Tonight I attended a samba concert, for a change. It was an interesting change of pace to be in a theater instead of a smoke-filled and noisy bar, or boteco, as small, informal joints are usually called here in Rio. The audience too, was quite docile. Again a nice change of pace from the raucousness of a typical samba. The show featured the São Paulo group Terreiro Grande with Cristina Buarque (yes, she is related to you-know-who). It is an unusual pairing, or so it might seem, to have an avid carioca and dedicated samba historian with an all paulista group. But, I think most of us samba researchers have heard enough of the old São Paulo vs. Rio debate...
Anyways, these guys Terreiro Grande pay serious tribute to old time sambas, many long forgotten gems by the forefathers of the genre. With Cristina, a hardcore portelense, they paid special tribute to the founding members of the Portela samba school. At the end of the set, they filed into the audience and made their way to the lobby, where they continued to jam, but finally in the standard roda format.
In the audience was none other than Nelson Sargento and Monarco, the former of Mangueira, and the latter of Portela. I thought it was a little strange that Mestre Nelson went almost unnoticed while Monarco received some fanfare from the crowd. Then again, Nelson Sargento is slow-moving and he stayed out of the spotlight, probably on purpose. Actually, I think most of the audience probably wouldn't have known one from the other... When the crowd followed the group into the lobby and received Monarco, Nelson was quietly (and slowly) making his way to the exit. So I had to choose which one I would follow to try and get an interview. I chose Nelson since no one was paying him much mind and I thought he would appreciate that I noticed him. So I caught up with him and nervously introduced myself. He was nice, but seemed tired and his companion, probably a music partner or manager, helped with allowing me to give him my phone number. They said they would contact me sometime soon...
When I returned to the roda thinking I could still catch Monarco, he was gone! Oh well. At least I made contact with Cristina and the guys from Terreiro...
So I thought I would share some music from some of these giants of the genre that I was fortunate to meet tonight. First, a song written by Nelson Sargento and perfomed by Cristina Buarque:
"Ficará comigo" (Nelson Sargento)
from the 1990 (or is it 1994?) album Resgate
photo by Rosano Mauro
Next, we have one from Mestre Nelson himself. It is quite fun to hear Nelson singing about a love triangle... He sings: "One dominates me, the other fascinates me, but they both have my heart..."
"Triângulo amoroso"
from the 1998 album Sonho de um Sambista
Finally, we have one from Monarco's 1976 debut (?) self-titled album. I love the album cover. I also love the killer repique de anél that kicks off the track. It is the legendary Doutor that I have talked so much about and who has partly inspired the name of the blog. You can read that post about him here. You can also read about Monarco and the Velha Guarda da Portela from an older post here.
"Amor verdadeiro" by Monarco
*Opening photo was taken from a webpage with no photographer credits!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Cristina Buarque invites Terreiro Grande from São Paulo
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Essa é pra galera do samba que me vê em todas mas pouco me conhecem…
Estava batendo um papo com o joven compositor João Martins e ele me disse que mandou o link do meu blog pr’alguns amigos e o comentário foi “Pô! As fotos tão legais!” mas ninguém entendia p#$&% nenhuma… Então resolvi misturar as coisas e tentar escrever um pouco na “outra” lingua franca…
Primeiro sobre mim. Eu nasci em NY, de pais brasileiros. Meu avô era español—porém o sobrenome! Meu pai foi para os “states” em 1967 com $60 dólares no bolso. Fui criado em SP e depois mudamos pra Califórnia, onde moro faz 27 anos. O resto é história.
Criei esse blog pra manter um jornal de notícias pros meus colegas de Los Angeles enquanto vivo no Rio fazendo minha pesquisa de campo. Com tantos blogs aparecendo dedicado ao samba, não achei que iam sentir falta do meu por ser em inglês… Mas, quando quis compartir as minhas fotos e vídeos com os meus amigos do samba, sem querer deixei muita gente só vendo mesmo as fotos. Foi mal. Não prometo que vou postar toda hora em português, mas vou tentar de vez em quando.
