With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Lucas Santtana: Bossa Nova With A Brand-New Beat
Listen
• 4:07
Lucas Santtana's new album is <em>Sem Nostalgia.</em>
(
Pedro Cupertino
/
Courtesy of the artist
)
Lucas Santtana is a Brazilian artist who has been hiding in plain view for years. I came across a record by Santtana back in 1999, EletroBenDada, which updated the experimental and political pop music of the 1960s and '70s Brazilian Tropicalia movement for a new generation. I heard nothing more from Santtana for more than 10 years, but it turns out he's been busy making great music in Brazil, even if hasn't been making it up to North America. His latest record, Sem Nostalgia, has just been released in the U.S.
Santtana is of no relation to Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana. But Santtana does do incredible things with a guitar on Sem Nostalgia, his tribute to the spirit of bossa nova. Bossa nova is the musical movement during which Brazil's greatest artists often performed using just their voice and an acoustic guitar, traditionally known as voz e violao. Santtana continues that tradition here — but with the help of sampling software and some creative friends, his songs can sound as much like modern electronic music as they do like "The Girl From Ipanema." Using this method, Santtana can take something as simple as the sound of a hand rapping against the side of a guitar and flip it into something like the once-familiar sound of an IBM electric typewriter — a rhythm simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic.
The processing may strike some as a gimmick, but it seems to me that Santtana gives each song just what it needs. The album title translates as "without nostalgia," and that's the approach Santtana takes. He draws inspiration from the past — not as a way to escape the present, but as a way to embrace it, and maybe even improve on it.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist