Napalma gets Port Alfred up and dancing
JON HOUZET
PORT Alfred reverberated to the frantic drumming of Afro-Brazilian electro-percussive sensation Napalma at Barmuda on Sunday night.
It was the group's third visit to Port Alfred. They first played here three years ago, and again in December last year. This time they also performed in Bathurst, described as the biggest show ever seen in the sleepy village.
From a band that was started in Brazil, Napalma has taken on a true international flavour, with a Mozambican, an Israeli and a Brazilian forming the core group.
| FEEL THE BEAT: The members of Afro-Brazilian band Napalma in action at Barmuda on Sunday night. From left are percussionist Cid Travaglia, vocalist/percussionist Ivo Maia and DJ Itamar Weiss Picture: JON HOUZET |
"It's a Brazilian project,” said Travaglia. "On the road we find other musicians and other influences. We toured in Brazil, a few people joined us and came and went.”
He described their musical influences as "Afro-Brazilian percussive and electronic”.
"We're experimental. Electronic music is so universal. In Brazil they'll add different instruments – Brazil is very open to different kinds of music.”
From the audience response at their concert at Barmuda, Port Alfred is also open to Napalma's sound – or at least the crowd of students (and one or two older folk) who were dancing and jumping under the marquee made it appear so.
The energetic dreadlocked Maia encouraged audience participation as he sang and bounced on the stage.
"We had a very good response in Ndlambe,” he said. "Bathurst was very good.”
A group of 40 students came down from Grahamstown for the show at the Bathurst Arms on Saturday and camped for the night.
"At Barmuda they were a bit shy in the beginning. Nobody wants to be a first one on the dance floor. But the second half was good with a full dance floor,” he said.
The third member of the group is DJ Itamar Weiss from Israel, who joined about a year ago.
"I had a band called Zen on Canvas in Cape Town, which played fusion, hip hop and had a couple of MC's. I met Napalma in Cape Town. A founding member left and they needed someone to replace him,” said Weiss.
The group has toured overseas in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Holland and Egypt.
They are based in South Africa now, though they are scattered throughout the country – Maia in Johannesburg, Weiss in Cape Town and Travaglia in Port Elizabeth.
"We meet for three weeks at a time and do 10 or 15 shows, or we get together just for a weekend,” said Weiss.