Enfim, a minha pesquisa é sobre o samba. Mas o quê sobre samba é minha tese? Bom, eu estou fazendo um doutorado em etnomusicologia na Universidade da Califórnia, Los Angeles. O meu estudo é uma pesquisa etnográfica sobre o pagode (o evento), o tal chamado e as vezes polêmico "samba de raiz" e suas manifestações no Rio de Janeiro. O minha tese usa como ponto de partida o trabalho do Roberto M. Moura (pra não confundir com o outro Roberto Moura do livro Tia Ciata e a pequena África no Rio de Janeiro). A questão da roda pra mim é muito importante, mas além disso busco entender como as pessoas, principalmente cariocas, se identificam através do samba. Essa identidade brasileira/sambista também se manifesta em diversas maneiras de acordo com como as pessoas entendem e explicam questões de autenticidade, raiz, tradição e modernidade. Eu acho fascinante as diversas (e profundamente divergentes) atitudes e opiniões sobre o que é raiz, pagode (o evento e/ou estilo musical), autêntico, e o que é tradição.
Além de pesquisador, também sou músico e percussionista. Toco samba, dirijo um grupo na UCLA dedicado aos blocos afros da Bahia, e estudei o batá cubano com Francisco Aguabella. Sou fotógrafo—daqueles que aprendeu com filme de verdade, antes da revolução digital (onde todo mundo é fotógrafo, cineasta, jornalista)…
Já estou no Rio faz quase 7 meses. O tempo passa rápido. Fiz muitos amigos e outros ainda estão a me conhecer. Desculpe qualquer coisa… Tenho todo o respeito do mundo pelo samba. Peço as bêncãos de vocês pra sentar na mesa…
Friday, March 21, 2008
Moacyr Luz sings to the birds
Today I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Moacyr Luz, a.k.a. Môa. I must admit, I have been attending his sambas for months (actually a couple of years) and I never approached him because I thought that he might not be so friendly. I can't exactly explain why I would have thought this. I couldn't have been more wrong... I (finally) met him last night at Samba Luzia, the weekly samba that he hosts, and he immediately invited me to come to Santa Teresa, where he lives, to do the interview the next day. I was skeptical that he would be awake at noon the next day, since the samba the night before went until well past 4am... So, this morning I called him around 11 to check in. He asked me to come to Bar do Mineiro, where he is well known among the locals and is a regular fixture. I arrived somewhat later than I had hoped, and Môa was dutifully sitting at a table with two friends, drinking beer. I joined them and he immediately called for a glass and a fresh bottle, the pre-penultimate beer of the afternoon. Then we went to his apartment right across the street.
Moacyr is considered to be one of the most talented composers of his generation. He has written hundreds of songs with many partners including Aldir Blanc (João Bosco's long-time partner in the 1970s), Martinho da Vila, Zeca Pagodinho, among others [Listen to a 1976 song by Bosco/Blanc in the past post here and one from 1972 by Martinho da Vila here]. He has recorded and/or produced dozens of records, and he hosts two of the hottest sambas in town: Samba do Trabalhador (The Worker's Samba, which happens on Monday afternoons) and Samba Luzia. More to come on these sambas soon!
I wanted to share one of my favorite songs by Môa. The following song is "Zuela de Oxum" from his 2003 album Samba da Cidade.
After the interview, which lasted about 50 minutes and 3 or 4 beers, Môa grabbed the guitar to sing his latest composition with Martinho da Vila, which will be recorded this year and released on his next album. I was sweetly surprised by the song he played. Not for the fact that Môa would produce such a lovely samba, but for the fact that he was so eager to share one of his inéditas, or unrecorded, tunes. He sang this wonderful song, imitating Martinho da Vila's characteristic drawl... It is tentatively titled "Samba dos passarinhos" (Samba of the birds).
"Um samba simples, mas essa coisa simples é que é muito complicado..." (Moacyr Luz)
Môa is good people...
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
A new generation of composers
Yesterday I interviewed some young cats from a new generation of sambistas that are writing incredible songs. The location is the mythic Pedra do Sal. You can see the famous granite hillside with the steps carved into the stone that leads up to the Morro da Conceição.
