Terrakota’s new videoclip ‘Social Insecurity’ is out!

The 20th of February 2017, Terrakota launched its new videoclip ‘Social Insecurity’. It’s the third videoclip of the new album ‘Oxalá’, shot at Meco beach and Galápos beach, close to Lisbon in Portugal. Powerful Afrobeat-rock with a constant guitar line and chorus, executed with a 70’s feeling.

The video portrays the coming of “pirates that cleans the waters” of the Lusitanian beaches. It breathes a “post apocalyptic” feeling in contrast to the marvelous landscape and summer light of the Portuguese coastline. It was directed by Rafael Espinel, singer of the band La Chiva Gantiva, with photography by Nicolas Moins and figurines by Margarida Gomes and the Terrakota musicians.

“Social Insecurity” is a reflection of the society in the beginning of the 21st century, where we pledge allegiance to a Money God and where the people totally lost their autonomy in favor of financial groups and multinationals. It’s a satire as well as a real portrait of the principals that rule our lives in this “unrestrained neoliberal fascism” where everything is about money. Human rights, aesthetics, ecological consciousness, intelligence and a vision of the future are thrown overboard.

The track was composed when the Troika entered Portugal to resolve the so-called political crisis and to apply the inhumane austerity regime. The lyrics are a direct reflex of that situation, denouncing the cheeky way the worldwide monetary shitstem and the multinationals play with crises just to obtain more profit and lead the economy straight to the abyss.

Concerts

To start the 2017 Oxalá Tour, Terrakota will present its new album in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Catalunya.

 

2/3 Pllek, Amsterdam (NL)
3/3 La Batterie, Guyancourt (FR)
4/3 Cultuurcentrum Berchem, Antwerp (BE)
5/4 Sala Apolo, Barcelona (ES)

TERRAKOTA launches new video in February and prepares for Oxalá Tour 2017

After launching its fifth album of originals “OXALÁ” and presenting it in various Portuguese and Spanish cities as well as in Belgium, TERRAKOTA takes a break to travel to Africa, South America and Asia to reload their batteries. In March they will be back all over Europe to showcase this album that personifies the band’s new life cycle.

But first, TERRAKOTA will launch the third video of this album, “Social Insecurity”, filmed on the Arrábida and Meco beaches, in and outside the water, by the musician/film director Rafael Espinel.

The 2017 tour will start with cd-presentations in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Paris and Barcelona; getting ready for a summer that promises to be intense and full of re-encounters. Here are the dates we can already announce:

02/03 Pllek, Amsterdam (NL)
03/03 La Batterie, Guyancourt (FR)
04/03 Cultuurcentrum Berchem, Antwerp (BE)
05/04 Apolo, Barcelona (ES)
06/05 Madeira (PT)
02/06 Earth Garden Festival (Malta)
23/06 Clownia Festival, Sant Joan de les Abadesses (ES)
01/07 Terre de Culture, Autun (FR)
27/7 Iboga Summer Festival, Tavernes de la Valldinga (ES)
29/07 Braga (PT)
04/08 Festival Labyrinthe, Rochechouart (FR)
05/08 Chaves (PT)
11-12/08 (BE) TBA

“Social Insecurity” portrays the condition in which the human societies live in the beginning of the 21st century, where we pledge allegiance to a Money God and where the people totally lost their autonomy in favor of financial groups and multinationals. It’s a satire as well as a real portrait of the principals that rule our lives in this “unrestrained neoliberal fascism” where everything is about money. Human rights, aesthetics, ecological consciousness, intelligence and a vision of the future were totally thrown overboard.
The video portrays the coming of “pirates that cleanse the waters” of the Lusitanian beaches. It breathes a “post apocalyptic” feeling in contrast to the marvelous landscape and summer light of the Portuguese coastline.
It was directed by Rafael Espinel, singer of the band La Chiva Gantiva, with photography by Nicolas Moins and figurines by Margarida Gomes and the Terrakota musicians.
The clip will be launched in February 2017.

TERRAKOTA’S 6th ALBUM “OXALÁ” IS OUT!

Last weekend Terrakota launched its new album “Oxalá” with big concerts in Lisbon and Porto. Now, they’re going to Almada, Coimbra, the Azores, then Madrid, Granada & Sevilla.

