Da Lata (meaning "from the tin" in Portuguese) are a British group formed in 1994 by

Chris Franck Chris Franck is a German-born English musician, songwriter, record producer, and remixer, best known for his involvement with the bands Batu, Da Lata, Smoke City, and Zeep. He is described as a "multi-instrumentalist". Biography Franck was b ...

and

Patrick Forge Patrick Forge (born Ipswich, Suffolk) is a British jazz, jazz-dance and soul music DJ who spent much of the late 1980s and early 1990s DJing alongside Gilles Peterson at the famous Dingwalls club in Camden, North London. In the 1980s, Patrick wor ...

. They combine

Afro-Brazilian Afro-Brazilians ( pt, afro-brasileiros; ) are Brazilians who have predominantly African ancestry (see " preto"). Most members of another group of people, multiracial Brazilians or ''pardos'', may also have a range of degree of African ancestry. ...

influences with other strands from the melting pot of their native London. Franck and Forge previously worked together with the Brighton-based group Batu before setting up Da Lata as a more studio based project. Franck is the main creative force as songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, whereas Forge, better known as a DJ and broadcaster, is credited as co-producer. They made three albums for

Palm Pictures Palm Pictures is a US-based entertainment company owned and run by Chris Blackwell. Palm Pictures produces, acquires and distributes music and film projects with a particular focus on the DVD-Video format. Palm places an emphasis on such proje ...

: ''Songs from the Tin'' (2000), ''Serious'' (2003) and a collection of their remix work for other artists, ''Remixes'', which featured their interpretations of songs by

Femi Kuti Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti (born 16 June 1962), popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, Women's ri ...

, Luciano,

Bebel Gilberto Isabel Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto de Oliveira (born May 12, 1966), known as Bebel Gilberto, is an American-born Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle ...

and

Sly and Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...

, among others. After a hiatus of several years, the pair started work on a new album in 2011. It was scheduled for release in early 2013.

Early work

Da Lata's first release was as Trio Da Lata for Brownswood Records in Japan. The song "Deep Water" featured former Batu vocalist Sharon Scott. However, it was their next release, a version of

Edu Lobo Eduardo de Góes "Edu" Lobo (born August 29, 1943) is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and composer. In the 1960s he was part of the bossa nova movement. His compositions include ''Upa Neguinho'' (with Gianfrancesco Guarnieri), ''Pra Dizer Ad ...

's classic "Ponteio" that garnered attention, crossing over between

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air ...

and jazz-dance audiences. "Ponteio" was supported particularly strongly in Japan and in New York by the Body&Soul DJs. Despite the success of this single, Da Lata was put on hold for a few years whilst Chris Franck wrote, produced and toured with Smoke City. In 1998, they recorded a song that had been initially demoed four years earlier; it was on the strength of the song "Pra Manha" that they were signed to

Chris Blackwell Christopher Percy Gordon Blackwell (born 22 June 1937) is an English businessman and former record producer, and the founder of Island Records, which has been called "one of Britain's great independent labels". According to the Rock and Roll H ...

's Palm Pictures.

Albums

''Songs from the Tin''

Released in 2000, Da Lata's first album enlisted help from London-based Brazilian vocalist Liliana Chachian, who previously featured on "Ponteio", and percussionist Oli Savill. Strongly influenced by classic MPB from the late sixties and seventies, ''Songs from the Tin'' also bears the influence of dance music, comparing Da Lata with Nuyorican Soul. Barnes & Noble's online guide said:

''Serious''

Parting company from Liliana Chachian and Oli Savill, Da Lata's second album took on other world music influences, particularly

Afrobeat Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecti ...

, to present a more diverse sound, though the Brazilian influence remained strong. Featuring guest performances from

Baaba Maal Baaba Maal ( ff, 𞤄𞤢𞥄𞤦𞤢 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤, italics=no, born 13 June 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several al ...

, Jhelisa, Bembé Segué, and Brazilian accordionist Marcelo Jeneci, ''Serious'' "proves that Da Lata are one of the few capable of an intriguing, along-lasting dance/world fusion".

''Fabiola''

After leaving Palm Pictures, Da Lata released tracks in Japan ("Ronco da Cuíca") and in the UK ("This Is Not Your Job"), both of which were updated for release on their follow-up album ''Fabiola''. A

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...

The Jam The Jam were an English mod revival/ punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December ...

's "

Going Underground "Going Underground" is a single by The Jam, released in March 1980. It debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks at the top. "Going Underground" was the first of four number one singles the band were to achieve throu ...

", with vocals by Floetic Lara, was released as a single in December 2012. The album ''Fabiola'' was released in October 2013 on Agogo Records.

References

External links

* – official site * {{DEFAULTSORT:Da Lata English dance music groups English musical duos Brazilian music Musical groups established in 1994 Palm Pictures artists