Clementina, cadê você?

I wanted to post about one of samba's rarest gems, Clementina de Jesus (1901-1987).

Listening to Clementina, or "Quelé" as she was known to many, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer ancestral weight of her voice. Elton Medeiros, in a recent "for posterity" taping at the Museu da Imagem e Som (RJ), told the audience about his travels with Clementina in 1966 to Dakar, Senegal for the Festival de Arte Negra. Only recently "discovered" by Hermínio Bello de Carvalho and already in her sixties, Clementina sang to an enormous crowd of Senegalese. Elton recalled that the Senegalese were incredibly enthusiastic and that "ninguém entendeu a Clementina como os Africanos" [no one understood Clementina like the Africans did] (Medeiros 2008).

But what was it that Brazilians didn't understand about her? Was it her raw voice, rougher than most men's and only one generation removed from slavery?

Before making her professional debut, Clementina worked as a maid for over 20 years. She participated in the highly acclaimed Rosa de Ouro presentations in 1965-1967 with Araci Côrtes and the Conjunto Rosa de Ouro. In 1970 she finally recorded her first solo album, Clementina, cadê você? The following selections are all from this album. Most of the tracks are traditional folk tunes that Clementina had learned throughout her life.

"Três corimas: Ogum megê / Bendito louvado ó Ganga / Lá no mato tem ganga" (traditional)


Next is the opening track of the album, written by another legend "Vai saudade" (Candeia/David da Portela)


Finally, an awesome batuque "Beira-mar" (traditional)


Cadê você, Clementina?

refs:
Medeiros, Elton. 2008. Depoimento ao Museu da Imagem e Som, February 26. Rio de Janeiro.

Darcy da Mangueira (1937?-2008)

I just heard of the passing of Darcy Fernandes Monteiro, a.k.a. Darcy da Mangueira, on May 19th. I do not know much about this composer, or at least I didn't realize that I had heard so many of his compositions. He is said to have written over 300 songs. I recall seeing Darcy once at the Pagode do Nézio e Negão back in 2006, when I enjoyed a partido alto that he sang with the late Camunguelo, who passed away last December. I looked back at my journals to verify and, sure enough, I had made particular mention of him in my notes.

Looking into the newly named BetoVault, I found several recordings of his songs and some with Darcy himself as interpreter. I would like to share a recording from the late 1970s, my favorite period of classic samba albums, as I'm sure you've already noticed. This is a live recording, from the legendary Bar Suvaco de Cobra (The Snake's Armpit), a watering hole that hosted some of the best rodas de samba this side of the equator. This was the period when many recordings were recreating the roda in the recording studio, to maintain the integrity of samba in its most traditional format. For more on this see my posts on the epic Partido em 5 sessions.




"É manhã" (Darcy da Mangueira)
from the album Roda de Samba Volume 3 (1979)

Salve Darcy da Mangueira!

Tribute to Roberto Ribeiro

(Roberto Ribeiro 1940-1996)


(Musicians from left to right: Peterson, Felipe Pipa, André Orelha [percussion], Fofão [cavaco], João Paulo [7-string], Dudu [flute], Alex Ribeiro and backing vocalist [name?])

Last Friday night I was fortunate to be invited to photograph a special tribute to one of my favorite singers, Roberto Ribeiro. You can hear a beautiful song by him in a previous post here and also below. The event was led by the late singer's son Alex Ribeiro.


(Monarco / Alex Ribeiro)

The highlight of the evening was none other than Monarco from the Velha Guarda da Portela. You can read up a bit about them and hear some music in a previous post here. In true Velha Guarda fashion, Monarco never makes a public appearance without representing his beloved Portela colors of blue and white. The traditional straw hat with blue trim is also representative of his status as part of the "Old Guard." I also posted a song from Monarco's debut album from 1976 in another post here.


(Monarco)

Also among the invited guests was the legendary drummer and composer Wilson das Neves. For those of you who enjoy and collect samba and bossa recordings from the 1960s-80s, you might (or might not) be surprised to find that Wilson was the most in-demand session drummer (and still is) who has recorded on almost every samba album for the last 40 years. Check for yourself. I am still amazed at how many recordings he appears on. Unfortunately he did not perform on drum set but only sang.


(Wilson das Neves)

In the band were several of my friends who regularly play at various sambas around town. It is always fun to see these guys getting great gigs with such legends.


(Monarco and the crew)

My man Orelha do Pandeiro is as big as a linebacker and could surely destroy a pandeiro with his brute strength! Kidding, of course... He is as gentle as a teddy bear and a talented percussionist.


(Orelha do Pandeiro / Fofão da Serrinha)

Pipa (gotta love these nicknames) is quite the character and a versatile percussionist as well. He was surely in good spirits for this photo!


(Pipa)

The singer Fátima Candeias also appeared in a side tribute to the late singer Clara Nunes (1942-1983), who died tragically young. Ribeiro and Nunes were very good friends and frequently appeared together in shows and on each other's albums.


(Fátima Candeias)

Clara Nunes debuted her incredibly successful recording career in 1965 in the post-bossa era and later, once she adopted a more traditional Afro-Brazilian style, became one of Brazil's most beloved voices in samba. The resemblance (not to mention her choice of dress) was a bit eerie in my opinion.


(Clara Nunes)

I would like to share some music from the BetoVault (I just came up with that!). First up is Wilson das Neves on drums with a ridiculous rhythm section, as you can see on the album cover.




"Berimbau" (Baden Powell/Vinícius de Moraes) by Wilson das Neves e Conjunto
from the album O som quente é o das Neves (1976)

Next is one of my favorite (I have so many!) compositions by the oft-cited Nei Lopes and Wilson Moreira. See the last post on this legendary sambista. Are you starting to notice the numerous connections between musicians, composers and interpreters in the samba world? Have you been keeping up?


