Mestre Ambrosio
Fuá na casa de CaBRal

Let's first trace an approximate timeline of Brazilian music, starting with bossa nova, which developed between the fifties and sixties, moving through MPB (música popular brasileira) which reached its peak of creativity in the early seventies, to the rise of national rock in the eighties with bands like Titas, Barão Vermelho by Cazuza, and Legião Urbana, who drew inspiration from European and North American music, up to the nineties when the manguebeat movement exploded, represented mainly by Chico Science and Nação Zumbi and Mestre Ambrosio.

This small scheme allows us to draw two simple but interesting conclusions: first, we notice a geographical shift from the south to the north of Brazil. Bossa nova was born in Rio de Janeiro, MPB finds fertile ground in Bahia, and manguebeat in Pernambuco. The second aspect is social; while bossa nova is music that was born in bourgeois environments, MPB - and the name itself affirms - is popular music that develops more in a relatively poor state like Bahia, economically poor but certainly not culturally, in an effervescent period like the seventies in a social context characterized by youth protest and therefore predominantly university. National rock, however, reaches all social classes, giving vent to that rage repressed by the two-decade dictatorship. And finally, manguebeat, a movement characterized by the fusion of traditional Pernambucan music and rhythms with different genres such as hip-hop and rock, for example.

"Fuá na casa de CaBRal" was released in 1998 and presents itself as an intriguing listen for those seeking something different, a good opportunity to approach the rich rhythmic world of Pernambuco: maracatu, coco, ciranda, cavalo marinho, forró, caboclinho, and embolada.

Unfortunately, the manguebeat movement did not develop as it could have, a style that was born and remains paralyzed in the nineties, restricted to a small circle of groups. On the other hand, however, it must be recognized for its merit in spreading Pernambucan musical culture nationally, and thanks to this, today many artists who have worked for years with only the strength of passion to keep this musical heritage alive enjoy funding and even international recognition, thanks to the social policies of the Lula government and the work of then-Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil.