Interview held on 23/10/2009
Made by Luis Felipe
With Cannibal (bass and vocals) and Celo Brown (drums)


Hello, people of culture in weight. Here is Louis Philippe, I'm here with my friend Cremogema and now we can talk with Cannibal (bass / vocals) and Celo Brown (drums) the band's devotees, reef, which is presented in a moment in Jambolada 2009.

Luis Felipe: First, as you perceive the trajectory of the band that appeared in the "Alto José do Pinho" in Recife and already has over 20 years?

Cannibal: It's what we always tried, what always always dreamed of winning. Show to Brazil and to the world that there is a music scene and eclectic in Recife and especially in the suburbs as in "High Zé do Pinho.

So our duty is not only reach out and touch, but also disclose, as it has things happen there that can be brought back here, not only to Uberlandia but to every corner of Brazil.

One of our greatest achievements is to know first just to make people know that there is "Alto José do Pinho," and put the people have come here and everyone sings the song or comment on something about "Alto José do Pinho . Interesting also know that a lot of good, new legal and appeared in Recife twenty years here, and has yet to yield much fruit.

Pernambuco has much good to show my boys from Brazil.

Luis Felipe: And what is expected pro event today?

Celo Brown: The expectation is total. It's been a while since we did not come in Minas Gerais, Uberlândia and is the first time, then gives a damn cold in the belly (laughs). Can not wait to get on stage!

Luis Felipe: I know you will do in a 2010 European tour. As that is the expectation that pra tour "the Gringos" there?

Cannibal: It's as if the band was starting out, right? In 88 we had that expectation of playing, that whole thing is the same feeling "the gringo" because we never did. In fact, in 2000 we played in Portugal, but only played in Portugal and returned to Brazil. Now it's European tour and will last for basically a month and a few days, then, is how the Celo said, give that tingly inside.

It is as if we were starting all over again because there nobody knows the devotees, not like here. Then the boy must ask: "is it really good live? Does the band is like the guys talking about?". So there in Europe will not have it, and we will go with that as if you were starting the band and let's see what is going to walk there.

But, as I said the first question you asked is one thing that we wanted for a long time. It is now that we wanted to do a European tour and now this is becoming a reality. Who is that there is a personal Recife. So having this relationship with the boy was that made us have the courage to go there, because without friends and alone we could not with certainty.

Luis Felipe:: As the situation in Northeast influences the compositions of Devotees?

Cannibal: The devotees is a band that, musically speaking, the everyday lives, what is going on, what we see and what we live. So how do we know that social problems in Brazil and abroad, are not anything close to being solved, and moreover a lot of people giving good solutions, we would point to publicize it. At the beginning of the band we just protested and spoke only evil, and some ten years back here we started to want to also give a solution and talking about people and actions that are already made positive.

Increasingly what we say is what we live and what we see, not much fiction on top of it all. The band was formed to talk about social problems, especially in the rolling "Alto José do Pinho. We know it is much still left to be resolved but we saw that most things have a certain direction for if it goes well. I say this because the link there in the "José do Pinho" does not revolve only around the devotees, revolves around other bands and assossiações. All this is already in relationship, not only the devotees waiting to do that.

independent of all these bands still have an NGO that we call the "Speaker". And the first proposal of the NGO was to have a radio, also with the name "Speaker" in order to put the residents themselves to make the programs themselves and speak of their own social problems that they think exists in the "High José do Pinho and talk about how these social problems could be solved. Because until then speak ill is very easy, fuck is you give solution to those problems. So basically this is what we say in the lyrics and music.

Luis Felipe:: How old is the scene of the time that the devotees began, and the current punk and hardcore in the Northeast?

Celo Brown: At the time the devotees began everything was done in there on the claw, the day-to-day, the same strength. There was all this technology there is today. And that continues today. The periphery is still working, the movements continue working, whether it be punk, heavy metal music and movement in the Northeast. More decentralized than before, but it continues with the help of technology like the Internet, access to better equipment and communication.

Cremogema: Before the band was called "Devotees of Hate. What brought the band to change name?

Celo Brown: The old name was causing a barrier between us and where we wanted to go. It seemed that "Devotees of Hate" was a band that was praising violence and everything that is bad. So the name became a barrier to what we longed to reach. So we said, "we get the 'hate', as this name is preventing us to reach certain places. Because of the prejudice of people with the name we had to translate what was otherwise. But the sound, the message and the letters continue as usual.

Cannibal: The thing that spoke Celo is one thing I agree and sign below: You can change the name of the band but you can not change his character, to no avail. Changed the name but could not we change the type of sound or the font, as the band came to do what we do. The name for us is just a name. Sometimes we feel a little "plundered" by certain people who hold the label, attach to the name. I think for you to change a membership you do not need to be punk, metal-head need not be, need not be rap, not to be emo. You do not need any style. Just wanted to do and have in your head than what there is for positive change in social pattern, and not change just for you, pro his group and his group. So basically it, the name is just a name.

Cremogema: You mentioned that there were several barriers for you because of the name "Hate". Where you've noticed that the doors began to open after the band's name changed?

Cannibal: We feel that the first people to speak. They wondered if the band was condoning violence. In several events we have struggled with this. We've been invited pra events wrestling in Recife and we never came across play. Whenever he had something with "Devotees of Hate", people thought it was something related to it.