Over the past ten years, Terrakota has forged its own pan-African and trans-Atlantic rootsworldkota sound. On its sixth studio album “Oxalá”, the band embraces its Portuguese roots while diving more deeply into their rock influences. A message of hope for humanity.

“Oxalá” is a Portuguese word, of Arabic origin, venerated in Brazil. It comes from the Arabic expression “inch’allah”, an expression often used in Portuguese (“se Deus quiser”). In Portugal, Oxalá stands for the desire for something to happen. Followers of the Afro-Brazilian religion candomblé know Oxalá or Obatalá as the first orixá (Nigerian yoruba god), creator of the world, men, animals and plants.
“Oxalá”, one word, one expression but a lot of meaning, a place where many cultures collide and intermingle. A word that comes from the Arabs, who were based in Portugal for centuries and left their marks, before it was introduced in Lusophone countries via the trans-atlantic slave trade. These darkest pages of human history somehow intrigue Terrakota, following the ancient trade routes, but turned upside-down, from the New World back to Africa, drinking from the fantastic musical diversity that has been spread around the world through slavery.
For Terrakota, Oxalá, that desire for something to happen, can be understood as a political
statement, a desire for humans to go back to a lifestyle in harmony with the nature that
surrounds us, for a world without borders where cultural encounters are the norm, a No Man’s Land where no man can claim the land is theirs. The critical status of the human societies and the planet serve as a base for a conscious message to which the band will not renounce.

Terrakota’s first albums were inspired by travels to Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, while also incorporating influences from Latin America. The fourth album is clearly marked by their trip to India. This one is inspired by an internal travel, giving light to Portuguese songs built on top of their Afro-explosive melting pot: Afro-Brazilian rhythms, soukouss, reggae, afrobeat, gnawa, influences from India & beyond.
Africa remains the main source, the starting point from where the band looks for the perfect alchemy to get to their trademark modern roots sound, where all borders, distances and barriers are wiped out.
The band has again invited guests to make the music even richer, special people with whom
the band has a privileged relationship: traditional Alentejo singer Vitorino, Indian singer
Mahesh Vinayakram, French rapper Florian Doucet, beatmaker & producer Beat Laden,
Kumpania Algazarra’s horn section, and backing vocals by the Lisbon-based Selma Uamusse (Mozambique) & Anastácia Carvalho (Angola), without forgetting a brilliant text by the Angolan rapper Luaty Ikonoklasta.

After parting ways with vocalist Romi and two sabbaticals, Terrakota has added fresh blood
with the young and talented singer/multi-instrumentalist Gonçalo Sarmento, the gracious
performer/dancer Diana Rego, as well as new drummer Márcio Pinto and percussionist Paulo das Cavernas. These new elements and the extra years of travelling for the veterans have brought Terrakota to an even more mature sound, concising lyrics and the guts to do some songwriting in addition to their explosive Afro-world sound.

STREAMING

https://soundcloud.com/terrakota/sets/oxala

https://terrakotaofficial.bandcamp.com/album/oxal

 

NEW SINGLE “Mexe Mexe (Ft. Beat Laden)

TERRAKOTA NEW ALBUM COMING SOON!

Since their return in 2015, Terrakota has been working on their 6º Album wich is now in the final fases of the mixing process and almost ready to see the light!

Nowadays Terrakota is working as a completely independent structure, taking care of all the different lines of work involved in giving life to a musical project with a lot of heart and family spirit. The album was made possible with the contribution of people that loves the band throughout the world in a Crowdfunding process and collaborating with studios, sound technicians and featured artists from the Lisbon musical melting pot at a non-business level.

TERRAKOTA NEW ALBUM ALMOST READY!

STAY TUNED! Fresh KotaSounds and Videos to be released very very Soon!

During the winter, far from publishers and discographic contracts, the band was entirely focused on their sixth album, turning their backs on the general artificialization of Art and walking with the serenity of the Indian.
The search for constant sound crossings within the multi-ethnic melting pot continues! The starting point is, as always, Africa, from where one comes from and where one goes back to,treading the routes of African slaves in reverse and absorbing the fantastic musical diversity that was born there and spread around the world.
More coming from the southern hemisphere of Africa will be heard, more from Brazil, more winds and strings from Sahel, but also much more portuguese expression all interconnected and knitted, ignoring all borders, distances and barriers. The Caribbean, the Middle East and India also continue there, along with the latest legacy of Reggae, Funk, Rock, Blues and related genres in a constant search for generating a musical alchemy of a “modern roots”, a heartfelt and up to date music, fully executed by humans, in opposition to massive looping of digitalsounds.

