Preceded by shorts: The Brazilian artist Eder Santos creates highly visual short works, buoyantly propelled by percussive accents. This quality is most pronounced in his work with the ensemble Uakti, noted for its odd array of homemade musical instruments. In Agua (1994, 3 mins) a contemporary composition relies on African-influenced rhythms, revealing its indigenous origins. In Bolero (1987, 7 mins) Uakti reduces Ravel's piece to its staccato rudiments, using gourds and tubs of water. Rite and Expression (1988, 8 mins) abstractly recounts the history of Our Lady of the Rosario Church, built by African slaves in the seventeenth century. Again the percussive sound track grounds the primal image palette in Brazil's hybrid culture. (Color, 3/4" video, From Electronic Arts Intermix) ------------------ When David Byrne, former leader of Talking Heads and a world-music archivist, began the dreamy documentary Ilê Aiyé it wasn't to record the music of Brazil, but to seek out its roots in the magical rituals of the people. He selected the region of Bahia and its pan-African religion, Candomblé. Based on gods known as Orishas, Candomblé endows all things not just with divinity, but with specific qualities, roles in nature and, of course, songs. Byrne's work of ethno-poetry elucidates the movement of these trance-like songs, from their ceremonial beginnings to their emergence as folk forms. Using luxuriant footage and choice video effects, Ilê Aiyé captures Brazilian worship and its wellspring of musical gestures. -Steve Seid