Who knew the band and our work, did not have that problem. But people who did not know our history, we always had with that name (hate). And one of the things that I think more positively changed was because we who choose to change, I, Celo and Neilton. Long ago we already had a crush on changing the name of the band. So when the three that are the main band agree, has no impediment. I could be here fighting now: "Hey, Celo, could be 'Devotees of Hate' yet," and Neilton fighting: "No, devotees is legal, but never took it with us. Positively between us is already legal, and what will happen to the other, depends on us and that we will go for them. For us being positive because of it.

Cremogema: Over the years, what were the main difficulties that you realize that the Devotees won and now you're proud of that?

Cannibal: First, the fall of prejudice to the community "Alto José do Pinho. The band was really not change the social framework within the community. Gradually we got it and now we see that has a greater number of people chasing it too. And we see this because the prejudice to the Alto José do Pinho "was very strong and very big. The community only appears on pages police, only spoke of there when someone died. when he was arrested when some villain or had any assault.

The press just went up there to cover this type of matter. When the band emerged and the band began to be seen, the press linked there to make some kind of matter, and we invite the press when climbing there to be able to make the field. We never went there on TV or in the, we drew up the TV and just "High". And it has a great impact in the community until it was a mirror for her. People even began to see, began to see that a membership could be changed through music, through a guys who lived there, who was born there and no one was there either.

We suffered prejudice from the community. We have taken four years to play in the "Alto José do Pinho, only after four years is that we play in the community, because no one wanted to touch us there. The way we dressed, the way we were, the people there had the same prejudice against us. So these changes that we perceive that are very positive.

Today, we can see ... most students who are paying their chairs go up in the "Alto José do Pinho" to do their subjects. Some of comuniade are invited to join in some talk happening at the colleges or even in some companies, like me, who've been Claypool give some lecture. So we see that the issue of prejudice has changed, and changed a lot through music. We can show that before the band was already "maracatú", the "afoxé" was the "caboclinhos, there was a culture, a culture of the Northeast for many years, has always existed in the" Alto José do Pinho and ever was seen, and was only seen after the band appeared, so for us it's getting really paying for everything.

Today the wheel maracatú Europe, afoxé wheel for Europe and this rapazeada manages to get up much more than the bands. So for us it was a battle well won and we are very proud to talk about it. Although we have the foot on the ground and know that lack a lot to us. But we know that at least the fall of prejudice to the global society we have won long ago.

Cremogema: There is a documentary that tells the whole trajectory of the hill, which speaks of violence, consequences, and how it has changed over time. There's even a story that the radio was closed. Can you explain a little of this for us?

Cannibal: We have a radio called "Speaker", and that radio is actually the first project of the NGO that we are part. The idea was to make the residents also spoke, also gave their opinions, because not everyone wants to be a musician. But you can claim otherwise, by means of a fanzine, a newspaper, a book, a magazine, making music, and also by radio. Even talk of what is happening.

As we can not be "FM", precisely because of the Minister Helio Costa, who does not grant people who really want to show to society their duties and their rights, it only gives concession to political and churches, we wondered : "Hey, how are we going to do because we can not grant?", then decided to make a broadcaster. Then the radio only works inside the community, in jobs. In this same way, we managed to build radios also in some neighboring communities and even in a community that is part of another municipality.

Cremogema: The radios are all independent and are linked?

Cannibal: They are all independent, we go there and ride, and they do the same programming. Radio stations are interconnected when they have a meeting, but each one makes its programming on your way. We think that social problems can be the same in any community anywhere, but how to solve is different because each community has its own culture and culture is the lifestyle of a people.

So the way of life "Alto José do Pinho" really is music, breathe music, but that community is the way of life is sport. You can deploy the music, but can not get the essence of it is the sport. So no point nigga get there in the sport "Alto José do Pinho" that would not work. It can go with a song and then put the sport. So the way to solve is quite unique in each community. You get there, show your way as it does and if you have any problems, we are together for that fight to solve more and more as quickly as possible. That's how people think. It is not something that we think is right, but it's something that we have in our head.

Cremogema: The band engages in some kind of workshop to teach how the people of the community will work with this radio or how they will perform the materials?

Cannibal: The own community radio station we do workshops. We organize workshops and invite all rapazeada. Everything is open. Indeed the workshop is not just for the community "Alto José do Pinho," is for everyone. It is even a surreal thing to talk, but most people who make the workshops are people from outside the community. Because we have a very large exchange with other places. We invite outsiders to talk about what they do for us also to get experience.

Cremogema: And as the band behaves in relation to the factor "drug"? It is known that in the slums and hills drugs are a factor that is present.

Celo Brown: It is problematic. I think this issue begins at home, everything comes from the base. We really believe it, everything comes from primary education. The nuclear family that are the basis for the little boy was not involved in this universe. Inside or outside the periphery, if you have that empty head ends up becoming the "house of the devil." We really believe this is a huge problem, one thing a lot of basic training that the citizen. This is a very political issue also.

Cremogema: You think of a form of rehabilitation, to take this course and citizen of that put him in the community working together socially with you or something?

Celo Brown: Not embracing the cause that we will save someone or take someone this way. But I think that giving another opportunity may be the path. Show them that there are other ways. That is our job.

Cremogema: From the band's shows, which you highlight? one in the Northeast and one outside the Northeast.

Celo Brown: In the Northeast had the Rec Beat last year that show was the ball. And outside was our last show in Acre now show that was the ball.

Luis Felipe: Thanks for the interview, staff, good show for you and to the next.
Cremogema: Do a show, because every galley waiting for you.

Contact:

www.devotos.com.br
www.myspace.com/oficialdevotos