Nação Zumbi

Pioneers of manguebeat, the rhythmically ferocious sound of the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Nação Zumbi changed modern perceptions of contemporary Brazilian music in the 1990s. Driven by a mixture of hip-hop, hard rock, and the propulsive groove of the region’s traditional maracatu rhythm, the group masterfully represented Brazilian music’s ability to push forward while respecting and drawing upon tradition. Nação Zumbi were founded by the charismatic singer and songwriter Chico Science in 1991. The group’s first two albums galvanized the musical vitality of the once overlooked region, with Science emerging as a figurehead for the scene. But after he died aged 30 in a car crash in 1997, the group reconfigured themselves, with percussionist Jorge Du Peixe taking over as frontman. The band went on to make six studio albums between 1998 and 2014, settling into a well-crafted approach where rock, funk, and hip-hop melded in various admixtures, with increasingly hooky melodies delivered in Du Peixe’s conversational drawl. Over time the band’s attack moderated, but their devotion to building upon maracatu grooves never diminished. The group announced their dissolution in 2022.