Brass is back!

My first guess for Musical Trend of the Season: Brass sections with baterias.

A bit o' history; Carnaval music in the 20s used to be brass bands playing a relentless peppy, slightly dorky, polka-like music that was derived from European military marches and polka. The Brazilians called it marcha, or marchinha (little march).

Then samba swept in, in the 30s, brought from Bahia, and gradually took over Carnaval. The street blocos often still played marchas, and still had brass sections (many still have brass to this day), but through some process that I haven't researched yet, Carnaval music was codified as the samba, and so the marcha disappeared from the "official" Carnaval parades.

Today, LIESA regulations pointedly prohibit samba escolas from adding brass sections to their baterias. (Other types of instruments are not prohibited - just wind instruments. There's some scuffling over whistles because of this.)

But marchas keep reappearing and last year there seemed to be a real effort to revive the marcha tradition. An old-style marcha band started playing in Lapa every week. There was a big marcha festival, too, which many blocos were invited to play for; and even a competition for best new original marcha.

So, anyway, now I see that Banga's added a brass section.

So THEN, tonight, I went to a show w/Pat and GUESS WHO'S ADDED BRASS? MANGUEIRA!! Of all groups! Okay, okay, it's not the "real" bateria, of course - that escola is notoriously traditional and besides LIESA wouldn't let them do that. This was just a small version, a bunch of Mangueira players who do club shows under another name. Kind of a stage bloco. Kind of like Banga, in fact. But still! Mangueira players with brass! Very interesting. (maybe they've always done this and this is just the first I've seen it? who knows.)

Gotta also point out here that Banga also has a bunch of Imperio Serrano players in their bateria - half of those 11 guys were Imperios, and I noticed that Imperio's cavaquinho player is now writing songs for Banga. These are "real" escola players, guys who grew up in the escolas, and last night they clearly ADORED getting to play funk, frevo, xote and all the other fun stuff. I think the top escolas are probably busting at the seams with highly skilled guys who are ready to cut loose and do something really creative and new. There's a limit to what they can do in the escolas because of the tight LIESA regulations. So the blocos are where things are changing.

So, verdict: It's a GREAT sound with brass (both groups used it in a supportive role but not a front role - adding fills, flourishes here & there, then shutting up). I can't think why LIESA prevents brass.