- country:Brazil
- region:Rio de Janeiro
- style(s):Reggae
- label:Warner Music
- type:Band
- artist posted by:Instituto Quorum Produçoes e Eventos
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PONTO DE EQUILIBRIO
"Abre a janela" (Open the Window)
Just guess what starts a new CD with the following lyrics: "Abre a janela da favela/Voce vai ver a beleza que tem por dentro dela/Nao quero dizer que la nao existe tristeza/Nao quero dizer que la nao existe pobreza/ Porque favela sem miseria nao e favela"?(In English: Open the slum window You'll see the beauty inside of it I don't mean there is no sadness I don't man there is no poverty Cause slums without misery are not slums")
Slums, misery, poverty... We are speaking of a samba group, right? ... Let's see, slums, misery, poverty... We are speaking of a reggae band, right?
If you listen carefully, it's not only one, it's not only the other; maybe both. At last, ladies and gentlemen, we are floating to the sound of Ponto de Equilibrio, a "carioca" reggae band, born and raised in Vila Isabel. That's why the song "Abre a Janela" is the best visiting card to its second work, the "Abre a Janela" album. Lull-a-bying the beautiful lyrics from the greatly missed composer Gracia do Salgueiro, the unmatchable Jamaican beat garnishes Helio Bentes' unique voice. In addition, it brings dub adornments and a subtle beat at the end of it. A detail: Gracia, the author of the hit "1800 colinas" was Marcelo Campos' father, the band percussionist, playing the drums in that track. You open the slums' window and find all of this, well balanced, in a perfect circle.
Produced by the expert Chico Neves, "Abre a Janela" has another merit, besides once more dissipating esthetical barriers between samba and reggae. The album doesn't let drop the ball raised by "Reggae a vida com amor" the beautiful Ponto de Equilibrio debut, primarily launched as an independent work, 2004, and then distributed by Deckdisc. There, it was already notable the band cohesion as well as its spiritual determination.
Formed around the turning point from 1999 to 2000, after some meetings at Sana region notorious hippie refuge at Rio de Janeiro rural zone Ponto de Equilibrio identity, justifying its name, was taken from some place in between the sixties feelings of "peace and love" and the psychedelic idealism of the Jamaican rastas, enchanting the world since the 70's. In the cross line of these pieces of History, there is Ponto.
In the first CD having sold more than 50 thousand copies and with the counting still going on there already had the reggae-samba connection. It was reflected in the samba enredo "Kizomba, a festa da raca", which gave to the Escola de Samba Vila Isabel, in the 1988 parade, the title of Champion, and that softly emerged at the end of "Rastafara" song. This time, the mixing appears in "Janela da Favela". But this is not the end of the story.
Concluded in only one month of recordings, masterly conducted by Chico Neves (who has already worked with Skank, Rappa and Lenine among others), actually, "Abre a janela", is the fruit of months of rehearsals and experiments during the tours, imprinting the band in the audience's imaginary. The songs major part is inedited, born during those rehearsals (as "Verdadeiro Valor"); but some of them, as"Lagrimas de Jah", are reminders of the group formation, with new garment and beat.
Among the invited ones, say present Marcelo Bernardes (Chico Buarque), Cecilia Spyer (Roberto Carlos, Gilberto Gil, Marina Lima) and Marlon Sette (Nando Reis, Marcelinho da Lua). But the one that can state to be always present is V100T rapper, from the collective Mafia da Caneta, showing the power of his rhymes in "O Inimigo", to then return to his place and show the power of his arms as the band roadie, which he performs for more than a year. V100T is a good example of what equilibrium is. Better saying, Ponto de Equilibrio (from the English Equilibrium Point).
Carlos Albuquerque
Abril/2007