Serpentes (feat. Magugu)

by Da Cruz

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Four years after their last album, Da Cruz (Bern/São Paulo) is back with a new single, together with the British-Nigerian pidgin rap guru Magugu, distributed worldwide by Horus Music. The result is a musical and political statement.

Four years have passed in which the home country of Afro-Brazilian singer Mariana Da Cruz has been ruled by right-wing populist president Jair Bolsonaro. Added to this is a second epidemic that has brought more death and misery. “Postcard Brazil is in ruins” says Mariana Da Cruz, who lives in Bern (Switzerland). “Society is politically divided, the tone is rough, the cultural scene is traumatised – but the country is also seriously confronting its dark history for the first time. We wrote the songs for our next album in this tense atmosphere: electro-acoustic, urban music for a Brazil in one of the saddest phases of its history.”

The sound is exemplified by the album’s first single: “Serpentes” (“Snakes”) a relaxed Afrobeat groove but shaken by deep, electronic bass. Over it, Mariana Da Cruz sings a lament about the state of the world and politics and calls for a vaccine against hate (download and lyrics below).

The song is a collaboration with British-Nigerian rapper Magugu, “the man with arguably the deepest rap voice in the world”, says Mariana. “I’ve adored his work for a few years now – not only has he created an absolutely individual style musically, but he combines it with a political ambition.” After a brief exchange about the ideological direction of the song, the two – separated due to the pandemic – got to work and were amazed at how their musical worlds combined.

“It seems so tired and ridiculous to still raise your voice against right-wing populism or against the oppression of minorities today,” says Mariana Da Cruz. “It seems as futile as mentioning that you don’t approve of war and murder and that you prefer empathy to divisiveness. But we live in a time when that’s obviously still desperately needed.”

lyrics

You know say Na guguman dey here go
Combination with da Cruz
Music Na the weapon we use
Bad mind get bruised

O que aconteceu
Perdemos valores das coisas
Quem não tem dores aceita que o rumo da vida deve mudar
O que aconteceu
Inverteram os valores das coisas
Quem não tem dores aceita que o rumo da vida deve mudar

Cheira pura enganação.
Brejos que alimentam as pragas.
Cheira pura enganação.
Brejos que alimentam as pragas.

Ha Serpentes escondidas no Planalto.
Esperando para abocanhar você.
Se teremos vacina contra o odio
A igualdade aqui em cima de ha haver.

Cheira pura enganação
Brejos que alimentam as pragas.
Cheira pura enganação.
Brejos que alimentam as pragas.

Ha Serpentes escondidas no Planalto
Esperando pra abocanhar você
Se teremos vacina contra o ódio
A igualdade aqui em cima de ha haver.

Cheira pura enganação.
Dema fraudulent government we no send dem
Cheira pura enganação.
Dema wayo wayo wayo wayo all of dem
Cheira pura enganação.
Dema fraudulent government we no send dem Cheira pura enganação.
Dema wayo wayo wayo wayo all of dem

Fire bun dem bun dem bun dem bun dem
Dirty politician Omo we no send dem
We go put stop to dem like ending sentence
For the crime dey commit dey must do a sentence
Na corruption
Embezzle the nation
Who go thief money pass be the competition
Got no vision yeah their mission
E be greedy composition
Dey no care about the people situation
Stand kampe we go elevate
Television controlling your mind state
Good Na good bad Na bad no debate
If he hiss when he move then you know e be snake
We no shake we go defeat any evil
Decimate the hate with no riffle or no missile
Spread love and the vibe e go ripple
See Dis life we get one when e done
Dey no sequel

Cheira pura enganação.
Brejos que alimentam as pragas.
Cheira pura enganação.
Brejos que alimentam as pragas.

Ha Serpentes escondidas no Planalto.
Esperando para abocanhar você.
Se teremos vacina contra o odio.
A igualdade aqui em cima de ha haver.

Cheira pura enganação.
United we go stand and divided we go fall
Brejos que alimentam as pragas.
Power to the people and the evil dey go fall

credits

released June 17, 2022

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about

Da Cruz Berne, Switzerland

The world tells…:
„Some of the most upbeat music I’ve ever heard“ (Okayplayer/Questlove USA)

„Tropical New Wave“ (BBC 6 Music)

„This music is wet and heavy, dark and sparkling, sensual and gloomy“ (Les Inrocks, France)

„Sub Urban Brazilian Music“ (KEXP, USA)

„I could not stop moving and grooving to this record“ (Nanobot Rock Reviews, USA)

„What more could you want“ (The Independent, UK) ... more