In the video clip above are composers Mingo (in the hat), Juninho Tibal, and later joined by legendary Chiquinho Vírgula. These are all nicknames, by the way. For those who don't speak Portuguese, in the first minute, Juninho and Mingo talk about their love of composing and playing samba. Juninho, in his wise 21 years of age, says something that I thought was incredibly poetic:
"When the seed is truly pure, you plant it and it will grow... People will come along and try to destroy it, but it will grow back..."
These three are partners, having written many songs together. In the second part Chiquinho Vírgula talks about his tremendous success with songs like "Fases do Amor" (recorded by Fundo de Quintal on their third LP from 1983) and "Insensato Destino" (recorded by various artists, first by Almir Guinéto in 1985, and later by Zeca Pagodinho, Alcione and FdQ). Again, translations do not do the songs justice. There is just something about romantic sambas like these that is just inherently better in Portuguese...
I wish I had recordings of songs by Juninho and Mingo to share with you, but I only have two of Chiquinho's biggest hits mentioned above. I particularly love the phrasing and the rhythm of the words in "Fases do Amor"... Also, only in samba will you find a word like "successively" used with such rhyme and rhythm...!
"Fases do Amor" (Chiquinho/Marquinho PQD/Fernando Piolho)
from the album Nos Pagodes da Vida (1983) by Fundo de Quintal
O primeiro amor enche de alegria
Qualquer coração em nossa vida
A mais doce ilusão, a mais doce ilusão
quando na infância se vê de repente
A ingênua visão do amor
Quando a gente cresce, ele esmorece
Não tem mais valor
No segundo amor, tudo modifica
É bem diferente, a inocência vai
vem a experiência pra nos completar
Se aprende a viver
Já não se ilude com qualquer prazer
Do primeiro amor o que ficou pra trás
Não há mais ferida
E assim sucessivamente
Então virão novas aventuras
Não devemos ir fundo
Porque nesse mundo de desilusões
Tem tantas falsas juras colhendo
Amarguras para os corações
***
"Phases of Love"
The first love fills with joy
Any heart in our lives
The sweetest illusion, the sweetest illusion
When in youth we suddenly see
The ingenuous vision of love
When we grow older, it fades
No longer has any value
The second love, everything changes
It's very different, innocence goes
Experience comes to complete us
You learn to live
We don't get fooled by any pleasure
From the first love left behind
There are no remaining wounds
And so, successively
New adventures will come
We shouldn't go deep
Because in this world of disillusions
There are so many false vows collecting
Bitterness for the heart
***
The following song, recorded by several major label artists, is an enormous hit. It is one of those songs that everyone knows the words to at any given samba.
"Insensato Destino" (Acyr Marques/Chiquinho/Mauricio Lins)
from the live album Samba de Raiz 3 - Ao Vivo (2003)
Ó insensato destino pra quê
Tanta desilusão no meu viver
Eu quero apenas ser feliz ao menos uma vez
E conseguir o acalanto da paixão
Fui desprezado e magoado, por alguém que abordou meu coração
Destino, porque fazes assim, tenha pena de mim
Veja bem, não mereço sofrer
Quero apenas um dia poder, viver num mar de felicidade
Com alguém que me ame de verdade
***
"Senseless Destiny"
Oh, senseless destiny, why
So much disillusion in my life
I only want to be happy, just once
And feel the embrace of passion
I've been hurt and cheated, by someone that stole my heart
Destiny, why you do this, have pity on me
See that I don't deserve to suffer
I only want one day to live in a sea of happiness
With someone that truly loves me
***
Wonderful guys who have made me a part of their family. I am honored.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
The birth of samba and the Pedra do Sal
Another one of my favorite sambas is at the historic Pedra do Sal. The “Salt Rock” is perhaps one of the most significant landmarks in the history of samba. The hillside community is literally a giant rock, with steps that lead up to the Morro da Conceição. One of the few remaining vestiges of the “Little Africa” district, the Pedra do Sal has been decreed an historical monument by the city of Rio de Janeiro. In the 19th century, Pedra do Sal was a community extension to the mythic, but now extinct Praça Onze, where urban samba as we know it today was born. The term "Little Africa" was popularized by Roberto Moura’s book Tia Ciata e a pequena África no Rio de Janeiro (1983).
