Rocky Marsiano: Edits, Tributes & Reworks

Rocky Marsiano: Edits, Tributes & Reworks

Attention all Rocky Marsiano fans: here’s a growing collection of what we might have once called B-sides and lost tapes, for your listening pleasure. In Rocky’s own words:

“This is a collection of edits, tributes and reworks I have been making during the past few years. The idea is for this to be an “always growing” type of collection. Every now and then I intend to add 3 to 5 new tracks. These are all original artists I very much respect and admire and through these reworks I am paying a tribute to their art and hope to get their music to new types of audiences. “

EDITS, TRIBUTES & REWORKS by Rocky Marsian

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Rocky Marsiano: Edits, Tributes & Reworks

Attention all Rocky Marsiano fans: here’s a growing collection of what we might have once called B-sides and lost tapes, for your listening pleasure. In Rocky’s own words:

“This is a collection of edits, tributes and reworks I have been making during the past few years. The idea is for this to be an “always growing” type of collection. Every now and then I intend to add 3 to 5 new tracks. These are all original artists I very much respect and admire and through these reworks I am paying a tribute to their art and hope to get their music to new types of audiences. “

EDITS, TRIBUTES & REWORKS by Rocky Marsian

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Lyrics Video: Jeune Lio – My Love feat. Magasco

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Rocky Marsiano & Meu Kamba Sound – Meu Kota EP

[:en]

Rocky Marsiano: Facebook | Soundcloud | Website

It’s a pleasure to work with Rocky Marsiano on what may be his most personal work to date, an EP where he set aside his MPC, to focus instead on the sound he has developed with Meu Kamba Sound. In his own words:

“Meu Kota is an EP that has been directly inspired by my live performances throughout the past year, whether as a DJ or with my Meu Kamba Sound collective. The key members of my collective like the percussion wizard Toni and my scratch DJ Sr Alfaiate are present on most of the tracks, while all the vocal cameos make it a real pan-afro-european affair. We have Prince Wadada representing the Angolan dance-hall scene, Milton Gulli bringing his Mozambican flavor, Nelson da Costa, old school guitarist from Guiné-Bissau, delivers some incredible licks, while Sagaz and Karlon represent the very best of crioulo rap made in the Lisbon ghettos.”

“Sampling is almost completely set aside this time around, making this a step into a different direction from the previous Meu Kamba albums.”

About the songs:

1. Meu Kota (feat. Karlon, Toni, Nelson da Costa)

This track was inspired by the times I played MHD’s track A Kele Nta at some parties. I thought: this is fresh – an MC spitting on this type of beat. So when I cooked up the core of this track, I sent it over to Karlon and “challenged” him to drop some verses in his own style over a more dance beat. I knew he would kill it and he did. Baaaaam! Karlon used to be one half of legendary duo Nigga Poison – probably the best ever crioulo (from Cabo Verde) rapping hip-hop group ever. He just released a very nice album called Passaporti,  heavily influenced by music from Cabo Verde. Meu Kota means “My Old One” and is a reference by Karlon to myself – I am from the first generation of Portuguese MCs (in case you didn’t know) while he is from the second. 

Guitar licks by old-school guitarist Nelson da Costa (brother of Manecas da Costa, he has played with most legendary bands from Cabo Verde in the 80s and 90s) and the percussion by Toni (of afro dance troop Batoto Yetu) were recorded during one big studio session back in January.  

2. Chama Chama (feat. Milton Gulli)

I had the beat only: drums, percussion sounds and breaks, and then added a bit of the synth bass to it. I liked the afro-beatish kind of raw sound of those elements and then Milton Gulli of Cacique ’97 – Portugal’s leading afro-beat band – came to my mind. I sent him the beat to Maputo, where he now lives, and a few weeks later I was surprised by how much love he put back into his contribution: all the guitars, bass line and synths were played and recorded over the original beat. All I did afterwards was find the perfect vocal sample to complement Milton’s input. I’ve been playing this track live with my Meu Kamba collective and it’s a real banger.

3. Vem Dançar (feat. Prince Wadada & Toni)

Some Brazilian samba breaks, mixed with Toni’s percussion and Prince Wadada’s raw dance-hall voice with a heavy Angolan accent? Why not. This track has a really nice swing to it and the sampled vocals are by Melo D from an old recording I had. The percussion was recorded during one big studio session back in January while Wadada sent his vocal stems from Luanda.

4. Deste Lado (feat. Sr Alfaiate & Toni)

This is a deep kind of b-boy breaks meet afro sounds type of track. What made the whole track sound from another planet was Toni’s percussion. We layered congas and djembés on top of each other. The kalimba was played by me and my scratch DJ, Sr Alfaiate (happens to be Toni’s brother) – Portugal’s finest in his craft – recorded some very dope cuts on a break. The percussion and the cuts were recorded during one big studio session back in January. All the guitars are from an old recording I did with South African band BCUC while they were passing through Amsterdam years ago. The recording never saw the light of day so I am happy I could still use these very nice guitar licks. 

