Exploring the Musical Biography of Da Lata

Globally acclaimed electronic music producer and multi-instrumentalist Chris Franck is the brains behind the project Da Lata, which struck a chord with music enthusiasts worldwide when it first surfaced two decades ago. Da Lata is a Brazilian term that means 'from the tin' and was coined to describe the fusion of traditional percussive music from Brazil and modern electronic beats that are central to the artist's sound.

Over the years, Da Lata's music has been embraced by fans across the world for its ability to move crowds and convey messages that are both meaningful and highly infectious. In this article, we'll take a deep dive into the life of Da Lata and explore his influences, signature sound, and some of his most popular albums and songs.

Da Lata's beginnings

Christopher 'Chris' Franck was born in the United Kingdom in 1969, and fuses the sounds of electronic music with the Brazilian rhythms that he fell in love with when he visited Brazil for the first time in the early '90s. Da Lata was launched as a project in 1997, and since then, it has been part of many significant collaborations featuring some of the most prominent names in the music industry.

Franck who is a founding member of the band Smoke City, is renowned for his energy and commitment in bringing together the sounds of different cultures. Da Lata's debut album, which was inspired by and recorded in Brazil, was released in the United Kingdon in 2000 and was followed by the release of Serious in 2003.

Da Lata's most famous albums

The first album, Songs from the Tin, was a groundbreaking album that included moments of Hip Hop, soul, funk, and jazz to get a feel of Brazilian life. The album stood out for its world music influences of Bossa Nova and Samba. In 2003, Da Lata released Serious which featured collaborations with Diabel Cissokho, who can be heard playing the kora, a West African version of the harp, and the Gambia's Juldeh Camara. It's an album that shades light on the sounds present in Latin American jazz and includes an array of electronic beats flavoured in Brazil's traditional percussion.

The highly acclaimed Serious was also folowed with the release of Fabiola, being the last album in the sequence released by the group. They decided to establish their record label to gain the freedom to express musically. The album's sound is sonically refined, including features and collaborations with Mayra Andrade, Luiz Gabriel and Floetic Laraaji, creating a fusion between acoustic instruments and electronic beats.

The highly acclaimed Serious was also folowed with the release of Fabiola, being the last album in the sequence released by the group. They decided to establish their record label to gain the freedom to express musically. The album's sound is sonically refined, including features and collaborations with Mayra Andrade, Luiz Gabriel and Floetic Laraaji, creating a fusion between acoustic instruments and electronic beats.

Da Lata's most famous songs

Da Lata's signature sound stands out as they draw inspiration from the African and Latin music of Brazil. The band has a rich discography, with their works reaching beyond five albums. Some of their most notable songs include Pra Manha, which features iconic Brazilian singer Liliana Chachian, Pont Des Arts featuring Diabel Cissokho, and Caminhos De Ferro, which showcases Luiz Gabriel as the main vocalist.

Da Lata's sound is characterised by Brazilian percussion and acoustic instruments, electronic beats with soulful afrobeat sounds. A clear message is integrated into the music through poignant storytelling and iconic features. The result is an atmospheric and euphoric sound that can be enjoyed by listeners's of different backgrounds.

Da Lata's music is diverse, rich and full of energy that transmits to the listener. Chris Franck and the group have been active for two decades, creating and developing music of the highest quality. Their music unlike many other electronic band's repertoire, brings together a mix of cultural inspiration that speaks to the heart of humanity, is characterised as global music. Fans around the world have embraced Da Lata, and their music in many instances, has featured in noteworthy films, commercials and tv series. With a new album in the works and an already-impressive body of work, Da Lata is an artist to keep an eye on in the coming years.