43 f
Chico with Fred Zero Quatro and members of Lamento Negro R
ecife once spent ten years as Brazil’s number one in terms of unemployment and inflation. The city’s eco- nomic transformation over the last 20 years was partly thanks to Porto Digital – a hub of over 100 informa- tion technology companies. Silvio Meira, co-founder of Porto Digital, wrote about the direct link between the success of his organisation and the achievements of the Mangue collective: “We learnt from Chico and the Mangue scene that it was possible to conceive, create and produce here in Recife.”
Porto Digital started Porto Musical – an annual technology and music conference in Recife. In 2005, Porto Musical became the first Womex (World Music Expo) event to be held outside of Europe. In choosing Recife, Womex confirmed the city’s status as a reference point for cultural innovation, not only in Brazil but worldwide. The event can be traced directly from those early meetings of Chico and his friends two decades ago.
So, does Manguebeat still exist? I asked DJ Dolores. “As far as I’m concerned, Mangue never existed,” he said. “The idea was that if we had to live in this dump, at least we’d make it a better dump to live in. We wanted to create our own scene in Recife but as soon as we got the world’s attention, everyone went off to do their own thing. There are fantastic artists here but, in terms of Recife as a scene, it’s just as frustrating as ever.”
H D Mabuse was more positive: “Mangue’s influence can still be found in everything that comes out of Recife,” he said, “but it’s like Oscar Wilde said – it’s the obligation of each generation to go against the previous one. Mangue was about never copying, so if the kids are doing their own thing now that’s just as it should be.”
Renato L said: “Recife now has more bands, more festivals and more music. I wouldn’t be Secretary for Culture if it wasn’t for Manguebeat. There’s no longer a Mangue scene but it’s still a ref- erence point for everything that comes out of Recife.”
The bar Nova Pina was once a meeting point for the Mangue- boys and girls. Today, punters drink under the shadow of a life-size statue of Chico Science, erected as a tribute by the State of Pernam- buco. When A Praiera by Chico Science And Nação Zumbi comes on the jukebox, the middle-aged waiter sings along just as enthusiasti- cally as a group of teenagers in baseball caps and baggy jeans; the girls they have been eyeing up on the next table complain that they’d love to go out in Recife just once without having to hear this song; when the conversation moves on, they mouth the words under their breath. Like Bob Marley for Jamaica, or the Beatles for everyone else, it’s hard to imagine Recife without Manguebeat. F
Photos: Fred Jordao
Photo: Gil Vicente/Fanzine
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