electroacoustic music; computer-generated recording.

Duration: 5' 25''
Channels: 2

In Rabo-de-Arraia, I thought of sharing with you a little bit of the folk traditions of Brazil. Rabo-de-Arraia (2004) comes from several memories of mine of watching Capoeira circles (“rodas de capoeira”). With more than 400 years of history, Capoeira is a true piece of Brazilian culture. More than simply a martial art, it is a dance, a sport, a game, a powerful musical event. If I were ever to film a Capoeira circle, with its dancer-fighters spinning around and around against an ever-changing backdrop of drummers and Berimbau players, I would most likely use several cameras, so one's eye would be everywhere: acrobatic eyes. But I only have microphones. And computers! It is curious to note that he whole ensemble of Capoeira musicians in this piece was actually recreated by computer algorithms programmed to improvise according to traditional styles. It is an automatic Capoeira-loom, perhaps?

This work has been included in the CD People Doing Strange Things With Electricity Too of 2005.

recording: