PREMIERE: Zuzuka Poderosa, Captain Planet & Raphael Futura Serve “Moqueca” in New Video
Los Angeles-based DJ Captain Planet, along with long-time collaborators Zuzuka Poderosa and Raphael Futura are ready to serve the ultimate summertime recipe. Their savory new music video “Moqueca” is premiering today (August 9) exclusively on Remezcla, out via Bastard Jazz.
Inspired by the famous Brazilian seafood dish of the same name, “Moqueca” is an ode to Brazilian disco funk from the ‘70s and early ‘80s that will hypnotize you to the dance floor or the kitchen table.
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Poderosa told Remezcla via email that the song was inspired by a cooking session for her Instagram followers. “Suddenly, I started singing hooks about Moqueca and immediately sent [it out] to Captain Planet on a voice note,” she said. “He got on it and by the time I got to LA, he told me he had produced the song with Raphael Futura and I should come to record it. To top it all nicely, Captain Planet invited Todd Simon to lay those beautiful horns on the track.”
The collaborators said they didn’t feel any pressure when writing a song that would represent such an emblematic dish. “For me, I totally trust Zuzuka on this. I know how much she loves cooking,” said Planet. “[I felt] absolutely no pressure. If anything, more like my pleasure for cooking,” said Poderosa, who grew up with immediate family members working in the food industry. “It’s only natural for me to make sure I wrote something that I must make you understand.”
The music video was shot at Mad Tropical, a popular late-night restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. In the visual, Poderosa sings about the African and Indigenous roots of the dish as she chops, cooks, and tastes the delicious stew. She’s joined by friends, and together, they celebrate food, music, and culture as they let the rhythms move them. “Moqueca” is ready to be served and there’s plenty of room for seconds.
“For the ‘Moqueca’ video, I wanted to reflect the Brazilian disco funk of the song, using the song’s rhythm to introduce all the colorful and exotic ingredients of the namesake dish,” said director Zoe Mapp via press release. “Framed as a ‘cooking show,’ the visuals are a perfect blend of entertainment, ancestral food, and music, with Zuzuka acting as both the celebrity chef and musical guest; it’s all reminiscent of a summery TV show from the ‘70s.”
“Moqueca” is the first single off Captain Planet’s upcoming Sounds Like Home EP. Although the song was originally released in May, the rollout for the music video and other new tracks were always intended to be an organic process. “I have been kind of just making songs with friends and [family],” says Planet. “[I am] trying not to overthink things at all, and then just put them out there when they are done.”
Watch the premiere of the “Moqueca” music video below.
