Nomade Orquestra – Terceiro Mundo (Nublu Records, 2024)
Brazilian instrumental group Nomade Orquestra makes a powerful return with Terceiro Mundo (Third World), their fifth album. Known for their masterful fusion of genres, Nomade Orquestra from São Paulo brings forward brass-driven arrangements and a deep-rooted amalgam of 1970s funk, soul, and jazz with an unmistakably Brazilian touch. Their music explores everything from Northeast Brazilian folk to irresistible rhythms like congo de ouro and baile funk.
The album’s opening track pulls from their 2017 release, Entremundos, creating a bridge between past works. This brief, reversed clip, layered with Tibetan-inspired bells, sets a meditative tone.
Terceiro Mundo marks the final chapter in what the band considers a trilogy, consciously setting aside Vox Populi Vol. 1 and Na Terra Das Primaveras, which brought in vocalists and reggae elements.
The album title Terceiro Mundo reaches beyond its literal translation, invoking Brazil’s socio-political complexities, particularly the realities of ABC Paulista, an industrial hub on São Paulo’s edge. This framing adds depth to the album’s themes, merging socio-political commentary with their uniquely Brazilian sound.
Nomade Orquestra’s philosophy rests in instrumental music’s power to evoke internal shifts without words. Their sound on Terceiro Mundo is a carefully crafted interplay of funk, soul, and global influences, with traditional instruments creating immersive experiences that transcend time. “We’re closing an important conceptual cycle,” the band shared.
Recorded mostly live and in single takes, the album achieves an organic, almost collage-like feel. The track “O Nascimento do Sol Invencível” (The Birth of the Invincible Sun) captures this spirit, fusing trumpets, trombones, flutes, and a sample from activist Paulo Galo. The track reflects the band’s vision of sparking a “revolution without speaking,” embedding activism within their musical framework.
Tracks like “Peixeira Amolada & Quebra Queixo” explore Brazilian cultural symbols with depth and nuance. The peixeira amolada (a sharpened knife) symbolizes resilience, while quebra-queixo (coconut candy brought from Angola) connects to a historical struggle, invoking the fortitude of the everyday worker. In this metaphor, the music stands as both tribute and rallying cry.
“Cidade Estrangeira” captures São Paulo’s cultural mosaic, celebrating the city’s intermingling of indigenous, European, African, and immigrant influences, a microcosm of Brazil’s diversity.
“O Extraordinário Presente” breathes a sense of self-determination and hope, while “Mariposa Tigre” brings funk and reggae into the mix.
“Invasão de Pindorama” pays homage to Brazil’s open, racially blended culture, while “Revolução dos Cocos” draws inspiration from the environmental revolt in Papua New Guinea, the Bougainville Civil War, known as the world’s first environmental revolution.
Bassist Ruy Rascassi precisely sums up the band’s outlook and aim, “We face reality and all the challenges imposed on us, with hope. We fully believe that music and art are necessary expressions for a mentally blocked society.”
Musicians: Guilherme Nakata on drums; Ruy Rascassi on bass; Marcos Mauricio on piano, organ, clavinet, synthesizers; Beto Malfatti on tenor sax, flute, dizi; Marco Stoppa on trumpet, flugelhorn; Bio Bonato on baritone sax, flute, pife; Luiz Galvão on guitar, acoustic guitar; Victor Fão on trombone; Raphael Coelho on percussion; and Ana Eliza Colomar on alto sax, flutes, hulusi.
Special guest: André Calixto on harmonica.
Produced and composed by: Nomade Orquestra
Author: Iliana Cabrera