There will be Afrobeat from the Desert, CocoSoukouss, Rock Steady Sahel, Rumba Indy, Reggae Mandingo, psychedelic Batuque, Resistence Samba and more. Everything cooked with much Afro Rock feeling, a vibrant rhythm section and a constant dialogue between the vocal lines, the guitars, the kora, the sitar, the ballafon, the percussions and all multicultural instruments that consolidate worldrootskota language.
In addition to the permanent inspiration of ancient musical cultures, the current world state will, once again, be the basis for a critical and conscious message, one that the band does not give up on. As the band feels completely offset of the fake social, political and economic barriers of today’s World.

In the meanwhile here are a few videos showing the recording process:

TERRAKOTA IS BACK!

Wontanara EP – FREE DOWNLOAD
 1. Social Insecurity 2. Heartist 3. Entre o Céu e a Terra

WAVhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_WCKOzuMDXjTWN5ZkVNTTV5T0U/view?usp=sharing

MP3https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_WCKOzuMDXjVWpwejJtdUhVOEU/view?usp=sharing

Cover Photo- Hugo Lima / Art work – Alex, Sara Baga e Zair Pacheco

É verdade, juro! Terrakota está de volta! Depois de ano e meio de paragem, reflexão e muitas viagens, o bichinho da composição voltou a fervilhar desde o início de 2014.  Sem pressas, como se fossemos uma banda nova, as músicas foram nos mostrando o caminho.

Wontanara é uma expressão da etnia Susu (Guiné Conakry) que significa “estamos juntos”, reflectindo o nosso estado de espírito e postura num cenário musical em que a exaltação do indivíduo está sempre em primeiro lugar.
Juntos resgatámos os primórdios da sonoridade kota, pela simplicidade e liberdade criativa, distanciados de imposições comerciais.
Juntos e junto do público é onde queremos estar, por isso lançamos três temas Social Insecurity, Heartist e Entre o Céu e a Terra  que queremos oferecer a todas as pessoas que tenham interesse pela música que criamos.
Juntos não abdicamos da visão crítica e consciente sobre o estado do mundo e queremos continuar a dançar e cantar contra a loucura desenfreada e egocêntrica das sociedades humanas e pela libertação dos povos e de tudo o que vive, contribuindo activamente para o crescimento de uma forma mais natural de SER !
Música transparente e enraízada que queremos partilhar com vocês.  Wontanara!

…………

Terrakota is back! After a year and a half break, reflection and countless journeys, the urge to compose came back since early 2014. With no hurry and as if we were a reborn band, the tunes guided our way.
Wontanara is an idiomatic expression of the Susu ethnic group from Guinea Conakry which means “we are together”. It mirrors our feeling and attitude in a musical scenario where the individual exaltation is often in the first place.
Together we rescued the early kota sonority, through simplicity and creative freedom, far away from commercial constraints.
Together and close to the audience is where we want to be. Therefore we release three tracks Social Insecurity, Heartist and Entre o Céu e a Terra  and we offer them to everybody who is interested in the music we create. Together we remain firm on a critical and conscious view on the state of the world. We want to keep on dancing and singing against the unleashed insanity and selfishness of the human societies, aiming for the liberation of peoples and all living beings. Together and active towards the rising of a more natural way of BEING. Honest and deep-rooted music is what we want to share with you. Wontanara!

TERRAKOTA “RE-COOKED SESSIONS”

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TERRAKOTA release new album with Optimus Discos

Terrakota met in studio during the winter to recook some tunes from previous albums. The band invited other artists that they met throughout the world, exploring new territories of its mestizo sonority while recording in Himalayas, Rio de Janeiro, Brussels, Lisbon and Rajastan in India. The result of this experience is Re-cooked Sessions published by Optimus Discos on the 28th of May. It is already available for free download through the link Optimus Discos Re-Cooked Sessions
Optimus Discos Re-Cooked Sessions

The album starts with the single So Free. Despite the english title, it’s mainly a portrait of the modern lusophony. The link between Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro is made through the voice of Hélio Bentes, the legendary vocalist from the also legendary Rio’s band Ponto de Equilíbrio: the highest expression of brazilian reggae-roots, performing at Sumol Summer Fest (PT) this year.

