Carnivale Electricos

by Galactic

Overview

For over 18 years, Galactic has been a restless, continually innovative ensemble that has sought to express every aspect of the cultural experience of New Orleans through music. Carnivale Electricos is a celebration of Mardis Gras Day (aka Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday). The quintet and friends celebrate the varieties of that experience throughout southern Louisiana and the American south, and also throughout the Southern hemisphere with its brand of parade music. In typical fashion, Carnivale Electricos is a crunchy, rowdy recording with some beautiful twists and turns by its guest performers. The band is augmented by a four-piece horn section led by Corey Henry (aka Boe Money) and percussionist Mike Dillon. Also typically, there are numerous guests on the set. Opener "Ha Di Ka" is opened by the war chant and roiling drums of Big Chief Juan Pardo and the Golden Comanches Mardis Gras Indians. The Big Chief knows how to get his funk on. Zydeco legend Clifton Chenier gets sampled on "Voyage Ton Flag" (to mark the Cajun celebration of the big day) with lead vocals by the Mamou Playboys' frontman Steve Riley, though this nasty creeper reflects Galactic as much as it does Cajun zydeco. The Revivalists' David Shaw and Maggie Koerner take NOLA brand blues-rock to the margin on "Hey Na Na," infusing it with gritty funk. The unmistakable Crescent City soul groove is represented by Cyril and Ivan Neville on "Out in the Street" with a killer horn presentation. "Karate" highlights one of the most important parts of Mardis Gras Day -- marching bands. The 140-piece Kipp Renaissance High School Marching Band joins Galactic on this strutter. Mannie Fresh and Mystikal offer the hip-hop take on Mardi Gras with the blistering, celebratory aggression of "Move Fast." Some of the most interesting cuts on this set, however, are those that employ various forms of Brazilian music (it's the biggest Carnivale day in the world because it's celebrated nationwide). There's the slamming, futurist forro of Carlinhos Brown's "Magalehna" by Casa Samba, with NOLA's unmistakable second-line funk laid in the backbeat. "Coco da Galinha" is a collaboration between postmodern samba poet Moyseis Marques and Galactic that retains the spirit of samba-driven MPB, but weds it to cracking breaks and NOLA-style R&B horns. "Guero Bounce" is even wilder. Blues, Baile funk, and the Crescent City's trademark bounce come together gumbo style. Local legend Al "Carnival Time" Johnson redoes his celebrated 1960 hit, updated for the Galactic generation. Carnivale Electricos is a further extension of the musical ambition, sophistication, and vision the band employed on 2010's brilliant Ya-Ka-May, but it's an even rowdier global celebration -- in full parade style -- of one very special day on the calendar. ~Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	02/21/2012
Label:	ANTI
UPC:	0045778718221

Tracks

1. Ha Di Ka
2. Hey Na Na
3. Magalenha
4. Voyage Ton Flag
5. Out in the Street
6. Julou
7. Move Fast
8. Karate
9. Guero Bounce
10. Carnival Time
11. Attack
12. O C¿¿co Da Galinha
13. Ash Wednesday Sunrise

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Galactic   Primary Artist
The Golden Comanche   Featured Artist
Mystikal   Featured Artist
Robert Mercurio   Bass
Stanton Moore   Drums,Percussion
Corey Henry   Trombone
Ivan Neville   Featured Artist
Ben Ellman   Harp,Horn
David Shaw   Featured Artist
Derrick Shezbie   Trumpet
Richard Vogel   Keyboards
Mannie Fresh   Featured Artist
Jeff Raines   Guitar
Mike Dillon   Percussion
Cyril Neville   Featured Artist
Juan Pardo   Featured Artist
Steve Riley   Vocals
Al "Carnival Time" Johnson   Featured Artist
Shamarr Allen   Trumpet
Moyseis Marques   Featured Artist
Jeffrey Hill   Sousaphone
Casa Samba   Featured Artist
Big Chief Juan Pardo and the Golden Camanche   Featured Artist
KIPP Renaissance High School Marching Band   Featured Artist
Maggie Koerner   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Robert Mercurio   Engineer,Producer,Group Member
Stanton Moore   Group Member
Corey Henry   Composer
Ben Ellman   Engineer,Producer,Group Member
Carlinhos Brown   Composer
Galactic   Composer
David Shaw   Composer
Derrick Shezbie   Composer
Ned Sublette   Liner Notes
Richard Vogel   Engineer,Group Member
Mannie Fresh   Composer
Jeff Raines   Engineer,Group Member
Ryan Jones   Engineer
Tom Chauncey   Booking
Mike Dorsey   Engineer
Moyseis Marques   Composer
Kyle Lamy   Engineer
William Moesta   Engineer
Maggie Koerner   Composer
Jared Lawrie   Engineer
John Michael Rouchell   Composer
Al Johnson   Composer
Mystikal   Composer