09.12.2007
RHYTHM IS GONNA GET YOU: BRIGADA AND THE SOUL OF SAMBA
GO BEYOND—OR RATHER, BEFORE—BOSSA NOVA WITH THE MAN WHO CO-STARTED THE FIRST FILIPINO BATERIA. JOELLE JACINTO TALKS TO INKY DE DIOS, FOUNDER AND LEADER OF BRIGADA
Chances are, you've probably heard of Brigada already, or better yet, you've actually heard them live and in all their glory. Brigada is the Philippines’ first samba bateria, a percussion ensemble that's most likely going to get under your skin, as well as get you up on your feet. Inky de Dios is their founder and leader—he also started up the Hairy Dawgs, a precursor of Brigada, but first gained deserved acknowledgement from fellow musicians as part of Pinoy reggae pioneers Indio I. Brigada plans to release their debut album by the end of the year.
PULSE.PH: What other bands have you played for, leading up to the current ones? Which would you say were important in your musical development?
INKY DE DIOS: I've played, sessioned, jammed, or recorded with: Indio I, Brownman Revival, Piranha, Brownbeat Allstars and POT over the past 15 years or so. Currently I'm playing for: Brigada (musical director, percussion), The Out of Body Special (keys), Ten (vocals, acoustic guitar), Marshmellow (piano). I would say that Indio I and POT were the most important in my musical development because they were the first truly professional bands I played for. These were hardworking, gigging bands, and playing for them was basically my on the job training, confirmation that being a musician is a legitimate profession. Of course, being a musician is more than playing a lot of gigs so I'd say my current bands are the biggest influence in my musical development right now.
Did being a music major lead you towards the diverse spectrum of music you are currently playing? Or did it have no effect whatsoever? If the latter, were you disappointed? Other thoughts?
I think it's a bit of everything. Being a music major exposes—even forces—you to be open to all sorts of music. On the plus side, you gain an innate knowledge of the structure, form and inner workings of music, sort of like blueprints of a building or the encoding language of computers. On the downside, your appreciation of music changes too. Sometimes you can't turn off the training and you can't even appreciate a catchy pop song anymore. I'm trying to find the balance between, say, a second inversion on the borrowed II leading to the V, back to the root and that riff just kicks ass.
Where did you discover the samba bateria? What inspired you to form your own bateria group here?
It was when I studied in England [Liverpool] in 1998 that I discovered samba when played by a bateria [percussion ensemble]. I was just on my way to a club one night and I heard an amazing sound about a block away. It was a bateria of around 20 people and the memory still gets my blood racing. I joined the Liverpool Samba School the following week and learned how to play samba. When I got back, I missed playing samba so much I looked for people who understood. Unfortunately, the Philppines has never progressed beyond bossa nova, which is ironic because samba is the root of bossa nova.
Was the forming of this group harder or easier than you imagined it would be?
It was hard in the beginning, but I'm still amazed at how easy it was to gain momentum. I don't confess to be a bonafide percussionist, but I believe playing samba goes beyond playing percussion. If you tap into that spirit and let it loose, you'll find your groove, and playing, dancing and singing samba will be easy. The great thing is that with all my years of studying music, I figured out how to teach ANYONE how to play samba with enough time and patience. I can hit them with terms, theories and notes for hours but if they don't listen and feel the music and the spirit behind it, well, it isn't samba.
Who were the first people who came on board? What kinds of percs were there initially?
I was fortunate to meet Toni Bernardo who was a percussionist and a sambista [a person who palys samba] like me way back in 2000. I had collected a few bateria instruments over the years and so had she. We were both excited in forming a bateria, the first in the Philippines. She called up a few friends and we started jamming in UP, behind Vinzon's Hall where the jeepneys parked. The group came to be known as Hairy Dawgs. Initially we had a couple of surdos [brazilian bass drums], some tamborims [small high pitched hand drums] and other basic instruments of a bateria.
How many members are there now? What is the vibe like currently? How does a regular practice session go?
Well, around 2005, Toni and I went our separate ways and I formed Brigada, which is the group I run now. There are 10 core members with about 10 trainees and whoever comes in to practice on Wednesdays. The vibe is totally informal, with the core members teaching everyone how to play the instruments, and then I try to get them to play samba. I try to identify what instrument the person is comfortable with we go from there. We learn around two pieces every week. It’s always a challenge teaching especially if the person has no prior percussion experience, but I never get tired of hearing anyone play samba. When a bateria starts grooving for the first time it still gives me goosebumps.
How do you write your original songs?
Most of Brigada'a pieces are either standard Brazilian bateria rhythms, or variations on the pieces I learned from the Liverpool Samba School, or whatever sounds good if played by a bateria. I usually write new pieces with the core group. New pieces come from anywhere, so I try to remember any flashes of inspiration that come to me before we practice. Then it's either a long process of finding what works or a quick jam with what works already. Sometimes someone else will come with an idea and we work with that. So we try to keep it an organic process. It might take longer sometimes, but by the end everybody has had a say and we all feel good about playing the finished piece.
Are your live gigs these days more or less set in stone, or is there still a lot of room for improvisation?
It depends on the gig. If it's a corporate event, then we have a set of songs with set arrangements. For other gigs, there's room to play around, have friends jam—like Nyko Maca, Eileen Sision or Sitti—and have even more fun. Brigada has been playing so long that if I decide to toss in a break or a turnaround, they can easily pick it up with a few whistle blows or even a look. It keeps things fresh and interesting.
Tell me a little about Ten.
I've been a songwriter since I was 13 years old. And although playing instruments is something I love to do, writing songs is the one thing I want to be good at. Ten is where I can take all the things I've learned about music and put it into song.
What other projects are keeping you busy right now?
I work at Circus Studios in Loyola Heights as a sound engineer. I also teach samba at Miriam High School, and I do session work as a musician and/or a composer.
Pix courtesy of Jorel Corpus (who is a lot thinner now than he is in these photos). Thanks Jor!