So Free is a song full of hope, beautiful, fresh and simultaneously deep… a balm in this so called time of crisis, to listen in repeat from dawn till sunset.

The tracklist continues with guest performers from India, Mahesh Vinayakram and also Vasundhara Das, that some of you may know as the star from the film “Monsoon Wedding”. She interprets Massala Dub an Hindi-reggae style, soaring and meditational, properly produced amidst dense fumes, Lee Perry style, but with incense replacing the traditional Jamaican sensimilla.

Move On is the ninety-nine percent’s cry of indignation, an appeal to peaceful revolution voiced by Florian Doucet, a multi-instrumentalist and French singer, currently living in Brussels. He is part of La Chiva Gantiva, the Colombian ensemble, and is a special guest in some Terrakota’s shows.

After that, there’s Ayam Dub, presenting us some pure, old-school dub, all filled with smoke, with a space echo driving this intergalactic dub voyage… “sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight!”

In this journey’s last stop, Chelo Habibi Dub, Terrakota join together two universes from the Indian sub-continent: Rajasthan’s gypsy tradition, with Kuthla Khan from Rajasthan Roots, and Mahesh Vinayakram, a renowned singer of the carnatic tradition from southern India. Once again, the Portuguese band Terrakota try to break barriers and create an unique fusion on the global musical map.

This is the appetizer that precedes the next recipe… stay tuned…

Terrakota lançam novo trabalho com a Optimus Discos

Os Terrakota encontraram-se em estúdio durante este inverno a “re-cozinhar” alguns temas de álbuns anteriores. Convidaram vários artistas que a banda foi conhecendo por esse Mundo fora, gravaram nos Himalayas, no Rio de Janeiro, Bruxelas, Lisboa e no Rajastão Indiano, explorando novos territórios para a sua mestiçagem sonora. O resultado desta experiência chama-se Re-Cooked Sessions e foi editado pela Optimus Discos a 28 de Maio, encontrando-se já disponível para download gratuito no site da editora Optimus Discos Re-cooked Sessions
Optimus Discos Re-Cooked Sessions

 

O disco abre com o single So Free que, apesar do título em inglês, é essencialmente uma obra que retrata a lusofonia moderna. O eixo Lisboa – Rio de Janeiro é aqui representado pelo cruzamento com a voz de Hélio Bentes, mítico vocalista do também mítico grupo carioca Ponto de Equilíbrio, expoente máximo do reggae-roots brasileiro e que pode ser visto ao vivo, este ano, no festival Sumol Summer Fest.
So Free é um tema pleno de esperança, belo, fresco e simultaneamente profundo…um bálsamo em tempos ditos de crise, para ouvir em repeat, do amanhecer ao pôr-do-sol.

No alinhamento segue-se Massala Dub, com as participações vindas da Índia: Mahesh Vinayakram e Vasundhara Das, que alguns já conhecerão como protagonista do filme “Monsoon Wedding”, aqui em estilo Hindi-reggae, planante e meditativo, devidamente produzido sob influência dos mais densos fumos ao estilo de Lee Perry, mas com incenso a substituir a tradicional sensimilla jamaicana.

Move On é o grito de indignação dos 99%, o apelo à revolução pacífica na voz de Florian Doucet, multi-instrumentista e cantor Francês radicado em bruxelas, membro do grupo colombiano La Chiva Gantiva, e é o convidado especial de alguns concertos dos Terrakota.

Segue-se Ayam Dub….Dub puro, à antiga, bem fumado, com space echo a comandar a viagem do dub intergaláctico… “sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight!”

Para fechar a viagem, os Terrakota cruzam dois universos do sub-continente Indiano em Chelo Habibi Dub: a tradição cigana do Rajastão, na voz e percussões de Kuthla Khan dos Rajasthan Roots, vai ao encontro de Mahesh Vinayakram, expoente máximo do canto Carnático do sul da Índia…mais uma vez a banda portuguesa tenta quebrar barreiras e fazer a sua fusão única no panorama musical global.

Este é o aperitivo que antecede os próximos “cozinhados”… fiquem atentos…