Last weekend marked the arrival of the world's biggest party - Brazilian Carnaval. Every year millions of Brazilians celebrate the holiday by taking to the streets, reveling in raucous rituals full of music and dance.

I marked the occasion as I usually do, with a Cultural Cannibals Carnaval party at the Jazz Kitchen. For the third year straight, we were fortunate to feature a performance by the IU Brazilian Ensemble, an incredible percussion group under the tutelage of master drummer Michael Spiro.

This year, the ensemble was 40 drummers strong and their sound was so powerful it literally shook the walls of the club.

As I listened to the group in awe, I began to reflect. My mind wandered to Africa, where the rhythms of Carnaval were born. It occurred to me that the music we were all rocking out to existed in spite of hundreds of years of slavery and oppression.

The rhythms of Carnaval - samba, axé, maracatu - make great party music. But they are steeped in a bitter and distressful history.

The famous samba schools of Rio de Janeiro

The Portuguese invaded Brazil in the early 1500s, immediately colonizing and enslaving the indigenous population. Quickly realizing that the natives couldn't sustain the tremendous work load, Portugal began importing African slaves into Brazil in the 1550s.

The slave trade grew rapidly, and Brazil soon became home to the largest population of African slaves in the world.

The colonists had great difficulty maintaining authority over this massive slave state. Insurrections were frequent and led to harsher methods of suppression and control.

Despite these measures, the Portuguese were incapable of extinguishing the flames of African culture in the New World.

The traditions of African drumming not only survived, they grew and exploded into unimaginable new forms, eventually blossoming into the world-famous samba schools of Rio de Janeiro and the afro-blocos of Salvador, Bahia - enormous orchestras of drums, beating out symphonies of rebellion, resistance and liberation.

Bahian Afro-Brazilian drum ensemble Timbalada

The existence of Carnaval is a testament to the tremendous power of culture and its ability to flourish and propagate, even under extreme forms of opposition.

Brazil's musical rebellious streak continues today, as popular artists like Seu Jorge and Marcelo D2 continue to use samba rhythms as a vehicle for social commentary and cultural resistance.

Rio's samba hip-hopper Marcelo D2

Special thanks to Camila Cavalcante for her inspiration and support.

1. Gui Amabis - Para Mulatu (self released, 2011)
2. Luísa Maita - Lero-Lero (Cumbancha/Oi Música, 2011)
3. Lucas Santtana - Super Violão Mashup (Mais Um Discos, 2011)
4. Criolo - Mariô (Sky Blue Music, 2011)
5. Lurdez da Luz - Andei (Tratore/Fonomatic, 2010)
6. Emicida - Cacariacô (Laboratório Fantasma, 2011)
7. BaianaSystem - Frevofoguete (self released, 2011)
8. Bixiga 70 - Desengano da Vista (Traquitana/AguaForte, 2011)

Love them or hate them, four-on-the-floor beats dominated the airwaves this year. Jordan Roseman, better known as DJ Earworm, has released his annual "United States of Pop," which combines the top 25 songs of the year (according to Billboard Magazine) into one massive mashup. DJ Earworm has been compiling the mixes since 2007, releasing them on Christmas Day every year.

He has a literary bent; he released a book on mashup-making called "Mashup Construction Kit" in 2006.

Songs used in the 2011 mix include:

"Rolling In The Deep" - Adele
"Someone Like You" - Adele
"Just Can't Get Enough" - Black Eyed Peas
"Grenade" - Bruno Mars
"The Lazy Song" - Bruno Mars
"Till The World Ends" - Britney Spears
"Fuck You!" - Cee Lo Green
"Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" - Enrique Iglesias
"Pumped Up Kicks" - Foster the People
"On The Floor" - Jennifer Lopez
"Down On Me" - Jeremih feat. 50 Cent
"Firework" - Katy Perry
"E.T." - Katy Perry
"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" - Katy Perry
"Born This Way" - Lady Gaga
"Party Rock Anthem" - LMFAO
"Sexy and I Know It" - LMFAO
"The Show Goes On" - Lupe Fiasco
"Moves Like Jagger" - Maroon 5
"Super Bass" - Nicki Minaj
"Good Life" - OneRepublic
"Raise Your Glass" - Pink
"Give Me Everything" - Pitbull
"S&M" - Rihanna
"We Found Love" - Rihanna

I've always felt that bachata held an anachronistic position in the landscape of contemporary pop music. With its gracefully delivered, stately melodies and austere instrumentation (guitar, bass, bongos and guiro), bachata harkens back to a simpler era in music, before the influence of synthesizers, drum machines and auto-tune.