(Ari, Jr/banjo)
The Pedra do Sal is at the heart of the port district of Rio, where migrants from all over Brazil, especially from Bahia, sought work as stevedores. A significant number of legendary sambistas that helped to create the genre worked the docks and lived in the communities around Praça Onze. As Nei Lopes has shown, the musical influence of these migrants can be found in urban samba, especially in the partido alto that is the backbone of the “roots” samba that is popular today (see Lopes 2005). The plaza at the base of the granite hillside is named after João da Baiana, who is credited with introducing the pandeiro into samba and for helping to create, along with Pixiguinha, Heitor dos Prazeres, and Donga, the first sambas.
(Júnior 7 Cordas, Pedrinho Ferreira/surdo)
Continuing the legacy, the group that spearheaded the samba at Pedra do Sal is named Batuque na Cozinha, after one of João da Baiana’s most famous songs. The first time I attended a samba there I met Henrique “Banana” do Cacique, grandson of João da Baiana and son of Cacique de Ramos and Fundo de Quintal founder Neoci. The sambas frequently pay homage to a legendary ancestor, sometimes even displaying a large poster announcing the musician who is being honored.
Listen to "Batuque na cozinha" with João da Baiana, Pixiguinha and Clementina de Jesus. I don't know the recording date of this, but I believe it to be in the late 60s or early 70s before these legendary folks passed.
Also hear Martinho da Vila's version, which I absolutely love, from the 1972 album also called Batuque na cozinha. This album, by the way, is one of my favorites from Martinho.
(front to back: Júnior, Juninho, Ari, Pipa)
References:
Lopes, Nei. 2005. Partido-alto: Samba de bamba. Rio de Janeiro: Pallas.
Moura, Roberto. 1983. Tia Ciata e a pequena África no Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro: FUNARTE, Instituto Nacional de Música, Divisão de Música Popular.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Doctor in Samba!!!
I came across this song in my collection. I can't believe I had not noticed it before... I thought you might get a kick out of it. The song is by Custódio Mesquita (1910-1945). Oh, #$%^!!! I'm already older than this guy... Anyways, you gotta love these old names that you don't hear anymore among the younger generations. Custódio means "custodian" or "guardian" (pretty ironic... read on).
"Doutor em samba" (Custódio Mesquita)
recorded by Mário Reis e Diabos do Céu in 1933
"Doctor in Samba"
I'm a doctor in samba
I want to have my ring
I have that right
Like any graduate
I'm going to sing my whole life
For my samba to win
It's the Brazilian cause
That I want to defend
Only samba interests me
And brings me joy
I want my ring quickly
So I can follow my career...
Hah! The story of my life...
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Apartheid in Salvador's Carnaval
I just came across this video and I had to post immediately. The text is all in Portuguese, but you won't need to understand in order to get the message... The video was made by a self-proclaimed "white person from the upper middle class" of Salvador. The author of the video is apparently disgusted with the continuing bigotries of the Carnaval celebrated in Salvador. I agree with him 100%.
Carnaval in Salvador is celebrated in the streets with each bloco having its own cordão, or roped off section, where paying attendees get to "play" inside the ropes where they are seperated from the povão, or "masses" (i.e. poor and black). Many have claimed recently that Salvador, one of Brazil's most African cities in terms of its black population, continues to promote a segregated Carnaval. The people on the outside, again mostly poor and black, get to watch from the sidelines and get the shit beat out of them by military police who are also, mostly poor and black. You will never see a policeman "cross" the line to thump a white kid.
Also note that the ropes that segregate the two sides are held up entirely by Afro-Brazilians. I would also like to add that the only blocos that DO NOT use the cordões in their parades are Ilê Aiyê and Filhos de Gandhi, both Afro-Brazilian blocos.
***the blue handkerchief on the guy's arm in the beginning is soaked with lança-perfume, an inhalant drug.
