During the late eighties, going into the early nineties, Patrick Forge was among the select group of DJs and musicians helping to reintroduce the sound of rare grooves and jazz to an audience in the UK at a time when young Brits were walking a tightrope between the rave explosion and Hip-Hop. Alongside Gilles Peterson, Forge played at the Talking Loud and Saying Something parties at Dingwalls in Camden, which became an influential blueprint for soul, jazz, funk and acid jazz events around the world. In 1992 Forge was a member of the group Batu, a collective inspired by Brazilian rhythms of the past and present, which included musician Chris Franck. When the band ended, Patrick Forge and Franck continued their love of the musical palette of Brazil with the formation of Da Lata. Their debut album “Sounds From The Tin”, released on Palm Pictures in 2000, masterfully fused bossa nova, samba and Brazilian jazz, resulting in what could be considered the ultimate of cool. By the time they released their 2003 second LP “Serious”, the duo had already begun to incorporate more uptempo kicks of afrobeat and a layering of modern blankets of sound atop the remaining lush Brazilian grooves. Fast forward ten years later, and the once overly eclectic musical landscape that allowed experimental artists like Franck and Forge to weave between the classic and contemporary, became dominated by laptop DJs, accessible production software and overly synth driven 4×4 that took on the title of “EDM”. Da Lata then did what any self respecting artist and band would do…simply do what they do best.

“Fabiola” marks Da Lata’s third studio album. The recording picks up where “Serious” left off, taking even more of a worldly standpoint while expanding the sound of afrobeat and Afro-Brazilian jazz, as well traces of Tropicália, funk and Brazilian Hip-Hop.

“Um Amor a mais” sets the tone of the recording, merging the lush vocals of Luisa Maita with Nigerian style afrobeat, all while drawing a familiarity with the sound of the legendary Fela Kuti. Senegal’s Diabel Cissokho continues the energy with “NYJ”, a festive track that blossoms with beautiful kora playing and West African vibrancy. “Unknown” featuring Cape Verde sensation Mayra Andrade, brings many fans back to the original melodic Brazilian jazz that initially won them over. Da Lata calls upon Philadelphia DJ and spoken word artist Rich Medina to drop thought provoking social commentary over off stepping, grooving afro-funk jazz production while composer Marcelo Janeci keeps the knots tied to Brazil’s soil with the organic and dreamy “Cambara 41”. Spotlighting the array of styles that has emerged from Brazil, Luiz Gabriel Lopes brings the album full circle with the tune “Don’t Give It Up”, a funky ode to Tropicália.

If it’s one purpose that “Fabiola” serves, that would simply be to act as a gift to those who enjoy good music without the frills. This isn’t a record to combat the “plug in” craze of today’s music, rather a reminder that diversity of sound is still valued. This global contributed effort reiterates the idea that trends come and go but art created from the heart remains timeless.