Despite its traditional leanings, bachata is wildly popular. Not just in itts home country of the Dominican Republic, but throughout all of Latin America and right here in Indy too.

On just about any night of the week you can find a club spinning the Dominican sound somewhere in Indianapolis and on Saturday, December 10th the city will host one of the genre's biggest stars: Ramón "Monchy" Rijo performing with his group Monchy & Nathalia.

Ramón Rijo was a pivotal figure in the development of bachata. In 1999 his group Monchy & Alexendra recorded one of the genre's first international hits, "Hoja en Blanco," a song that's often credited with popularizing the music outside of the Dominican Republic.

Monchy & Alexendra - "Hoja en Blanco"

Monchy & Alexendra came into existence at a time when bachata was solidifying its transformation from a rural acoustic music to a more modern, urban sound that emphasized the electric guitar as a lead rhythmic voice.

Bachata's roots date back to the early 20th century. The style was born in the Dominican countryside from a mix of influences, including Cuban bolero, Mexican huapango and a variety of other guitar-based Latin music.

In 1961, José Manuel Calderón recorded what is generally considered the first bachata single “Borracho de Amor.” At this point, the music was still viewed as a variant of bolero, and the genre had not yet acquired the name bachata. Originally, the term bachata was used to describe an informal, countryside party and was applied to the music in a disparaging way by the Dominican upper classes who viewed bachata music as vulgar and culturally backward.

José Manuel Calderón - “Borracho de Amor”

But, the music continued to grow in popularity and define itself as a genre. By the mid-1980s, bachata had acquired many of its most distinguishing characteristics, including the use of rhythmic elements borrowed from the countries other national music, merengue.

Blas Durán's 1987 hit "Mujeres Hembras" was one of the first bachatas to feature an electric guitar and demonstrates bachatas shift from the bolero to a more dance-oriented style.

Blas Durán - "Mujeres Hembras"

The 1990s saw the continued modernization of the bachata sound and the emergence of groups like Monchy & Alexendra, who brought the music to new levels of popularity. By the early 2000's bachata had established itself is a dominant force in Latin popular music.

Monchy & Nathalia will appear at the Salon Internacional on Saturday 9 p.m.

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• Zeds Dead

The lights start to get brighter, the bass continues to build, the tempo speeds up and things are quiet for a single second. And then, all hell breaks loose after the bass line drops and the lights put the whole club in a whiteout. You may feel like you are on a roller coaster; you may feel like your face is melting off.

This is what Zeds Dead did to Deluxe on Monday night.

While Figure may have made fans leave on November 21, complaining that it was almost too loud, Zeds Dead truly left its mark on Indianapolis. Helping to add to the already insane lineup of shows that the new Amber Room has held (including Skrillex, Dillon Francis, Green Velvet, and Figure), the dubstep duo left fans nearly deaf after their loud, close to two hour set Monday night.

Zeds Dead - Rumble in the Jungle by zedsdead

The duo from Toronto consists of DC and Hooks, who have been known for their extremely progressive approaches to dubstep and bass music. With a strong influence from old school hip-hop, they are able to transcend genres and always keep things fresh and unique. Although they have not yet released an album as Zeds Dead (they released one in 2007 under the name Fresh Beetz), they have been making music since 2004 and have evolved from underground talent to starting a weekly party called Bassmentality in Toronto, which has seen its fair share of dubstep legends including Nero, 12th Planet, Skrillex, Borgore and Mary Anne Hobbs.

With a crowd of around 500 people and a great lightshow by IndyMojo's Jason King, this was easily the craziest party going on during a Monday night in Indy. Hollowpoint and Ed Trauma helped get the crowd hyped up at first, and then Zeds Dead got on with their insane, considerably louder set. Promoting songs from their recent EP, Rumble in the Jungle (which they released on Diplo’s Mad Decent label) as well as many of their classic remixes such as “Eyes on Fire” by Blue Foundation, and “Pyramid Song” by Radiohead, they kept the crowd moving, making it impossible for anyone to stop and breathe. The venue made the show quite intimate, and the space allowed for some of the loudest bass in the Indy.

