Biluka y Los Canibales

about

Biluka (real name: Dilson de Souza) is a Brazilian musician who in the early 1960s took up the art of musical leaf-playing in Quito, Ecuador. His leaves of choice were those of a ficus tree. His band was called Los Cannibales. They played a kind of tropical chamber jazz, which was released on the CAIFE label. Dilson was from Barra do Pirai, in the Brazilian countryside; moving to Rio as a young man, where he worked in construction. He recorded his first record in 1954, for RCA Victor. He travelled to Quito around 1957, soon hooking up with Benitez & Valencia, who introduced him to CAIFE. Dilson played the leaf open, resting on his tongue, hands free, with his mouth as the resonator. Though a leaf can also be played rolled or folded in half, this method allowed for more precision, a tethered brilliance. A picked ficus leaf stays fresh, crisp and clean-toned for around ten hours. He could play eight compositions, four at each end, before it was spent. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

top songs

albums

Leaf-Playing in Quito, 1960-1965

The Paths of Pain

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The Paths Of Pain (The CAIFE Label, Quito, 1960-68)

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The Paths Of Pain: The CAIFE Label, Quito, 1960-68

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leaf-playing in quito 1960-1965

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The Paths Of Pain (The CAIFE Label, Quito, 1960​-​68)

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Channel 1

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Channel 2

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Radio Nowy Świat

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Leaf​-​Playing In Quito, 1960​-​1965

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The Paths of Pain: The CAIFE Label, Quito, 1960​-​68

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Biluka Y Los Canibales: Leaf-Playing in Quito

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