The Remnants: Originally Jamaican sound with Nengo Vieira, Marco Oliveira, Sine Calmon, Tintim Gomes, Valéria Leite and others!

There are several ways to sing and make Brazilian music, and in recent decades reggae, originally Jamaican, has become one of them. Identification with the rhythm and the possibility of expressing their hardships led local youth to adopt and definitively incorporate reggae into our musical melting pot. From this "broth" the group Remanescentes was born in the 1980s in Bahia, founded by important figures of our national reggae, such as Nengo Vieira, Sine Calmon, Marco Oliveira and TinTim Gomes. Originally formed by musicians from the band Studio 5, which accompanied singer Lazzo Matumbi on the recording of the Guarajuba single in 1982, the group emerged from the community experience lived at Nengo Vieira's residence in Salvador. At that time, the 53 (as the house was known) became a kind of shelter where artists such as Jerônimo, Edson Gomes, Chico Evangelista, among others, lived together and rehearsed. This setting gradually created an environment conducive to the group's musical and spiritual formation, which found it providential to change its name and the discourse of its lyrics. The name suggested by TinTim Gomes was inspired by a Bible passage, Romans 9: 27, which says: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved". Remanescentes was an alternative community group that, according to its former members, aimed to carry the message of unconditional love proposed in the gospel through reggae. Its founders were the cachoeiranos Nengo Vieira, Marco Oliveira, Sine Calmon and TinTim Gomes. Leadership was established and shared among the four, who made their homes in Cachoeira their congregations, where they gathered with families for reading and interpretation of the Holy Bible and to discuss the social issues of the moment. The group was formed by eight people who adopted the Rasta aesthetic, but had a particular way of appropriating religion. Instead of idolizing the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, they worshiped and had Jesus Christ as their savior. From Rastafarianism, however, they adopted besides the aesthetic, the full influence of Rebel Music and the habit of consuming Ganja. Their presence and influence were responsible for the artistic dynamism and musical "explosion" of the genre in the region, which also counted on the collaboration of fellow countrymen/contemporaries Edson Gomes and Dionorina (from the city of Feira de Santana) and others. Edson Gomes himself sang in band Studio 5, and later Nengo Vieira, Marco Oliveira, TinTim and Sine Calmon were part of the band Cão de Raça. For some time, Nengo Vieira was guitarist and arranger of that band, and was also Edson's partner on the song Fala só de amor. Many of the wonderful guitar solos heard on Edson's first albums were created by the creative Nengo. Returning to Remanescentes, it is necessary to emphasize how respected the group was in its hometown and the influence it exercised, and to some extent still exercises, over local youth. Their performances were always well attended and tapes with recordings of rehearsals and shows were sought after even in the capital, as during its existence the group performed in various cities of the recôncavo baiano and also in Salvador. The reggae made by Remanescentes followed the Jamaican roots style, which is the reggae made in Jamaica in the 70s/80s decades, also known as roots reggae, with 4/4 time, bass upfront in a low tone, varied melodic exploration and maximum incorporation of drums. The lyrics, which translated well the daily life of the excluded, dealt with social problems, unconditional love and hope through spiritual words. Although Nengo Vieira was the main lyricist, both the songs and lyrics were treated with great attention and participation from everyone. Remanescentes recorded an album at WR studios in Salvador, but some time later the group ended its activities. The album remains unreleased on the record market, however some of the songs that were part of this repertoire were recorded on the albums of its members. Sine Calmon was the first to record: Roda Pião (Nengo Viera); Policiar sim, malícia não (Nengo Vieira); Mississipi blues (Sine Calmon), Basta Man (Nengo Vieira) and É demais (Sine Calmon). Nengo Vieira also recorded Roda Peão (Nengo Vieira) and Basta Man (Nengo Vieira). From this same repertoire, Tim Gomes recorded Pelo amor de Deus (Nengo Vieira). Entrepreneur Wesley Rangel (owner of WR, one of the best recording studios in Salvador), a great admirer of Remanescentes' work, has a phrase that represents well what happened with the group's end: "Remanescentes did not end, Remanescentes blossomed". And that is exactly what happened; there are 4 bands that split from Remanescentes and moreover, many bands were formed openly influenced by this generation of reggae musicians. From the mid-1990s the cachoeiranos began to perform more frequently in Salvador, more specifically in Pelourinho, in bars such as Novo Tempo, Babilônia, Creole Cajun and Hotel Pelourinho. It was at that time that reggae bands Diamba and Adão Negro and others of the new generation in Salvador began to form. Thus, Remanescentes' work continues alive today in the voices of Nengo Vieira, TinTim Gomes, Marco Oliveira and Sine Calmon. If the solo work of these guys has the quality you know, imagine these beasts reunited in one team! Remanescentes were: Nengo Vieira (vocals and guitar), Marco Oliveira (vocals and bass), Sine Calmon (vocals and guitar), Tin Tim Gomes (vocals) and Valéria (backing vocals), João Teoria (trumpet and drums), Ito Bispo (saxophone), Augusto Conceição (trombone), Quinho (drums), Júlio Santa (drums), Beto (percussion) and Wilson Tororó (percussion). For those who want to know a bit more about this band that, in my opinion, was and very probably always will be the best reggae band in Brazil, below is the complete discography of its four band leaders.

DISCOGRAPHY

 Sine Calmon  Calmon, Sine. Fogo na Babilônia. ATRAÇÃO Fonográfica, 1997. Calmon, Sine. Rosa de Saron. ATRAÇÃO Fonográfica, 1999. Calmon, Sine. Eu Vejo. ATRAÇÃO Fonográfica, 2000. Vários. Kaya no Reggae. Ravengar. BAHIA Discos, 2001.  Nengo Vieira Vieira, Nengo & Tribo D'Abraão. Somos Libertos. ATRAÇÃO Fonográfica, 1998. Vários. Kaya no Reggae. Chegada. BAHIA Discos, 2001. Vieira, Nengo. Mata Atlântica. INDEPENDENTE, 2002.  TinTim Gomes Gomes, TinTim & Manassés. Pedra Sobre Pedras. INDEPENDENTE, 1999.  Marco Oliveira Oliveira, Marco & Dystorção. Leve a Vida Numa . INDEPENDENTE, 2000.