Search - Airto Moreira :: Homeless

Brazilian-born percussionist Airto Moreira is a heavy hitter whose résumé includes Miles Davis's legendary Bitches Brew in 1970, two Return to Forever LPs with Chick Corea, and Mickey Hart's Planet Drum. But if you think that means Airto's an old fart, guess again. Homeless is as radical a world-music CD as you're ever likely to find. The rarified vocals on "700 Years" and a few other cuts emphasize atmosphere over melody, meaning you won't be whistling these songs on your morning commute. But the hard-edged polyrhythms and mile-deep percussive textures will definitely rev your engine. Drum machines, samples, space synths, and hip-hop beats contributed by the Factor lend the disc a techno sensibility. But the highest voltage rhythms come from traditional instruments including bells, cymbals, mouth bow, timbales, drum kits, and an arsenal of hand drums wielded by Airto, Changuito, Pablo Silva, Meia Noite, and Amen Santos. The results combine free-floating Afro-Latin music with indigenous American touches, positing unity of spirit as an exhilarating antidote to the undercurrent of modern angst. --Bob Tarte