House music, real house music, is indeed a global thing and is
also played on the Southern hemisphere. The following interview
with Anderson Soares from Brazil is the best
prove for that. He is one of the true soldiers who is living 100%
for the music, although he is one of the few in his country who
is spreading the real vibes.
"Ain't givin' up and believe in house" is his maxim which deserves
much respect at a time when it is not easy to earn your bread
with quality. Nuff said, just read the interview and get some
impressions of the house sound of Brazil.
Stefan
Urankar
November 1999
The following interview was conducted by Stefan Urankar on 10/30/99:
First of all, a little warrant of apprehension to fill in:
Name: Anderson Soares
Age: 24
Residence: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Styles of music: Underground House Music
Hi Anderson, first of all I have to say, that
I'm really happy to see that real House music is also played in
Brazil. That stabilizes my faith in the global aspect of House
music once more. OK, first question, when did you come into contact
with House and was it also like a virus as with many others?
Really yeah. It was around 1989, I heard a Tony Humphries remix
of Warning! by Adeva. Since then I didn't stop playing House!
What was the first House record you bought?
The first one, it is hard to say but I think was Satoshi Tomiie
- Tears or Ten City - Devotion.
Which styles of music did you listen to before
you discovered House? What are your roots?
I heard freestyle (very popular in Brazil around 87/88/89) and
70's. I always loved the funky stuff, definitely Disco, Soul,
Funk are my roots.
When did you start your DJ career and where was
your first public gig?
I started in 1989 making little parties around my neighborhood
but the 1st professional gig was in 1991 at Sunset Club.
Which clubs did you rock so far and do you have
a resident job?
I played at Sunset Club, Oficiais Club, Victoria Pub, Zoom, Club
Banespa, Odeon Club, Cha Cha Ch, Columbia, Disco Fever, Florestta,
I'm the resident DJ at Dolores Bar since 1997, and now I'm also
DJing at Manga Rosa.
Please tell me sumthin' about your current projects,
e.g. your radio show, your internet show, Musical Express and
so on.
Well, I make radios shows since 1992 and I really like to do
that, now my weekly Radio mix show is called Sambaloco Dance,
sponsored by Sambaloco Records, a Brazilian indie label. On air
every Saturday night 8pm (Brazil Time) at Imprensa FM 102.5 MHz
in Sao Paulo. My internet shows started just with my sets for
the Musical Express Web Site - www.muexpress.cjb.net.
Then I got some invitations to play on other sites, and now I
have a monthly internet show at UK Rumbal - www.uk-rumbal.co.uk,
and another at Pleasuredome Radio - www.pdomeradio.com.
You are also a producer and a remixer. As I read
in your bio, you did a remix for Curtis & Moore of their track
"Never Stop," released on Soulshine Records. I have the original
release on Swing City and I like it a lot. Unfortunately I haven't
listen to your mix yet, but anyway I'm interested in how you got
in touch with them.
It is really a shame you did not heard the remix by now... Louis
Benedetti, the head of SoulShine, is a big friend of mine and
when he was starting with SoulShine he asked me to make a remix
for his first release. But it was right on time to press the record
and I had no time to finish for the 1st 12' inch. Then it was
released in a SoulShine EP called Unreleased Mixes Part 1, with
my track and another remix by Louis himself, besides a Jay J Hernandez
"You Can Live" with Wade Love on vocals.
What other productions and remixes did you do
and what are your future plans concerning that? Are you currently
working on some tracks?
I made some remixes for Brazilian singers like Ed Motta. But
making House music for the Brazilian Market is very hard, and
trying to make remixes for US or UK companies while living in
Brazil is even harder - I'm just out of the route. So I'm not
forced to produce and really in DJ around US and Europe, spreading
my job, and then if an invitation appears, go deep into the studio
and do my thing.
Let's talk about the House scene in Brazil. Does
it already exist or is it just at the beginning?
It is just in the beginning of the beginning. House music here
was going very well 'til 90. But the DJs who were playing House
music at that time now spin Techno, Trance or "Tec House." Anyway,
I think unfortunately I'm the only one who keeps the real House
music vibe on the wheels. Lots of DJs here say they play House
but when you go and check them, you just hear commercial stuff.
Are there any good House clubs, record stores,
labels etc.? Any other House deejays or producers?
House music clubs? No! There are a few clubs with only one kind
of music playing every day. But if we talk about parties, in the
South of Brazil it's very good to spin and also, of course, at
my parties at Manga Rosa. About the records stores, they were
much better in the early 90's, now in order to find a good House
record you must check all of them. They focus on commercial stuff,
Techno and Trance. Record labels? Forget about that, everybody
runs for commercial stuff, just Sambaloco Records tries do something
different but not in the House music area. More Drum & Bass
and Breakbeat.
What do you think, is there a potential House
audience in your country or in South America in general? How do
you see the possibilities for the future?
I think better days will come for the Brazil area. Some Techno
clubs are open their doors for Dance music (Def Mix commercial
stuff and US Freestyle). It is not our kind of House yet but I
think it will be in probably one or two years. My new party called
'Nu Groove' is in a club that normally only plays Trance and now
they are opening a House music night. I hope things will keep
going on and on. In South America I just played in Chile, which
was a lot of fun and the place was crowded, maybe I will be there
again in 2000. I heard good things about the Paraguay House scene,
but nothing about the rest of the continent.
How do you assess the current status of House
music, considered globally? In my eyes there is an upward trend
at the moment, I see that the underground starts building the
necessary structures which have been missing in the past. And
the music is getting better and better, whereas the crap sound
is getting worse and worse, so the gap between good and bad sounds
is growing. Where do you think will this development lead?
As I said before, House music is growing and I think we will
get the space which House Music deserves pretty soon.
Coming back to yourself, what are you doing besides
music? Any other jobs, hobbies etc.?
No, 100% for the music. Mind, body & soul. As for hobbies,
I love football (of course!)
Do you have a favorite saying or a special message?
If you have a dream, go get it... Obstacles will come but you
must be strong to fight. There is no good feeling like when you
reach your dream. Don't give up!!! Remember, "... Ain't no mountain
high enough..."
Final question, as usual, do you have something
like an all-time top 10?
- Swing 52 - Color Of My Skin - Cutting Records 1994
- Rockmellons - Love's Gonna Bring You Home - Alphabet City
1994
- Michael Procter - Deliver Me - Bassline Records 1995
- Barbara Tucker - Beautiful People - Strictly Rhythm 1994
- Incognito - Always There (MAW) - Talkin' Loud 1996
- Inner Life - Ain't No Mountain High Enough - SalSoul Records
1981
- Roy Ayers - Running Away - Polydor 1977
- Mondo Grosso - Souffles H - Nitegrooves 1995
- Kerri Chandler - Inspiration - Freetown 1994
- Sinnamon - I Need You Now - Jive 1983
Thank you very much for the interview and keep
on spreading the real vibes!!!
I have to thank you for the support of the Underground House
and also for the DJ's who keeps the Underground House flava alive.
Peace.
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