Pavilhão 9 unmasked at Rock In Rio
The rap band from São Paulo release their first album on a major label, let go of the masks and promise to fire up the festival with their hip hop/rock mix
Silvio Essinger
18/01/2001
The occasion couldn't be more appropriate for the São Paulo-based group Pavilhão 9: during the pre-show Rock In Rio interview - they are playing on Friday, along with Sheik Tosado, Sepultura, Queens of The Stone Age, Rob Halford and Iron Maiden, the songs from their new CD, Reação 
, their first on a major label (WEA) - rapper Rho$$i finally removed the ninja mask that he wore for almost 10 years. "I owe nothing", he explained. Rho$$i and his fellow rapper, Doze, decided to hide their faces due to the backlash against the song Otários Fardados (something like "Idiots in Uniforms"), featured in their first release, 1º Ato, from 1991. "Cops started calling us up at the record company and threatening Doze and myself", says Rho$$i, who is now able to boast the big hair that nobody knew he had.
The disguise, he tells, became disposable when they made the album Cadeia Nacional (from 1997, featuring the hit Mandando Bronca). But Rho$$i decided to keep wearing it as a symbol of opression - and they kept criticising police brutality. Pavilhão 9 released Se Deus Vier, Que Venha Armado in 1999. The cover brought a picture of Jesus Christ, "so they thought that we were the anti-christ band", says bassist Marinho. But worse, still, than the reaction that they got from the Church and conservative politicians was the trouble that they faced with the label Paradoxx. "They quit promoting our disc", reveals guitarist Ortega.
Unwelcome Mix
Now they are willing to do everything different at Warner. Reação hits the stores with the hit Trilha do Futuro, on heavy rotation at radio stations. Now, the whole country can get to know Pavilhão 9's music. They started out as a strictly rap band (with a pick-up and MCs), and slowly incorporated heavy rock elements, concocting a mix that is far from being unanimously accepted. "The rock and rap Shiite don't like it, but we aren't here to please everyone", states Rho$$i.
"We can make a hip hop concert", says Marinho, who debuted in music while playing with punk rock bands. "We have made songs with only the bass and the DJ, but ours is a band concept." Making a point about rocking the metal fans that will crowd the Rock In Rio grounds on the day of their show - "Gotta be wired, otherwise the bottles will flow towards us", joked Doze -, the musicians seem a little disapointed: there are no other hip hop artists in the festival.
Pavilhão 9 are also starting a new line-up at the fest. Guitarist Blindado (engineer), drummer Thunder (ultimate fighter) and DJ Branco left the band, while drummer Fernando Schaefer (ex-Korzus), guitarist and keyboardist Marcelo Munari and DJ Paulo joined in. The set list will feature 11 songs taken from their latest three CDs. Chances are that Sepultura drummer Igor Cavalera, their greatest supporter, will make a guest appearance.
Igor had recorded Mandando Bronca with them, and appears in Reação, on the track Aperte o Play, an homage to Jimi Hendrix. " He was the one to bring rock and soul together", claims Marinho. Hendrix is not the only icon to be mentioned by the band, though. A version of Bob Marley's Get Up, Stand Up is also featured in the album.
, their first on a major label (WEA) - rapper Rho$$i finally removed the ninja mask that he wore for almost 10 years. "I owe nothing", he explained. Rho$$i and his fellow rapper, Doze, decided to hide their faces due to the backlash against the song Otários Fardados (something like "Idiots in Uniforms"), featured in their first release, 1º Ato, from 1991. "Cops started calling us up at the record company and threatening Doze and myself", says Rho$$i, who is now able to boast the big hair that nobody knew he had.
The disguise, he tells, became disposable when they made the album Cadeia Nacional
(from 1997, featuring the hit Mandando Bronca). But Rho$$i decided to keep wearing it as a symbol of opression - and they kept criticising police brutality. Pavilhão 9 released Se Deus Vier, Que Venha Armado in 1999. The cover brought a picture of Jesus Christ, "so they thought that we were the anti-christ band", says bassist Marinho. But worse, still, than the reaction that they got from the Church and conservative politicians was the trouble that they faced with the label Paradoxx. "They quit promoting our disc", reveals guitarist Ortega.
Unwelcome Mix
Now they are willing to do everything different at Warner. Reação hits the stores with the hit Trilha do Futuro, on heavy rotation at radio stations. Now, the whole country can get to know Pavilhão 9's music. They started out as a strictly rap band (with a pick-up and MCs), and slowly incorporated heavy rock elements, concocting a mix that is far from being unanimously accepted. "The rock and rap Shiite don't like it, but we aren't here to please everyone", states Rho$$i.
"We can make a hip hop concert", says Marinho, who debuted in music while playing with punk rock bands. "We have made songs with only the bass and the DJ, but ours is a band concept." Making a point about rocking the metal fans that will crowd the Rock In Rio grounds on the day of their show - "Gotta be wired, otherwise the bottles will flow towards us", joked Doze -, the musicians seem a little disapointed: there are no other hip hop artists in the festival.
Pavilhão 9 are also starting a new line-up at the fest. Guitarist Blindado (engineer), drummer Thunder (ultimate fighter) and DJ Branco left the band, while drummer Fernando Schaefer (ex-Korzus), guitarist and keyboardist Marcelo Munari and DJ Paulo joined in. The set list will feature 11 songs taken from their latest three CDs. Chances are that Sepultura drummer Igor Cavalera, their greatest supporter, will make a guest appearance.
Igor had recorded Mandando Bronca with them, and appears in Reação, on the track Aperte o Play, an homage to Jimi Hendrix. " He was the one to bring rock and soul together", claims Marinho. Hendrix is not the only icon to be mentioned by the band, though. A version of Bob Marley's Get Up, Stand Up is also featured in the album.