Mocambo is a collaborative project by Alessandro Vlerick aka Le Tagarel (vocals) and Tim Wulleman aka Tartaruga (saxophone, keyboards, production), blending hip-hop with influences from jazz, funk, afrobeat and especially Brazilian music. If we tell you it took the duo about two years to create this album and that explanatory footnotes were added to the song lyrics, it should be clear we're dealing with a profound piece of musical craftsmanship here. 'Aruanda' is a term from the Afro-Brazilian mythology that refers to a utopian paradise of freedom, a citadel of light orbiting the earth somewhere in the ionosphere (see also the album's beautiful cover illustration by Jan Sebastian Davis and closing track 'Aruanda'). The album is dedicated to Selma Maria da Silva Picanço, Alessandro's mother, who passed away quite suddenly two years ago; poignantly summarized in '19 Ans'. Tracks like 'Salvador', an ode to the capital of the state of Bahia, and the cheerful 'Mexe Tudo' are definitely also worth checking out. Even though 'Aruanda' might rather appeal to a hip-hop-loving audience, yours truly is absolutely not averse to this kind of rap with a message seasoned with a dose of tropicalidad.