DJ Marky & XRS featuring Stamina MC – “LK” 2002

Jorge Ben & Toquino – “Carolina Carol Bela” 1969

Standing out in the Drum & Bass world of the early 00’s was a track named “LK”. A ray of sunshine in my versatile DJ-sets of those years and a gateway to the genre for a lot of people. You could play this track in a lot of dance nights, both underground and commercial gigs which I both did at that time. 

I found out that the timeless guitarlick and melody were sampled/replayed from the track “Carolina Carol Bela” made by Brazilian music hero Jorge Ben, accompanied this time by Toquino. Released first in 1969, the copy shown by this article is an Italian release with picture sleeve from 1975. 

Listen to a compilation of both tracks

Fun fact: the original track by Jorge Ben & Toquino has been edited in later years for cd and digital platforms. The melody at the intro has been deleted. The instrument seems to be a Cuica, a Brazilian Friction drum (source is music friend Angelo Faassen).

The original intro

“Carolina Carol Bela” is a love song, about a man in love with the girl next-door, an unanswered love. Lyrics of “LK” are also about an unanswered love and inspired by the sampled track.

Jorge Ben (Jorge Duilio Lima Menezes) is a Brazilian artist famous in his own right. His first release as an artist was in 1963. In the western world we know more of his creations as they were used by other artists. Like “Taj Mahal” which is part of Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”, “Mas Que Nada” -performed by acts from Sergio Mendez to The Black Eyed Peas- and “Umbarauma” covered by Thrashmetal act Soulfly. Co-writer Toquino (Antônio Bondeolli Pecci Filho) is a writer, singer and guitar player, known for inventing modern Bossa Nova and Samba from the seventies onward.

XRS is the artist name of Xerxes de Oliveira, a Brazilian D&B producer. DJ Marky’s name in real life is Marco Antonio da Silva.Collaborator Stamina MC is British citizen Linden Reeves. He was a member of London Elektricity’s live band. Together they made the Brasilian style of Drum & Bass worldwide known.