Brazilian samba musician Rogê already conquered Rio de Janeiro. Now, he is right here to provide the U.S. a style of Brazil along with his new album Curyman.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Perhaps it is the nice and cozy climate. Perhaps it is the world-famous seashores with mountains on the horizon in each cities. Properly, regardless of the cause, musician Roge says nothing makes him really feel extra like a local son of Rio de Janeiro than working in Los Angeles.

ROGE: Sure, it is slightly cliche, however once we had been out from Brazil, we are able to look to our tradition with – in a giant image, you understand? I feel I am really feel extra Brazilian right here.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

SHAPIRO: He moved to LA a number of years in the past after releasing eight albums in Brazil. And whereas he was recording in LA with some hip-hop artists, the person who was born Roger Jose Cury discovered a brand new identification.

ROGE: And the blokes requested my title. What’s your title? My title is Roger. And the blokes – what’s your final title? My final title is Cury. The man mentioned, oh, Cury man.

SHAPIRO: “Curyman” grew to become the title of Roge’s new album, his first produced and recorded within the U.S. It is Brazilian samba influenced by American funk. He labored intently with producer Tommy Brenneck, who’s collaborated with Beyonce, Girl Gaga, Amy Winehouse and extra.

ROGE: Tommy deliver all of the angle, all of the imaginative and prescient for the music, and that is what I am at all times in search of. I am only a man to like music and simply love my tradition, Brazilian tradition. And I actually need to combine it with that tradition right here.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

SHAPIRO: I did search for the English translation of those lyrics, and the primary music, “Pra Vida,” has a lyric that interprets to – it does not matter if a door is closed, there’s at all times an opened window.

ROGE: Yeah.

SHAPIRO: And I puzzled if that describes your expertise going from making music in Brazil to america.

ROGE: Yeah. My brother, after I arrived right here, was very powerful. That music speak about – we’ve got to at all times go ahead as a result of we’ve got to consider within the life – you understand? – as a result of I used to be dwelling that have right here after I arrived right here. I did not don’t have anything.

SHAPIRO: So why did you do it?

ROGE: I do it as a result of in Brazil we’ve got a giant disaster over there – financial disaster, political disaster, social disaster, safety disaster. The whole lot was unhealthy after the Olympic video games. And I used to come back right here to LA to report. And I go searching, say, oh, LA is the one place on the earth that I can change with Rio as a result of LA has every thing, you understand? It has an opportunity to develop my profession. So I believed to myself, woah, that is going to be a giant problem, however perhaps that is the – it’s important to hear your voice inside. Everyone has the voice inside.

SHAPIRO: Yeah.

ROGE: I’ve the music for that on this album too – “Existe Uma Voz.”

SHAPIRO: “Existe Uma Voz” – I used to be simply going to ask about that music.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EXISTE UMA VOZ”)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

SHAPIRO: Yeah. Inform us about this.

ROGE: Everyone has a voice inside. You must hear this voice. You already know, if you’re quiet and safety (ph), you – all people – you’ve gotten an opportunity to know what the nice path to go as a result of at all times life’s testing you.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EXISTE UMA VOZ”)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

SHAPIRO: To take a step again from the dialog about your life and your transfer and discuss slightly bit extra concerning the music, I used to be curious concerning the distinction between samba and samba-funk. Are you able to speak about what is going on rhythmically when you’re doing a conventional samba and if you’re doing samba-funk?

ROGE: Yeah. This can be a good instance, you understand, as a result of after I make this music, I feel the blokes play funk, like funk – like James Brown funk, you understand?

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “GET UP OFFA THAT THING”)

JAMES BROWN: Ow.

ROGE: We use the 16 – (imitating maracas).

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “GET UP OFFA THAT THING”)

BROWN: Say it now. (Whistling). Yeah. I am again.

ROGE: You might have this one in samba too – (imitating maracas).

SHAPIRO: Yeah.

ROGE: (Imitating maracas) – we’ve got this. We now have – if you use the 16, it is the identical if you do samba.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

It is (inaudible) – (vocalizing).

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

The opposite one is “Eu Gosta Dela.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EU GOSTA DELA”)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

SHAPIRO: So inform us what we’re listening to on this one.

ROGE: That is – it is extra the – have samba and have funky, too, as a result of it is – the samba is (vocalizing). It is half samba.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EU GOSTA DELA”)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

However the guitar is typically performed double. We combine it with the double time and half time. It is a type of combine, too, with Brazilian – very Brazilian and, I feel, sounds common.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EU GOSTA DELA”)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

SHAPIRO: Individuals will clearly hearken to this album in numerous contexts, however I perceive that the context of your stay performances may be very particular. Are you able to paint an image for us of – when you’re in a room doing a present, what’s occurring?

ROGE: For me is sort of a non secular factor – the stage, you understand, the room and – as a result of you’ve gotten the vitality with the individuals with you. For me, the group makes the present.

SHAPIRO: You describe making music as a non secular expertise, and there are a pair songs on this album that discuss explicitly about spirituality. Are you able to inform us about one among them?

ROGE: Sure, I can inform about “Yemanja.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “YEMANJA”)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

Yemanja is a god of creation. Yemanja is a god of the ocean. So in Brazil, we’ve got a faith we name Candomble. It is a gorgeous ritual. And we’ve got a – like a (talking Portuguese) has like a way…

SHAPIRO: Yeah.

ROGE: …For each energy of the character.

SHAPIRO: Do you’re feeling such as you’re channeling this vitality if you carry out these songs, or are you singing about another person’s traditions?

ROGE: No, no, I actually really feel that. I actually really feel simply – for me, I am at all times – attempt to open for that vitality. So these energies shield me and information me, you understand? And I has – I’ve quite a lot of respect for that as a result of that’s make me sturdy. I by no means alone – by no means.

SHAPIRO: That is Roge, spelled R-O-G-E. His new album is “Curyman.” Thanks a lot.

ROGE: Thanks a lot, Ari, for house, to your consideration, you understand, thanks a lot.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ROGE: (Singing in Portuguese).

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