(Fun In The Church, São Paulo)

Imagine Fela Kuti jamming in an upscale bar in a nameless, global metropolis with Martin Denny, but it is on glass harp… While this might sound like a sensationalist figment of an over-heated music journalist’s brain, it is not too far from what Os Barbapapas are able to achieve. The latest attraction from Staatsakt's "outernational“ sub-label Fun In The Church is named after an iconic but weird 1970es French cartoon / animated series about an amorphous, shapeshifting family, Os Barbapapas ail straight from the creative cross-pollination of the Brazilian megalopolis of São Paulo, where improvised music concerts can attract thousands of thrilled listeners in open backyard spaces or musicians are rubbing their shoulders with the up and coming new Bossa Nove superstar Sessa.

The members of Os Barbapapas have traveled to Morocco to learn gnawa, played in circuses and are building their own instruments. Their new album, appropriately named “Enigma” is their second one for the Berlin label, after 2021’s "DooWooDooWoo" which has been recorded remotely during the times of the COVID lockdowns. It is safe to say that on “Enigma” the original seeds of Os Barbapapas' global underground vibes have come to full bloom.

Os Barbapapas were "discovered" by Pedro Goncalves Crescenti of the German Indie dignitaries The Düsseldorf Düsterboys and International Music, while traveling Brazil extensively and identifying them as a clear standout in the São Paulo scene.

We now can’t wait to see this exceptional collective in concert - as next to their unusual music, they have developed a visual identity completely their own.