Ocean Waves Brasil is a musical and cultural project focused
on the traditional music of an Afro-Brazilian religion called Candomblé.
In this project, music is not the only main character, the will to discover a different culture from that of the 'western world' is equally important. We are talking about a knowledge that has its own roots in Africa.
The album, which falls under the musical category of “World Music”, features seven songs, one for each of the Orixás (forces of Nature). We know that the Orixas are much more than seven, but the Ocean Waves Brasil band sings for Exu, Ogum, Oxossi, Oxum, Oxaguian, Oxalá and Xangô.
As in traditional African music, the main musical element of this project is the percussion, in this case the one played by the atabaques, sacred and typical instruments of Candomblé Music. Alongside the percussion there are chants, where usually a solo singer sings a phrase and the choir repeats it. The words are prayers for the various Orixás and are sung in the ancient African Yoruba language.
On the record, around fundamental instruments such as percussion and vocals, we also find some melodic elements of electronic music and specific sounds that refer to the characteristics or history of each Orixá too. For example, in the song for Oxossi (Orixa of hunting and the forest) you can hear the typical natural sounds of a forest and the hiss of the arrows that the hunter launches to hit its prey. Whereas the song of Oxum (Orixá of sweet water) begins with the sound of a waterfall.
Although the project focuses on Candomblé, from a rhythmic point of view, there are influences from the music of another cult, the Jurema Sagrada. This is because the religion of Jurema is very present in the territory of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, where the record was produced and also bercause the percussionists (ogans) of the band are part of both cults.
The record company Ocean Waves Productions favors music which contains a mix of different influences of style and genre.
For this reason, the Ocean Waves Brasil's project does not aim to be a religious project, but a cultural one instead. Considering this, it was possible to insert musical elements that are not present during the traditional rituals of Candomblé.
The Ocean Waves Brasil team is international and includes people from Brazil, Italy, Colombia, England and France and intends to give its contribution in breaking the wall of prejudice that unfortunately still weighs, in Brazil, on religions of African origin.
This is precisely why for the Ocean Waves Brasil project, the respectful encounter between different cultures, the fight against racism and religious discrimination of any kind are as important as the music itself.