Open a record store in Bras

Jason Brancazio (jbrancazio@mail.hamquist.com)
25 Feb 1997 22:09:54 -0800


I just had to add Jeroen's post about the completely untapped market for dance
music in Brasil.....

The Brasilian radio stations play (or at least where I was) about 10 pop
songs, basically 10 macarenas that everyone seems to know, and a few of them
have pre-programmed dances to accompany them too. One in particular is
completely absurd, they put a bottle in the middle of the circle and everyone
wiggles their butt over it for some completely unknown reason!

When I was down there (not to far from where Jeroen said he was, in fact) I
kept thinking about how completely unaware the Brasilians were of American
underground music. Not surprising, but here's the catch - people dance to
those stupid 10 pop songs with more enthusiasm and energy than I have ever
seen at the best raves in SF or clubs in London. They just know how to let
loose. They'd probably go beserk if they heard the fat beats.

In particular, I went to this island called Florianopolis which seemed to have
a fair degree of development (in contrast to some of the other places I saw),
in fact they even have a university there - in addition to the paradise of 42
beaches and a beautiful inland lake. I spent a good few hours fantasizing
about pulling a Buddha and turning my back on the U.S. and seeking
enlightenment as a club owner on a beautiful brasilian island. I highly
reccomend this idea to someone with access to good U.S. records and who could
speak Portugese. You can literally start your own scene!

One other great thing about the trip happened on the drive to that island - my
friend's cousin, a cool ass gym teacher/CD store owner in his 30s who was into
the good bits of American rock (read: Santana's Caravanserai and other
improvisatory early 70s stuff) drove us to the island, and as he had a tape
player in his car I suggested we listen to Nickodemus' mix tape. I was
worried, because everyone was silent for a while and it took a while for the
beat to kick in. I generally don't like to force music on people who are
driving so I was really hoping he'd take to the new stuff. Then the tape got
extremely incredible so I stopped caring and just enjoyed the beautiful
scenery and sounds.

The moment the first side ended was the moment of truth. I was wondering if I
was going to have to beg my friend to translate "can you, uh, please turn the
tape over?" when he instantaneously stuck his thumb up and flipped the tape as
soon as it stopped. It was yet another moment that confirms the theory that
good music is universal, and it made me really happy.