Keepin' it Deep has done a solid job at bringing more electronic dance music to the city, with Identity Festival at Verizon Wireless, Skrillex at the Egyptian Room, and Pretty Lights at the Egyptian Room leaving Indy fans asking for more. Lucky for them, more is on the way, with last week’s announcement that Steve Aoki and Datsik are playing in the Egyptian Room February 21, Excision in the Egyptian Room March 18, and others. For fans that have been wondering where the weekly party will be, make sure to count Deluxe in.

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• Panjabi MC

bhan·gra
[bahng-gruh]
noun
A type of popular dance music combining Punjabi folk traditions with Western pop music, fusing traditional drum-based music with elements of reggae, ragga, hip-hop, rock, soul, and dance.

World music promoters Cultural Cannibals have been putting together the extremely well-received Bollywood Bhangras since January of 2010, but this Friday's event is the biggest by far. The brightest star of the bhangra scene, Rajinder Singh Rai (known by his stage name Panjabi MC) will visit Indiana for the first time to play the event.

“Indian people are very passionate about music and the energy at the Bollywood Bhangra parties is like nothing else I've ever seen in Indianapolis; people are lifting each other on their shoulders and the entire room just explodes into dance,” said Kyle Long, a founder of Cultural Cannibals.

Visual artist Artur Silva is the other founder of the organization, which aims to use the arts as a force for social change; they've done events featuring the music of Haiti, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Cuba and Colombia this year.

Although previously wildly popular in India and the UK, Panjabi MC was catapulted to international stardom when mega-star Jay-Z remixed his track “Mundian To Bach Ke.” We spoke to him about making music that crosses borders, combines languages and interweaves new and old sounds.

NUVO: You've been making music a long time. How have you seen recognition of bhangra music change since you've been in the industry?

Panjabi MC: Bhangra was invented in England so it's always had many non-Indian followers. It has become a little more mainstream in later years. My music has gone from being labeled as “world music” to “dance music,” so that's good. I think there is an obvious language barrier which doesn't really exist in other underground music.

NUVO: Do you feel like something is lost when your fans cannot understand the language of the music they are listening to, or does it truly not matter?

PMC: I think it can work both ways. Sometimes finding out what the lyrics mean can even spoil the song. This has happened to me in the past. With my music I try to use concepts and samples which may give you a clue what a song is about, just in case you don't understand it. Also, I use the ultimate universal instrument, the dhol drum. Anywhere I go in the world, people always want to dance to this prehistoric sound.

NUVO: Describe the differences in fan bases/shows between India, the UK, the US and other European countries.

PMC: There are many crazy vibes and movements happening all over the world. India is becoming a big place for clubbing and DJ shows. I play my sound and mix it with the vibe that people are feeling. I always improvise something new for each show. There is no races or religions on the dance floor. I play a huge variety of crowds. With the Internet, there are global tracks in the charts everywhere.

NUVO: How did it feel to be singled out by Jay-Z?

PMC: It was great for me and the whole bhangra industry in general. It was the first time that a global name got involved in our music. It took the music to another level. I've always mixed hip hop and 'desi and to get a huge rap artist on that dhol beat was amazing.

NUVO: What album are you listening to right now? What book are you reading right now?

PMC: I'm reading manuals all the time. I like to try all the software that's out there, which means reading the online manual and tutorial. I'm listening to loads of old tracks lately and they seems to sound so much better me lately. Norah Jones - don't know why. Blackstreet. I just downloaded albums by The Police, Pink Floyd and Ace of Base!

NUVO: What performers do you admire?

PMC: I've always wanted to do a whole rap album. My next album, 56 Districts, started as a rap album. Then [I'll] get an amazing DJ and do some stage shows. Get my rapper look on! I think Busta Rymes is one of the best.

NUVO: Your music mixes traditional and very contemporary work. Which do you tend to listen to?

PMC: That's true, I've always wanted to get the best of both worlds. I think that traditional instruments and vocal styles have a power which hits the soul. Mix them with some bass and that's my sound. The “Been” instrument in “Snake Charmer” was recorded in India with a real snake in the studio. Then, I added an 808 kick drum and a lot of sub bass. I knew that the frequencies would work in the clubs.