5. Free Fallin (feat. Sagaz & Sr. Alfaiate)

Sagaz is my favourite MC from Lisbon. He is a pioneer when it comes to rapping in crioulo from Cabo Verde and an incredibly talented writer. We recorded these vocals back in 2013, together with a bunch of other vocals that ended up on both Meu Kamba albums and I changed the original beat to this one. It has some nice berimbau samples during the chorus, adding some extra tropical flavor to the hard and bassy beat.The cuts were recorded during one big studio session back in January.

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Rocky Marsiano: Facebook | Soundcloud | Website

C’est un plaisir de travailler avec Rocky Marsiano sur ce qui pourrait être l’un de ses projets les plus personnel, un EP où il a mit de côté son MPC, pour se concentrer sur le son qu’il a développé avec Meu Kamba Sound. D’après lui:

Meu Kota est un EP qui s’est inspiré directement de mes performances lives à travers les années, que ce soit en tant que DJ ou avec mon collectif Meu Kamba Sound. Les membres clés de mon collectif, comme le percussionniste Toni et mon DJ Sr Alfaiate sont présents sur la plupart des chansons, pendant que les apparitions vocales en font une réelle histoire pan-afro-européenne. On a Prince Wadada représentant la scène dance-hall angolaise, Milton Gulli apportant une touche mozambicaine, Nelson Da Costa, un guitariste old school de Guiné-Bissau, délivre d’incroyables riffs, pendant que Sagaz et Karlon représentent ce qui se fait de mieux en rap crioulo provenant des ghettos de Lisbonne.

Le sample est complètement mis de côté cette fois ci, ce qui donne une orientation différente par rapport aux précédents albums de Meu Kamba.

A propos des chansons:

1. Meu Kota (feat. Karlon, Toni, Nelson da Costa)

Cette chanson m’a été inspirée par les moments où je jouais A kele Nta de MHD à certaines soirées. Je pensais: c’est cool, un MC rappant sur ce genre de beat. Donc quand j’ai préparé la base de cette chanson, je l’ai envoyé à Karlon et lui ai demandé de poser quelques lignes dans son propre style mais sur un beat plus dansant. Je savais qu’il cartonnerait, et il l’a fait. Karlon était l’un des deux membres du duo légendaire Nigga Poison – surement le meilleur groupe de rap de crioulou. Il vient de sortir un bel album appelé Passaporti, très influencé par la musique cap verdienne. Meu Kota signifie “Mon Ancien” et c’est une référence de Karlon vis-à-vis de moi – je suis issu de la première génération de MC portugais (au cas où vous ne le sauriez pas) alors que lui vient de la seconde. Les riffs de guitare du guitariste Nelson Da Costa (frère de Manecas Da Costa, il a joué avec les groupes les plus légendaires du Cap Vert entre 1980 et 1990) et les percussions de Toni (de la troupe d’afro dance Batoto Yetu) ont été enregistrés en une seule grande session studio en janvier dernier.

2. Chama Chama (feat. Milton Gulli)

J’avais seulement le beat: les batteries, le son des percussions et les breaks, j’ai ensuite ajouté à ça un peu de basse synthétique. J’aimais le son brut du beat afro de ces éléments et c’est alors que Milton Gulli de Cacique ‘97 – le groupe majeur d’afro beat au Portugal – m’est venu à l’esprit. Je lui ai envoyé le beat à Maputo, c’est là qu’il vit maintenant, et quelque semaine plus tard j’ai été surpris par combien sa contribution était pleine d’amour : toutes les guitares, les lignes de basses et synthés ont été joués et enregistrés sur le beat original. Tout ce que j’ai fais au final a été de trouver les samples vocaux pour coller à la perfection à ce que Milton avait déjà réalisé. J’ai joué cette chanson en live avec mon collectif Meu Kamba, et c’est un vrai tube.

3. Vem Dançar (feat. Prince Wadada & Toni)

Quelque breaks de samba brésilienne, mélangés aux percussions de Tony et à la voix dance-hall de Prince Wadada au fort accent angolais ? Pourquoi pas. Les vocaux samplés sont de Melo D et proviennent d’un vieil enregistrement que j’avais. Les percussions ont été enregistrées durant une seule grande session studio en janvier dernier tandis que Prince Wadada m’a envoyé ses vocaux depuis Luanda.

4. Deste Lado (feat. Sr Alfaiate & Toni)

Ce titre est un genre de breaks b-boy qui rencontrent des sons africains. Ce sont les percussions de Toni qui donnent à ce son l’impression qu’il vient d’ailleurs. Nous avons superposé les unes sur les autres les pistes des congas avec celles des djembés. Le kalimba a été joué par moi, et mon DJ Sr Alfaiate (qui est le frère de Toni) – le meilleur dans son domaine au Portugal – a enregistré de très bons sons sur le break. Les percussions et les beats ont été enregistrés durant une seule grande session studio. Toutes les guitares proviennent d’un vieil enregistrement que j’avais fait avec un groupe sud-africain BCUC alors qu’ils étaient de passage à Amsterdam il y a des années. L’enregistrement n’était jamais sorti jusqu’alors, je suis donc, content de pouvoir utiliser ces superbes riffs de guitares.

