Anna-Sophia VAI (2024)
The story of baile funk or funk carioca is the story of Afro-Brazilian music from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. A purely electronic sound that originally eschewed live instrumentation in favor of the 808 drum machine and gave rise to producer and MC duos rocking the decks and the mic at discos around the country's urban centers. Baile means dance and baile funk is dance music. It was made to get people moving and emerged from the working class to become one of the nation’s most popular and beloved sounds.
Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, the origins of the sound have been obscured as it’s gained international popularity. While the music communicates fun, dancing and sensuality, it also tells the story of the struggles of daily life for Black people in Brazil and in the favelas. It embodies the joy and pain that so much excellent and distinguished music has been borne from.
Based in Switzerland, Anna-Sophia combines her breezy pop sensibilities with strokes of sheer baile brilliance. The sound isn’t what you’re expecting, it’s going to take you somewhere a little more fun. “VAI” is a sexy song with an edge and the everlasting promise of a good time. It’s exactly what pop music should be—a little bit of this, a little bit of that, to make something new that still resonates with the collective. What a vibe.
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