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| Maga Bo feat. MC BNegão |
Brazil based DJ, sound engineer for documentary films, Internet-radio programmer, mix-CD compiler, blogger, sound gatherer and ethnomusicologist, Maga Bo (Bo Anderson) absorbs the favela funk of his home base Rio, and travels the world collecting transnational breakbeat-based bass music. Originally from Washington where he studied ethnomusicology (primarily Arabic music), Anderson travelled extensively before settling in Rio at the end of the 90s. As a DJ and, with his partner Filastine in the Calibrado Sound System, producer, Maga Bo has also released music through Tru Thoughts, WordSound and Post World Industries, engineered audio for various film projects.
'Maga', meaning skinny or slim in Jamaican patois, Bo Anderson was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. During a year spent in Vienna studying, he went to Egypt where he was exposed to Arabic music and culture. Anderson went on to study Ethnomusicology back in Seattle, focussing on Arabic music, specifically North African Sufi music, before leaving in 1998 for a nine month trek through India and Sri Lanka. Recordings from the Indian sub continent trip became part of Bo Anderson’s first release in 2001 on Post World Industries in collaboration with Filistine under the name Audio File Collective. The album, Do Not Spit Here Or There: A Noise Primer On The Indian Subcontinent was a collection of sounds recorded across India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from 1997-99.
Anderson began playing samba in Seattle, then after moving to Brazil in the late 90s, started playing in the blocosI, becoming immersed in the music of Latin America's largest country, collaborating with the likes of Marcelo Yuka, BNegão and Mr Catra. Anderson’s first 12”, Maga Bo Feat. Tamy - Tudo Bem appeared on UK label Tru Thoughts in 2003, a breakbeat, downtempo, Latin flavoured track featuring Brazilian vocalist Tamy. Anderson had previously contributed a Maga Bo track called Tanto Faz to the Tru Thoughts double-CD mix, Mono. A mix CD with Filastine, under the collaborative name Sonar Calibrado followed in 2005: Lost & Stolen Goods, (Post World Industries) an hour long mix was that developed during sets at their residency at LoFi in Seattle, live at Mutant Festival, and secret sound system shows in empty zones near container ships and junkyards. Guerilla 'Sonar Calibrado Sound System' street parties are staged regularly during carnival on the streets of Rio with pirated electricity.
Maga Bo joined DJ/Rupture's Soot imprint in 2007 with the release of Confusion of Tongues. Elements of Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Portugal characterised two EPs issued to compliment the mix. Another full-length, Achipeligos, followed in late 2008, described on Soot as "hiphop/ragga/taarab hybridization proceeding by means of slow on-site collabos in Africa, produced by Rio's finest, Maga Bo. Lush strings and low-end whump. Maga Bo has released several mixes online, notably at Blentwell's Blentcasts – 49 tracks squeezed into 1 hour, including Marvin Gaye, Brazilian and mixed rhythms spliced with pirate tapes – and at Spannered radio, which features a mix of Otto von Schirach, Dr Dr Das, hip hop and baltimore beats. Anderson maintains projects producing music for Piveti (ex-Pavilhão 9), collaborating on tracks with Marcelo Yuka, doing remixes for BNegão and Digital Dubs Sound System as well as producing tracks for Mr. Catra and Speed Freaks. He recently finished a month long trip to Senegal producing beats and tracking local MCs such as Pee Froiss, Wa BMG 44, ALIF, Daddy Macky and others. World Up! released a Maga Bo mixtape CD at the end of ‘08, titled World Up! Mixtape Vol. 1: Mixado por Maga Bo.
Maga Bo's work also extends to radio. He produced a monthly program of strictly Brazilian music called Sambcana on www.brazilnetwork.org that mapped out Brazil's musical topography, and a show on Anti-Combate FM 103,3 in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, titled Mundo Digital (Digital World), that encompassed modern urban styles such as hip hop, breakbeat and drum n bass mixed with jazz, funk and dub from the furthest corners of the world. Maga Bo is also involved in documentary making as both a professional sound recordist, and low-budget ‘Mini-Documentary maker’. He’s recently finished a series called 3 white men in baile funk focussing on Diplo, MC Gringo and Daniel Haaksman. Anderson is also involved with Brazilian NGO AfroReggae, an organisation working to improve opportunities in Rio de Janeiro's favelas (shantytowns). Essential listening for fans of DJ/Rupture's mixes, and anything from Soot Records or the Sublime Frequencies series.
BNegão, (Bernardo Ferreira Gomes Dos Santos) ex-Planet Hemp vocalist is part political spokesperson, part street philosopher. Fusing in-your-face rap with Brazilian and Caribbean rhythms, funk, jazz and hardcore. In 2004, BNegão won the "Orilaxé" award for "Best Black Music Vocalist” awarded by the Afro-Reggae NGO. He released a full-length solo independently in 2003, Enxugando GeloThe Inspiring New Sounds of Rio de Janeiro (Editora/Tratore), and two of the songs were included on compilation The Inspiring New Sounds of Rio de Janeiro, released by North American Verge Records. Maga Bo and BNegão have been collaborating and performing together in the Carioca underground for nearly 10 years. Their performances have ranged from small clubs in Rio de Janeiro to the Hipersônica Festival in São Paulo, Brazil and the USB Festival in Barcelona, Spain. Their collaborations have been released on Soot Records, Chulos Records and numerous mixtapes. BNegão has toured in Portugal, the UK, Denmark, Germany and France.
> www.magabo.com
> www.myspace.com/magabo
> www.myspace.com/seletores
Appearances:
> CTM.09 > FUNK MUNDIAL
> CTM.09 > TALK
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