The Brazilian deejay duo known as Tupi Collective presents the Tupicycle: a tricycle with turntables, vinyl records, and the joy of Brazilian music on the streets of Montreal.
“Tupicycle” is a Tupi Collective summer project created in August 2014 to bring the joy of Brazilian music to Montreal’s open air spaces. It consists of a sound system (2 turntables + mixer + speaker + battery) adapted to a customized late 60s Schwinn tricycle that plays only vinyl records. It is designed to offer music for people in public spaces like parks and subway stations entrance. The volume and the selection of songs are adapted to the people's mood and the environment, transitioning from “jazzy bossa nova” songs and “classical Brazilian music”, to groovy “forró” and “electronic/boogie/funk” Brazilian artists. The majority of Tupicycle gigs are free and open air and on the last 2 years the Tupicycle was invited to play at many Montreal's famous festivals like Mural and Pop Montreal.
DJ Mks and DJ Skambo, founders of Tupi Collective have always been passionate about vinyl and Brazilian music and are now responding to several elements that are extremely popular in Montreal's ever-changing culture. By performing on their rolling tricycle driven by solar energy, animated by the possibility offered by the Tupicyle to offer free shows and available to all, they integrate into a reality of open Art and world with passion and respect. The renewed strength of vinyl, the growing importance and interest in cultural diversity, the accessibility of culture by all and the ecological character of the project are all factors explaining the growing success of the Tupicycle. These performances carried out in the public space affect the general people in their daily lives and bring the festive and spontaneous effect of ephemeral art, beneficial to everyone.
In view of the popularity of the project and in preparation for the sunny days, the Tupicycle, which only lives during summer, requires some repairs and technical improvements that will allow its founders to continue to perform in the four corners of the city. If the turntables work perfectly, the tricycle, was not originally manufactured for this purpose. Under the weight of the equipment required by such a project, the model, a Schiwnn tricycle from the 1960s, has become fragile and is no longer manipulable. The addition or replacement of various elements as a solar panel, speeds and a electric motor, to ensure its driving and safety, in addition to improving its sound capacity is inevitable in order for the project to continue. In order to respond to this need, a socio-financing campaign is currently under way.
DJ Mks and DJ Skambo, founders of Tupi Collective have always been passionate about vinyl and Brazilian music and are now responding to several elements that are extremely popular in Montreal's ever-changing culture. By performing on their rolling tricycle driven by solar energy, animated by the possibility offered by the Tupicyle to offer free shows and available to all, they integrate into a reality of open Art and world with passion and respect. The renewed strength of vinyl, the growing importance and interest in cultural diversity, the accessibility of culture by all and the ecological character of the project are all factors explaining the growing success of the Tupicycle. These performances carried out in the public space affect the general people in their daily lives and bring the festive and spontaneous effect of ephemeral art, beneficial to everyone.
In view of the popularity of the project and in preparation for the sunny days, the Tupicycle, which only lives during summer, requires some repairs and technical improvements that will allow its founders to continue to perform in the four corners of the city. If the turntables work perfectly, the tricycle, was not originally manufactured for this purpose. Under the weight of the equipment required by such a project, the model, a Schiwnn tricycle from the 1960s, has become fragile and is no longer manipulable. The addition or replacement of various elements as a solar panel, speeds and a electric motor, to ensure its driving and safety, in addition to improving its sound capacity is inevitable in order for the project to continue. In order to respond to this need, a socio-financing campaign is currently under way.
You can find detailed information and offer your support for the project here - https://fr.ulule.com/tupicycle/.