AfroReggae Live At The Barbican
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Reviews Hip Hop and RnB
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Sunday, 08 July 2007 |
Music Reviews Artist: AfroReggaeTitle: Live @ The Barbican
  If there is one message to be taken from AfroReggae's performances at the Barbican, it is one of hope.
AfroReggae - Brazilian band, NGO and general cultural force - have travelled the world with their Favela Uprising tour, they even performed the very same show at the Barbican last year, yet it remains fresh, emotive and above all highly entertaining.
When I asked a Brazilian friend recently about who AfroReggae were his answer was simple - they are hope. They provide an alternative to Rio's deadly drug trade and support to the residents of its favelas, to its children and to their parents. Now, through the AfroReggae UK Partnership, they are offering hope to Britain's marginalized youth.
Some of the school kids they have been helping in Hackney were invited along to see their new heroes on stage and the usually reserved Barbican crowd was replaced by a whooping, cheering, dancing in their seats mob. It couldn't have provided a better backdrop for what was happening on stage.
Just as AfroReggae are about more than music their shows offer more than mere sounds. It was a truly multi-media experience, a visual spectacle; be it through carefully chosen images projected on to the stage or the carefully choreographed dance routines this was a show not a gig.
At one point they were joined by Asian Dub Foundations and the sound of Bhangra fused seamlessly with the Brazilian beats. We were given love songs, slow jams, dramatic war charts and snippets of funk. Rap, reggae and rock were all on show, as of course was samba.
The stars of the night were the drummers who relentlessly beat out the backbone of the show. When the they were given the spotlight what followed was truly amazing - lost for words I scoured Youtube for clips but came up with nothing. It was as if the three leaders fused with their instruments; twisting and turning as one without the slightest hesitation and not missing a single beat. A true piece of musical theatre.
The night opened with a map of the world and red lines traversing the globe linking Rio to other trouble spots; Palestine, Iraq, Angola . . . Rio is going through a difficult time we were told as statistics detailing the extent of the harrowing violence were projected on stage mixed with images of police brutality. That was not the enduring message however.
As the show drew to a close we were bombarded with shots of smiling faces dancing, painting and singing. It was only when the camera panned out we realised they were the faces of policemen and part of another AfroReggae projects. They too suffer the dangers of favela life, they too need our help.
The choice to close on Imagine was a disappointing one but the meaning was clear. Gone were the shots of misery and pain, swirling flowers filled the screen. There is hope.
'Favela Uprising' is out now on Mr Bongo and AfroReggae have promised to be back at The Barbican next year with a new show.
Words By: Joe Kent
Editor review : AfroReggae Live @ The Barbican
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Overall rating
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3.8 |
| Originality
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4.0 |
| Lyrics
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3.0 |
| Memorability
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5.0 |
| Melody
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3.0 |
| Production Quality |
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4.0 |
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