5. Free Fallin (feat. Sagaz & Sr. Alfaiate)

Sagaz est mon MC préféré de Lisbonne. Il est un pionnier dans le rap crioulo du Cap Vert et est un parolier talentueux. Nous avons enregistré ces vocaux en 2014 ensemble avec d’autres vocaux qui ont fini sur les albums de Meu Kamba et j’ai changé le beat original de celle-ci. Elle a de sympathiques samples de Berimbau sur le refrain, ajoutant une touche tropicale à ce beat massif. Le titre a été enregistré durant une seule grande session studio en janvier dernier.

[:]

Rocky Marsiano: 7″ Vinyl & Summer Tour Dates

Rocky Marsiano: 7″ Vinyl & Summer Tour Dates

 

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Rocky Marsiano just released this beautiful 7″ vinyl along with a 4 track digital EP, all of it available on his Bandcamp:

Ritinha/Djó Djó (7″vinyl) + 2 digital bonus tracks by Rocky Marsiano

Rocky is also performing quite a bit this summer, in particular he is introducing his Meu Kamba Live ensemble at Outjazz Festival, on June 21 in Lisbon. Other gigs always listed in the right column of this site, or right here:

11160053_10205830298829651_7231378891289974362_o

 

11169708_10205652345540930_2166197071677423303_o

Rocky Marsiano vient de sortir un 45 tours accompagné d’un EP digital de 4 morceaux, le tout dispo sur son Bandcamp:

Ritinha/Djó Djó (7″vinyl) + 2 digital bonus tracks by Rocky Marsiano

Rocky donne aussi pas mal de concerts cet été, en particulier le 21 juin à Lisbonne: il présente son Meu Kamba Live ensemble à l’occasion du Outjazz Festival. Les autres dates sont listées ci-dessous:

11160053_10205830298829651_7231378891289974362_o

 

11169708_10205652345540930_2166197071677423303_o

Rocky Marsiano just released this beautiful 7″ vinyl along with a 4 track digital EP, all of it available on his Bandcamp:

Ritinha/Djó Djó (7″vinyl) + 2 digital bonus tracks by Rocky Marsiano

Rocky is also performing quite a bit this summer, in particular he is introducing his Meu Kamba Live ensemble at Outjazz Festival, on June 21 in Lisbon. Other gigs always listed in the right column of this site, or right here:

11160053_10205830298829651_7231378891289974362_o

 

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Music Video: Solid K – Music on the Road

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Rocky Marsiano: 7″ Vinyl & Summer Tour Dates

 

11169708_10205652345540930_2166197071677423303_o

Rocky Marsiano just released this beautiful 7″ vinyl along with a 4 track digital EP, all of it available on his Bandcamp:

Ritinha/Djó Djó (7″vinyl) + 2 digital bonus tracks by Rocky Marsiano

Rocky is also performing quite a bit this summer, in particular he is introducing his Meu Kamba Live ensemble at Outjazz Festival, on June 21 in Lisbon. Other gigs always listed in the right column of this site, or right here:

11160053_10205830298829651_7231378891289974362_o

 

11169708_10205652345540930_2166197071677423303_o

Rocky Marsiano vient de sortir un 45 tours accompagné d’un EP digital de 4 morceaux, le tout dispo sur son Bandcamp:

Ritinha/Djó Djó (7″vinyl) + 2 digital bonus tracks by Rocky Marsiano

Rocky donne aussi pas mal de concerts cet été, en particulier le 21 juin à Lisbonne: il présente son Meu Kamba Live ensemble à l’occasion du Outjazz Festival. Les autres dates sont listées ci-dessous:

11160053_10205830298829651_7231378891289974362_o

[:de]

11169708_10205652345540930_2166197071677423303_o

Rocky Marsiano just released this beautiful 7″ vinyl along with a 4 track digital EP, all of it available on his Bandcamp:

Ritinha/Djó Djó (7″vinyl) + 2 digital bonus tracks by Rocky Marsiano

Rocky is also performing quite a bit this summer, in particular he is introducing his Meu Kamba Live ensemble at Outjazz Festival, on June 21 in Lisbon. Other gigs always listed in the right column of this site, or right here:

11160053_10205830298829651_7231378891289974362_o

 

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Rocky Marsiano – Esse Mambo

 

Original sample by Bonga – “Ku Tando” off of his epic Angola 72 album. iTunes

Rocky Marsiano is the brainchild of Lisbon hip hop veteran D-Mars, the result of his passion for MPC head bobbin’ beats, as well as Lusophone classics from Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique, which permeate the streets he grew up on in Lisbon.

“Esse Mambo” samples one of the greatest Angolan recording artists of all times, Bonga, and is a perfect introduction to Rocky Marsiano’s playfully hybrid sound. “Both Angola 72 and Angola 74 are classic records from Angola. All the songs on both albums are just great: so much depth and rhythmical vibes”

Marsiano manages to tastefully expand the vibes of this classic record, as he does on the rest of his Meu Kamba project, which comes out online September 23.