Batacuda by Hampton Rodriguez
In 1984 I had just started my first job in Connecticut and one of my best friends from college was also starting his career in New York City. This allowed me to have the opportunity to spend weekends discovering the club scene in the City. One of our favorite clubs to spend time at was on the corner of Varrick and Houston Streets. On that corner was a club called SOB’s which did not stand for its more parochial meaning. Instead it stood for Sounds of Brazil and it was the club where I was introduced not only to the sounds of Brazil but all kinds of world music. Besides the music SOB’s also had some of the indigenous cuisine of Brazil and the rest of the Afro-Caribbean countries to accompany the music.
Early on I discovered a Brazilian drink called a Caiparinha. The Caiparinha is the national drink of Brazil and it is a simple drink to make. You take four wedges of lime and 2 teaspoons of sugar; crush them together in the bottom of a glass; fill the glass with ice and then pour the sugar cane rum cachaca over until full. Like even the best fragrances three well-chosen ingredients can create a special combination.
My nights at SOB’s eventually led to my traveling to Brazil for two weeks a few years later and the subtitle of my trip was “The Search for the Perfect Caiparinha”. During my search I immersed myself in the Brazilian lifestyle. Volleyball on Ipanema beach during the day, samba in the clubs at night; all through this was the accompaniment of caiparinhas. Just the smell of cachaca and sweet lime transports me back to those days.
When we received the press release for the new fragrance from L’Artisan Parfumeur, Batucada; the perfumers Karine Vinchon Spehner and Elisabeth Maier also wanted to capture the mix of music and caiparinha that is Brazil. Batucada is a style of BOTH dance and music (marked by its particular fast percussion). Kudos to Mmes Vinchon Spehner and Maier for creating a fragrance which has turned out to be much better than I expected it to be.
Anderson Augusto and Leonardo Delafuente: style of painting named storm art and created to brighten up the streets of São Paulo, Brazil
Any skepticism I had was blown away by the first moments Batucada settled on my skin. Like fragrant bartenders Mme Vinchon Spehner and Maier slide an olfactory Caiparinha across my imaginary bar. The opening is tart lime and sweet cachaca. This is the smell of a Caiparinha as you draw the ice-cold glass to your lips for your first sip and breathe deep. I love the opening moments of Batucada because Mmes Vinchon Spehner and Maier have captured a memory in a bottle, for me. The heart of Batucada turns from the bar to the tropical flowers everywhere as tiare and ylang-ylang hold the middle of Batucada. Batucada ends on the beach with a strong aquatic accord and a hint of coconut. The heart and base of Batucada are very well done but it is the opening that is enchanting and what makes Batucada unique.
Batucada has average longevity and average sillage.
I think it is hard for any perfumer to try and match a perfumista’s memory and somehow make it come alive. Mmes Vinchon Spehner and Maier have managed to harness my scent memory nearly perfectly. The opening moments of Batucada take me to the deck at Trapiche Adelaide in Bahia which is where I found the perfect Caiparinha. Now I have the perfect Caiparinha perfume on my dresser.
Disclosure: This review was based on a preview sample provided by L’Artisan Parfumeur.
Thanks to L’Artisan Parfumeur we have a FULL BOTTLE of Batucada to giveaway. To be eligible name something about Brazil or what part of Brazil you would like to travel to. Draw ends September 10, 2011.
–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor
Editor's note; Brazil is a big country, like America. This is an olfactive interpretation
Art direction-Michelyn Camen