"Coisa da Antiga" (Wilson Moreira/Nei Lopes) by Clara Nunes
from the album As Forças da Natureza (1977)

I would also like to share a recording with Clara and Roberto together. Their voices are both amazing and together they're incredible.


"Artifício" (Paulo Cesar Pinheiro/Mauro Duarte) by Clara Nunes with Roberto Ribeiro
from the album Brasil Mestiço (1980)

Finally, I would like to share one of Monarco's most famous compositions interpreted by Roberto Ribeiro. Again, see the connections? It's like samba in Rio is one big happy family, no? I especially like this song because of the way it illustrates how cariocas live to get together to play samba, eat and drink.


"O quitandeiro" (Paulo da Portela/Monarco) by Roberto Ribeiro
from the album Arrasta Povo (1976)

Wow... big post. Enjoy!

*Since the lighting at the show was not particularly good, I played around with different color variations of the photos. I hope the inconsistency is not too distracting. Please let me know with a comment!

120 years of abolition with Mestre Wilson Moreira & Pagode do Nézio e Negão

On Tuesday, May 13th, Brazil celebrated (actually there was not much celebration) the 120 years of the abolition of slavery. My friends from the legendary pagode at Clube Guanabara graced the stage of Teatro Rival with numerous guests including Marquinhos Sathan (formerly Satã), Dorina, and the revered Wilson Moreira. For you faithful and studious folks that follow my blog (all 3 of you), you might recall that Wilson Moreira, a.k.a. Alicate ("pliers"), was part of those famous Partido em 5 recordings that I cite so much here in my blog. You can also see him in top form doing the "miudinho" in the 1978 short Partido Alto.

In recent years Mestre Wilson has suffered several strokes, though you can see that he can still can work a crowd. It was very emotional for me, and for many in the audience, to see Mestre Wilson on stage. I hope to interview him soon. He is not only a legendary samba composer and singer, but he is also extremely well-versed and knowledgeable of Afro-Brazilian musical genres and religions. His music frequently refers to this heritage. Check out Adão Jorge and Bruno Gama working the atabaques!



I would also like to add a studio recording of one of my favorite songs.


"Oloan" (Wilson Moreira)
from the album Entidades I (2002)

Ossan, Ossan
Oguirê, oguirê
Toda a iluminação de Orun
Oloan, Odú

Eu vou pedir licença
E vou ao mar
A claridade do dia
Vai me iluminar, ô ô
Me banhar
Vou mergulhar nas águas
E me purificar
No fundo do oceano

Os caprichos de Janaína
A pureza do mar
Oh! Mãe Rainha Iemanjá

Salve Wilson Moreira, salve o Alicate!

The fine batucada of Galocantô

(Pedro Arêas/pandeiro & Peterson/tantam [foreground])

It has been a wonderful week and I am happy to be posting again (finally!) after some fruitful events in my research! First, was an excellent interview I conducted with the young group Galocantô. Following their debut CD in 2006, the group was awarded the 2007 Prêmio Tim for best samba group. Despite their humble success, the fruit of a long struggle in the Lapa musical scene, the group continues to promote a traditional roda de samba every week while also playing some of Rio's best nightclubs and venues.


(Lula Matos [front]/percussion & Peterson/tantam)

In our discussion the issue of the rejuvenation of the historic city center was raised. In recent years the Lapa district has experienced a major renaissance, as several nightclubs and bars began to draw a young crowd back to this red-light district (it still is a red light district). With its newfound popularity, and the opening of many new clubs, Lapa is today where Rio’s youth go to for all-night drinking and dancing. It is the kind of place to be avoided if one dislikes crowds, excessive drinking or the extreme cacophony emanating from the competing bars; or, it is the first place you run to if that is your thing.


(Marcelo Correia/violão de 7)

The rejuvenation of Lapa, many claim, was due in part to the success of a new generation of musicians that sought to revive samba, and its historic ties to Lapa. Following the success of these musicians, new nightclubs began to open in remodeled historic buildings, drawing more and more people to the city center’s nightlife. Galocantô was instrumental in that success. While many groups continue to struggle for space, Galocantô was one of the groups that grew along with Lapa's popularity. Today sharing the stage with some of the major stars of samba, the group still maintains close ties to the many rodas where these cats literally "cut their teeth" as they were learning to play.


(Edson Cortes/percussion)

The name of the group is a play on words (isn't everything in Brazilian Portuguese a play on words?) for "the rooster sings." Borrowed from a famous song, it refers to the nature of inumerous rodas de samba that have no time to end and often go until the sun rises, or literally, until the roosters begin to sing... I know you might be thinking that it is not literally so, but I have personally heard roosters in the post-samba wee hours!


(Pablo Amaral/cavaco & Rodrigo "Biro" Carvalho/vocals/percussion)

The group's success, I believe, lies in their professionalism as well as their wonderful stage presentations. Their latest show is founded on the concept of the roda, or "circle" as samba is most traditionally played. The academic inspiration for the show is the important book by the late music historian and journalist Roberto M. Moura (1947-2005), No princípio era a roda (2004).


(Léo Costinha/percussion)

The following track is from the group's debut CD, which Biro generously signed and gave to me! The album also features several luminaries of Rio's samba scene such as Beth Carvalho, Arlindo Cruz, Rildo Hora, Diogo Nogueira and the Velha Guarda do Império Serrano. So far it is one of my favorite tunes of the album, and it is co-written with some friends from the local scene of emerging samba composers.


"Pão que alimenta" (Edson Cortes, Wantuir, Binho Sá)
from the album Fina Batucada (2006)

work cited:
Roberto M. Moura, No princípio, era a roda: um estudo sobre samba, partido-alto e outros pagodes. Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, 2004.