Connoisseurs of Brazilian music like
to pride themselves on being able to recognize and identify
the many genres of music in Brazil. That's a chorinho;
there's a samba; here's Forr≤ and that's a Maracatu. There!
Everything nice and neat and in its place. Then, along comes
a group like Uakti that forces us to scrap our well-ordered
view of Brazilian music. What can we do? What else-just sit
back and listen- and enjoy one of the world's truly original
ensembles of musicians.
Uakti is the brainchild of one Marco Antonio Guimarπes, a native of Belo Horizonte who studied in the 70's under composer and instrument maker Walter Smetak at the University of Bahia. Struck by Smetak's original approach to music and sound, Marco Antonio began to experiment with his own musical instruments after he graduated. When he sought out a group of musicians to actually play his novel creations, Uakti was born.
It may be the instruments themselves that make Uakti so undefinable. No one else has ever conceived of such creations, much less played them or composed for them. The raw materials are glass, wood, string, and the occasional PVC pipe or garden hose. They're plucked, banged, blown, stomped or rubbed to produce their highly original sounds. And they're conceived of as a set, a complete orchestra, if you will, of bizarre and wonderful new sounds, meant to be played together. They emerge from the imagination of someone who clearly sees music in its purest form as sound, not some structured system of rules and cultural norms.
Or, it could be it's the music itself (most of it composed by Marco Antonio) that sets Uakti apart. It's risky to attempt to describe it, because words come from existing notions of music, and Uakti long ago abandoned those. But no music comes into being in a vacuum, and the astute listener will pick up elements of jazz, classical, African, Indian, Native American, samba, and many other forms of music in Uakti's sound. But forget about where it comes from, it's where it goes that's astonishing. Soaring, rhythmic, melodic lines repeat and interlace hypnotically; instruments that are at once percussive, melodic and harmonic deepen the trance. Suddenly, an unexpected shrill, glassy tone rides over the top like the lonesome cry of a diving eagle. It's really quite the ambient experience.
The name Uakti itself holds its own legend, a legend from the Toucan Indians of the Amazon. In their mythology, Uakti was a character who lived on the banks of the Rio Negro. His body was full of holes, and it produced wonderful music whenever the wind blew. This sound was so alluring that the maidens of the tribe were drawn to him. In a jealous rage, the men of the tribe hunted him and killed him, and buried his body in the forest. Tall palm trees eventually grew on the spot, and from the wood, the tribe made musical instruments that produced the same melodious and melancholy tones Uakti had made. The instruments could only be used in closed ceremonies, away from the women, lest the charming power of Uakti's music once again rise and have its seductive effect on them.
An apt name for a group that produces such hypnotic music. Look for Uakti's music at your local record shop. Exactly where to look, well, that's a problem. Or, better yet, catch Uakti in one of their live appearances during their North American tour this spring. Just be ready to have your well-ordered views of Brazilian music shattered. It's better that way-trust me.