NUVO: As an international artist, where do you feel most at home performing?

PMC: I love Canada, the USA, Punjab, and Russia but equally everywhere else I go. UK has the biggest bhangra scene. However, in Europe the crowd doesn't get as [many performers], so it is always lively.

NUVO: Have you been in Indiana before?

PMC: Actually I haven't been before. I am really looking forward to coming. I'm bringing my exclusives! Right now I'm playing my exclusive “Moorni Remix,” featuring Warren G, and my first single from the new album, "Bhari Barsi."

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• Skrillex skrillexin'.

Note to self: Do not forget earplugs for next Skrillex concert. Nearly 12 hours after the show concluded, my ears are still ringing a little.

12th Planet opened for Skrillex; he was the perfect booster to get bodies loosened up and dancing feet acclimated. His fondness for hip hop was on tap early in his set (highlights included samples of Waka Flocka Flame’s "Hard In Da Paint" and Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Niggas in Paris”) but he proceeded to get progressively harder, bassier, and more rugged. Fearful I’d spoil my appetite for bass, I opted for a mid-set break in the lobby- right about the time the Egyptian Room’s ceiling started peeling and falling to the crowd like autumn leaves from a tree.

Skrillex’s stage setup seemed relatively simple. A large screen backdrop displayed technical-looking graphics of hexagons, helixes, and animated circuit boardimagery that cycled through a rainbow of neon color schemes. Perhaps most impressive image was the towering, lanky skeleton that danced on the screen behind Skrillex, mimicking his every move. The skeleton’s presence was not continual-he popped in and out sporadically through the show-and would later reappear with skin as a generic, faceless model of the body.

As is the case with most events centered in the rave culture, there was a lot of good people-watching. Outfits ranged from scantily clad girls in bras and fuzzy boots to guys with no shirts on to full-body jumpsuits of a single, solid color. There were plenty of costumes to observe (what up, Mario?). Men were wearing glitter with pride and glowing toys were in abundance.

The front half of the room was densely populated. In fact, the crowd was so thick that I, a self-proclaimed expert at crowd navigating, didn’t even bother trying to squeeze forward. Rather, I found a spot with the more sparsely occupied neighborhood in the back half of the room where I found it easier to dance-and breathe.

Nonetheless, the entire population was mostly nice and friendly. They respected personal space and many of my total-stranger neighbors vibed with me-not through words, but through dance. Just as I made this realization, Skrillex delivered a heartfelt speech by asking everyone to put their hands in the air and make the peace sign. We obliged, and he told us it was all about the peace and love. “We’re all friends. I love you guys. I seriously do. Turn around and give your neighbor a hug.”

Skrillex did a lot of remixing, giving his popular (often over-played) tunes a fresh twist. With the exception of a few interjections sprinkled throughout, Skrillex remained vocally quiet for most of the show and let his music do the talking. He dropped the famous “OH MY GOD!” sample early on in the set, and closed the night with the full version of “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites."

More than halfway through, Skrillex announced new music that he was excited to play for us. The run of fresh tunes centered around the song “First Of The Year (Equinox)” from his latest EP. The fans’ unruly and enthusiastic reaction to these newer, not-so-easily recognizable tracks (easily one of the night’s highest moments of energy) signaled to me that Skrillex fans are actively seeking out and latching onto his new work (the More Monsters & Sprites EP dropped just five months ago) and are simply not content with just his mainstream productions.

Last night at The Murat, the bass was strong enough to vibrate the hair on my arms and rattle my rib cage. The visuals were awe-inspiring, but not so flashy that they distracted from the actual performance. The audience was happy, alert and dancing like there was no tomorrow. And most importantly, Skrillex gave Indy a performance that was more than just a live replay of his music; he united a room of 2,000 people through the power of bass to give us a holistic experience of sight, sound, and dance.

Andy D's latest video brings a mystical, sexual dance party to your computer screen.

Best known for songs like "God Loves Drunk Chicks" and his ever-present cut-off denim shorts and long rat tail, Andy D has created another signature dance track heavy on synths and electronic drumbeats.

The single, from his album Songs in the Key of Magic, stays in line with most D creations, ensuring it will be played at parties across Indianapolis. Join Andy D in his celestial dance party down below.

Get more D here, and check out photos from his album-release party.