brown) the Brazilian accent trip hop Underwater Love, which ended up being the soundtrack for a Levi's commercial ad. Back in England, Patrick, Nina, Marc and Chris launched the project Smoke City, releasing an album in 1997, Flying Away. It featured Underwater... and two other successful tracks: Mr. Gorgeous and a trip hop version of Tom Jobim's Águas de Março.
Smoke City recorded a second album, which hasn't been put out, yet (according to Liliana, some parts are being re-done and it should come out early this year). In the meantime, Liliana joined Smoke City as a percussionist, touring with the band, although not abandoning the plans for Da Lata. By mid-1998, Liliana, Chris, Patrick and Oli recorded the single Pra Manhã, getting rave reviews, especially in Japan. The quartet's name became so popular that granted them an invitation to make a full album on Palm Pictures, a label that has been recently established by Island's (U2, Bob Marley) founder, Chris Blackwell.
Songs From The Tin was written by Liliana, Oli and Chris (Patrick works more as a DJ). But it was hard to keep it as a studio project. "I am used to performing live", says the vocalist. So they decided to turn Da Lata into a band, being totally supported by the label. Prior to the CD hitting the stores, the musicians were already on the road, touring Europe, USA (they played the Body & Soul fest, at the Central Park), Canadá and Japan, where Da Lata was warmly welcomed. "They would sing in Portuguese and cry. One Japanese man said to me: 'I don't know what you sing about, but I know what you mean'", recalls Liliana.
The band now follows a jazz festival route around Europe - they don't have any plans to perform in Brazil -, while the singer states that their audience is vast: "There are jazz fans, nightclub regulars, Brazilian music fans... Luckily enough, our album catched all different types of public." When time allows, Liliana records with other artists and writes music for other projects, such as Masters at Work, Arakatuba and Negrocan. She is also starting a label with Oli, intending to record jazz and percussion groups, as well as contemporary music.
Songs From the Tin's coming out in Brazil, but she doesn't see Da Lata being turned into a huge success in her native country. "This is my home, from where I've taken everything that I carried to England. But the local audiences are so different" she believes. Nonetheless, Liliana is excited about the musical moment in Brazil: "Independently on what is being created there, Brazilian people are listening to more Brazilian music - which they didn't when I left the country. That's the best way for them to become more selective and to develop their tastes in music."