How did funk go from a gritty delicacy of the Brazilian favelas to one of the most infectious dance sounds on the world stage? This April, Beatport – electronic music’s global adjudicator – officially recognised Brazilian funk as an independent genre, recognising what the movement itself has already known for decades. Now, the music platform is collaborating with music company ONErpm to produce a docuseries telling the tale of Brazilian funk from the people who have shaped its sound – hosted by Mochakk, the high-energy Brazilian DJ who has sold out venues from São Paulo to Miami, London to New York.
Its latest episode takes audiences to Belo Horizonte (BH), a southeast Brazilian super-city known for its modernist architecture and pulsing nightlife. “I think funk from [Belo Horizonte] is darker and made with more cuts than funk from São Paulo,” VHOOR, a DJ famous for his fluid, textured, and sample-heavy sound, tells Mochakk on what makes BH unique.
VHOOR appears alongside serial collaborator Mac Júlia, the larger-than-life rapstress whose songs ooze with confidence, sweat and sex appeal. “The young guys at the VIP get horny,” she screams in one track, “When I dance without panties and get down to the floor.”
The special sound of Belo Horizonte, the trio speculate, is reflective of the city’s special architecture: its wide streets, tall buildings and valley-belly position make the cityscape itself immersive, high-pitched and full of echoes, qualities that infuse into Belo Horizonte’s funk.
Talking with Gordão do PC, another BH pioneer, the two reflect on what Brazilian funk’s global dissemination means for hometown artists. “I think it is important because funk reaching the USA and Europe opens doors for people abroad to become interested in our beats and melodies. Imagine how cool it would be if we made connections between an artist from here and an artist from there singing together.
“The way funk is expanding, it opens doors.”
Funk do Brasil with @Mochakk episode 3 can be watched on YouTube on the Beatport, Mochakk, and ONErpm channels for free now. The final episode, covering funk in São Paulo, releases next week.