No Bico do Corvo by Pedroso & Pedrosa

Proceeds from tapes go to Intituto Zág (Zág Institute) – The zág or Araucaria as it is more widely known, is a native tree from south of Brazil that is sacred to a lot of indigenous tribes, such as the Laklãnõ Xokleng which has as one of the bases of their culture, the sacred ritual that involves Zág seeds and planting them in the correct way, the way it was originally planted ages ago.

www.instagram.com/institutozag/

benfeitoria.com/projeto/vamos-plantar-araucarias-juntos-11ih

The Xokleng people suffer a lot of prejudice and a lot of harm from the government and other institutions who want to take away the land where they live and their rights, now they are trying to fight back by spreading their culture and asking for help.

Here is a bit about them (in their own words):

Our sole and exclusive cause is to remove our most sacred tree, the Zág (Araucaria angustifolia, Parana pine) from extinction. It is currently in the last stage before being considered extinct in the wild. It is the most critical stage of all.

We have been carrying out this work since 2018, but we still lack some tools and have continuous expenses with food and accommodation for volunteers, fuel for transporting the seedlings, in addition to the need to acquire more protective equipment and some biodegradable materials that are used in the production of seedlings.

As there are no more mature trees in our Indigenous Land, we have to travel hundreds of kilometers every year to obtain the seeds directly from nature. All our activities are carried out in the most traditional way possible of Laklãnõ techniques, combining them with modern agroforestry techniques.

The purpose of the fund raised is to make more araucaria planting actions possible within the Laklãnõ Indigenous Land for the next season.

July 21, 2023: Pedroso & Pedrosa are Rafael de Toledo Pedroso (they/them, he/him) and Pedro Pedrosa (he/him) and are from Paraná and Rio de Janeiro. The title of this new album, No Bico do Corvo, is a popular expression used in the southern region of Brazil. It literally translates to “In the Beak of the Crow” and it is used when someone is close to dying.

This is a sentiment that Pedroso & Pedrosa felt when working on this album. No Bico do Corvo is about time, grief, and introspection.

The songs were recorded from 2021 to 2022, first in an improvised studio in the mountains of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, and later in another improvised studio over the plains of Ponta Grossa, Paraná.

All the instrumentation and composition were done by the duo except the first track, which is a is a traditional African-American spiritual. The other songs are performed, improvised, and sung by both Pedroso & Pedrosa.

No Bico do Corvo blends singer-songwriter compositions and unique experimentation with DIY recording techniques. The result is a mix of atmospheres and vibes that are woven together through the concept of the passage of time, always present to remind us that we all soon will be in the beak of a crow.

Proceeds from tapes go to Intituto Zág (Zág Institute) – The zág or Araucaria as it is more widely known, is a native tree from south of Brazil that is sacred to a lot of indigenous tribes, such as the Laklãnõ Xokleng which has as one of the bases of their culture, the sacred ritual that involves Zág seeds and planting them in the correct way, the way it was originally planted ages ago.

www.instagram.com/institutozag/

benfeitoria.com/projeto/vamos-plantar-araucarias-juntos-11ih

75% of digital proceeds on Bandcamp go to Pedroso & Pedrosa and the other 25% supports Grimalkin's future releases.

credits

released July 21, 2023

Rafael de Toledo Pedroso:

Vocals/Vocais (tracks 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 11)

Monotron (tracks 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Organ/Órgão (tracks 2, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Guitar/Guitarra (tracks 4, 7, 8, 10)

Steel drums/Tambor de Aço (tracks 3, 4, 7, 10)

Daw & Synths/Daw & Sintetizador (track 3)

Sound collage/Colagem sonora (all tracks)

Lyrics/Letras (tracks 2, 6, 8, 9, 11)

Pedro Pedrosa:

Vocals/Vocais (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11)

Alto & Soprano recorders/Flautas Altas & Sopranas (all)

Ukulele (tracks 7, 8, 9, 11)

Choir/Coral (tracks 1, 3, 7, 8)

Daw & Synths/Daw & Sintetizador (track 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Sound collage/Colagem sonora (tracks 3, 6, 7, 11)

Lyrics/Letras (tracks 3, 5, 9, 11)

Other credits/Outros créditos:

Cover art/Foto de Capa: João Victor Burton

Single Cover Art/Foto de Capa do Single: Magali Sil

Booklet Design/Design de Livreto: Rafael de Toledo Pedroso

Cassette Design/Design da Cassette: Pedro Pedrosa

Mix & Master/Mixagem & Masterização: Rafael de Toledo Pedroso

Thanks to/Agradecimentos: Maria Lúcia Nova da Costa, Gustavo Malinverno, Gabi Pieckhardt, Oliver Pieckhardt, Nancy Grim Kells & João Victor Burton

Recorded/Gravado em in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro & Ponta Grossa, Paraná

Much love to Paper Phoenix Ink and Sihn Starr Cartia for this lovely review: paperphoenixink.com/2023/08/07/review-pedroso-pedrosa-no-bico-do-corvo/

Thanks so much to Joyful Union Cassette Blog for including this album on their top 100 Cassettes of 2023: joyfulunioncassetteblog.home.blog/2023/12/16/joyful-union-top-100-cassettes-of-2023/