Balla (musician)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Balla


Img_capt = Balla
Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|Portugal Lisbon, Portugal
Genre = Rock
Pop
Electro
Years_active = 2000–present
Label = SonyBMG/Chiado Records
URL = http://www.myspace.com/ballaportugal
Current_members = Armando Teixeira – Voice;
Paulo Souza – Guitar;
Ricardo Vasconcelos – Keyboards;
Tiago Dias – Bass;
Lito - Drums

Balla (musician) is the musical alter-ego of Portuguese musician and record producer Armando Teixeira (musician). Balla's music references the sound and style of Serge Gainsbourg and Jaques Brel, combined with hip hop and cut-and-paste references drawn from his time as DJ and producer with both Bizarra Locomotiva and the platinum selling Da Weasel. The arrangements have been described as "reflecting a taste for sound composers like Barry Adamson" [ [http://discodigital.sapo.pt/news_history.asp?section_id=2&id_news=22229 Disco Digital ] ] . Armando Teixeira is recognized as a composer, musician and producer of note within Portugal, and his latest studio album "A Grande Mentira" has been described by Antena 3 as "pop, electronica, eroticism and fury". [ [http://ww1.rtp.pt/icmblogs/rtp/manhas-da-3/?k=Balla-Nas-Manhas.rtp&post=1498 Balla Nas Manhãs - Manhãs da 3 ] ] "In this space, I have adopted the solitary writing of a Nick Cave or Iggy Pop" Balla has said of his own work. [http://jn.sapo.pt/2007/05/25/cultura/balla_mais_certeiro_terceiro_tiro.html] When asked if Balla was the summary of his years spent in Bizarra Locomotiva or Da Weasel, he responded "Probably, yes... Any of these bands were very closed, while Balla represents freedom. I am able to experiment a lot. Here there is a little bit of everything that I have done." [ [http://diariodigital.sapo.pt/disco_digital/news_history.asp?section_id=0&id_news=29172 Disco Digital ] ] [ [http://dn.sapo.pt/2008/04/17/artes/um_olhar_panoramico_pela_face_de_arm.html DN Online: Um olhar panorâmico pela face pop de Armando Teixeira ] ]

Biography

Balla first appeared on the "Optimus 2000:we'vebeenwatchingyou" collection, with his track "Âmago", in 2000 (alongside other bands such as Plástica and Atomic Bees). [ [http://fonoteca.cm-lisboa.pt/cgi-bin/pesquisa.pl?lg=1&trm1=balla&trm2=&tipo=*&area=all&cp1=AUT&cp2=TIT&bd=CDBIB&rg=40&of= Fonoteca Municipal - Catalogue ] ] His eponymous first album of original songs was released in the same year, and was described as "crossing the atmosphere of accessible Portuguese music, with dance rhythms and pop sounds, finally connected through cut-and-paste, first experimented upon in the universe of hip-hop. The result is essentially a pop sound, yet different from that presented by previous efforts, where the results were rougher. In "Balla", Armando Teixeira tried to recreate, in his style, the musical ambience of the 60s and the 70s." [ [http://cotonete.clix.pt/quiosque/artistas/home.aspx?id=245 Artistas e Bandas do Mundo da Música na Base de Dados do Cotonete ] ]

In 2003 Balla released his second full-length, entitled "Le Jeu", where the humour of the persona is rendered more clearly. A review described the abum as "it's pop, it's 'chanson française', it's eroticism, it's electronica and everything else that a disc of such complex songs can suggest. Firstly, because it's based on erotic film soundtracks from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and then because it has songs, about everything and about nothing... Besides all this, Armando Teixeira continues to hold a certain relish for humor, symbolism and daydreaming." [http://www.bodyspace.net/album.php?album_id=192 Balla - Le Jeu :: bodyspace.net ] ] The cover of "Le Jeu" is possibly a reference to the Nathaniel Merriweather (aka Dan The Automator) project Lovage (band), and his album "Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By", which is in itself a pastiche of Serge Gainsbourg's "No. 2" album.

"A Grande Mentira" [The Big Lie] , was released in 2006. Balla not only composed but also recorded, mixed and produced the entire album. The album includes a cover of "Oub`lá" by Mão Morta. Resumo (2000 - 2008) (Chiado Records/Sony BMG), released in 2008, is a collection of works from his first three albums. [ [http://www.sonybmg.pt/Noticias.php?IdNoticia=138&Sid=da0614c97491aa2970c2c21ca2317aaa SonyBMG ] ] [ [http://programas.rtp.pt/antena3/index.php?t=Balla-editam-best-of.rtp&article=3572&visual=5&layout=11&tm=7 Balla editam best of - Notícias - Antena 3 ] ]

Besides live touring regularly, Balla has played at several large Portuguese music festivals, including Festival Serra da Estrela 2007 [ [http://blitz.aeiou.pt/gen.pl?p=stories&op=view&fokey=bz.stories/9137&sid=bz.sections/35 BLITZ: Festival Serra da Estrela 2007 ] ] , headlining on the "Palco Planeta Sudoeste" stage at Festival Sudoeste in 2007 (alongside Datarock and Bonde do Rolê) and Festival Alive!07 in Oeiras alongside the Smashing Pumpkins and The White Stripes [ [http://blitz.aeiou.pt/gen.pl?p=stories&op=view&fokey=bz.stories/8580 BLITZ: Balla encerram cartaz do Oeiras Alive!07 ] ] [ [http://jn.sapo.pt/PaginaInicial/Interior.aspx?content_id=676441 Musica Primeiro Festival Alive em Oeiras arranca 6a feira com Pearl Jam - Jornal de Notícias ] ] Balla has also contributed a duet with Paulo Gonzo to the "Movimento UPA", alongside Camané, JP Simões and Mariza, which campaigns to combat against discrimination toward people with mental illness. [ [http://blitz.aeiou.pt/gen.pl?p=stories&op=view&fokey=bz.stories/17855&sid=bz.sections/35 BLITZ: Xutos, Sérgio Godinho, Da Weasel em campanha solidária ] ] [ [http://www.encontrarse.pt/upa08/ Associação Encontrar+se - Movimento UPA 08 ] ]

Discography

* Balla (EMI) - 2000
* Le Jeu (Music Mob) - 2003
* A Grande Mentira (Chiado Records) - 2006
* Resumo (2000 - 2008) (Chiado Records/Sony-BMG) - 2008

Other Works

* Optimus 2000: we'vebeenwatchingyou (EMI-Valentim de Carvalho) - 2000
* Exploratory Music From Portugal (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation) - 2001
* E se depois...: Tributo a Mão Morta (RagingPlanet) - 2007

External links

* http://www.myspace.com/ballaportugal
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzAylwA3gSk&feature=related

Notes