Funk Carioca - Recognition in Europe

Recognition in Europe

Until the year 2000, Funk Carioca was only a regional phenomenon. Then the European media began to report its peculiar combination of music, social issues with a strong sexual appeal.

In 2001, for the first time, Baile funk tracks appeared on a Non-Brazilian label. The album was named Favela Chic by BMG and contained 3 old-school funk carioca hits, including the song Popozuda Rock n´Roll by De Falla.

In 2003, the tune Quem Que Caguetou (Follow Me Follow Me) by Black Alien & Speed, not a big hit in Brazil, was then used in a sports car advertisement in Europe, and it helped spread the word about baile funk. Berlin music journalist and DJ Daniel Haaksman released the seminal CD-compilations Rio Baile Funk Favela Booty Beats in 2004, and More Favela Booty Beats 2006 through Essay Recordings Germany. He launched the international career of "Popozuda Rock n´Roll" artist Edu K, whose baile funk anthem was used in a soft drink TV advertisement in Germany. Haaksman continued to produce and distribute many new baile funk records, especially the EP series "Funk Mundial" and "Baile Funk Masters" on his label Man Recordings.

In 2004, dance clubs from Eastern Europe, mainly Romania and Bulgaria increased the popularity of funk due to the strong sexual appeal of the music and dance, also known as Bonde das Popozudas. Many Rio funk artists started to do shows abroad at that time. DJ Marlboro and Favela Chic Paris club were the pioneer travellers/producers. The funk carioca production was until then limited to playing in the ghettos and the Brazilian pop market. DJ Marlboro, a major composer of funk carioca's tunes declared in 2006 in the Brazilian "Isto É magazine" how astonished he was with the sudden overseas interest in the genre. He traveled in over 10 European countries.

In London, artists Tetine have also assembled an important pioneer compilation in 2004, Slum Dunk Presents Funk Carioca mixed by Tetine, by Mr Bongo Records. In Italy, Irma Records released the 2005 compilation Colors Music #4: Rio Funk. Many small European (notably Arcade Mode) and American (Flamin´Hotz, Nossa) labels released several compilations and EPs in bootleg formats.

The artist M.I.A. brought mainstream international popularity to Brazilian Funk with her single Bucky Done Gun released in 2005, and attention to US-based Diplo who worked as the song's producer. He had worked on M.I.A.'s 2004 mixtape Piracy Funds Terrorism in addition to the tracks Baile Funk One, Baile Funk Two, and Baile Funk Three. Diplo made a 2004 bootleg mix CD Favela On Blast after finding Ivanna Bergese compiled remix-tapes of her performance act Yours Truly. He also produced documentary Favela on Blast, which was released in July 2010 and documents the role, culture, and character of funk carioca in Rio's favelas.

Other indie video-documentaries have been made in Europe, especially in Germany and Sweden. These generally focused on the social issues in the favelas. One of the most famous of these series of documentaries is Mr Catra the faithful (2005) by Danish filmmaker Andreas Rosforth Johnsen, broadcasted by many European open and cable television channels.

London based artist Sandra D'Angelo was the first Italian singer-producer to bring Baile funk to Italy. She performed in London with Mc Gringo at Notting Hill Arts Club in 2008. She performed her baile funk productions for the contest Edison Change the Music in 2008. Sandra D'Angelo performed Baile Funk also in New York and produced tracks with EDU KA (Man Recordings) and DJ Amazing Clay from Rio.

In 2008 Berlin label Man Recordings released Gringão, the debut album by German MC Gringo - the only non-Brazilian MC performing in the bailes of Rio de Janeiro.