Lan on how to be a carioca

On Wednesday night I had the privilege to meet one of Brazil's greatest caricaturists, the Italian-born, carioca-par-excellence, Lanfranco Aldo Ricardo Vaselli Cortelline Rossi. Lan, as he is prominently known, made a stop at the Pagode do Nézio e Negão.



After leaving Italy as a child, Lan was raised in Uruguay, then eventually landed in Rio, where he has resided since. He is best known for some of the most beautiful album covers that he made throughout his career.



His caricatures of the world of samba (among other themes) are legendary. Another transplanted artist, the Argentine-born Carybé (Hector Julio Páride Bernabó 1911-1997) once said of Lan: "The Portuguese didn't invent the mulata, Lan did".*



I spoke briefly to Lan, and he told me he would be happy to meet with me sometime for an interview! However, when I was trying to get his phone number I was intercepted by one of his companions. I understand the protective nature of certain people towards celebrities, especially when they are elderly. The man gave me his card, telling me that he would forward my e-mail to Lan. So far, I haven't heard back.


(Martinho da Vila)

I would like to leave you with a song from Moacyr Luz who has been featured in the blog in previous posts. The song is from a dedication album to people and places of Rio.

"Mitos cariocas: Lan" (Moacyr Luz/Aldir Blanc)
from the album Samba da cidade (2003)

Jamelão (May 12, 1913 – June 14, 2008)

Another legendary sambista has died. José Bispo Clementino dos Santos, known as Jamelão, passed away on Saturday. Beginning his association with Mangueira as a percussionist, he became one of the biggest voices of the Samba School.

Known for his often grumpy disposition, Jamelão (a nickname that has been used as a derogatory racial epithet) had an impressive recording career that began as a romantic "crooner" in 1949. In the 1970s, when many samba schools began a transformation from community to commercial mega-enterprises (leaving many of their community members aside for more "fashionable" actors and models), Jamelão's recording career stalled.

I'm not a huge fan of the "crooner" recordings of the 1950s and 60s, but I will leave you with a ballad and a more traditional samba from my favorite decade.

"Ela disse-me assim (Vá embora)" (1959)


"Apoteose do samba" (1975)


The great big samba in the sky keeps getting better and better...

Lei federal No. 9294 de 1996? Demorou, hein?

Já sei que vou chatear muitos amigos, mas vamos lá! É para o seu próprio bem!

Eu fiquei muito feliz quando no início do mês notei que vários dos lugares que frequento estão seguindo a (nova?) lei que proíbe fumar em lugares fechados. Só que nem duas semanas depois vejo que muita gente não tá nem aí...

Comecei a pesquisar na internet pra saber um pouco mais. Descobri que essa lei já tem precedência de mais de dez anos atrás, mas caiu no esquecimento. A lei federal nº 9294, que proíbe o uso de cigarro, cigarrilha, charuto e cachimbo em recintos coletivos, privados ou públicos, foi sancionada no Brasil em 1996! Pôxa...

Eu ainda fico impressionado como tem tantos fumantes jovens no Rio. Não sei como alguém com menos de 30 anos pode ser fumante hoje em dia. Com tudo que sabemos sobre o cigarro, e o fato (sim, é fato e já foi comprovado) de que as companhias tabaqueiras fizeram de tudo para atingir um público jovem que serão consumidores pro resto da vida. O cigarro é uma droga mais viciante do que a heroína! Imaginava que os jovens de hoje seriam mais espertos do que os nossos pais, que foram influenciados com Hollywood, e as imagens de grandes artistas fumando e parecendo chic...

Como não-fumante, (fumei quando era moleque e logo parei) eu fico muito mal com a fumaceira dentros dos botecos e bares. O que mais me chateia é como muitos fumantes nem se tocam com quem está perto. Peço ao meus dois ou três leitores desse blog que reparam uma coisa na próxima vez que estiverem num bar. Vejam que quando alquem fuma num bar ou boteco, aquela pessoa tem a tendência de estender a mão com o cigarro para longe de sua própria cara para não se incomodar com aquela fumacinha chata que sai da ponta acesa do cigarro. Quase sempre eles/as apontam o cigarro pro outro lado, sem se incomodar que a fumaça tem que ir na cara de alguém!

Outra coisa, já notou que fumante quase nunca pensa duas vezes antes de jogar a bituca do cigarro fora? Mesmo uma pessoa educada que jamais jogaria um lixo no chão, nem pensa na hora de desfazer da bituca. O cigarro não é lixo? É o lixo mais comum que se encontra em todo lugar na face da terra!

Para os fumantes que se acham caçados pelos não-fumantes digo: Pare de ser chato e egoísta gente! O seu "direito" de fumar afeta muito mais além do que o seu ego.

"A grande preocupação do Ministério da Saúde é com o chamado fumante passivo. A exposição ao fumo nessas condições constitui a terceira causa de morte evitável em todo o mundo, atrás somente do próprio tabagismo e do alcoolismo. Quando um cigarro é aceso, formam-se duas correntes de fumaça: a primária, que entra pela boca do fumante, e a secundária, que sai da ponta acesa do cigarro e se espalha rapidamente pelo ambiente, sendo inalada pelos fumantes indiretos. 'A corrente secundária, que não passa pelo filtro, contém três vezes mais nicotina e monóxido de carbono e cinqüenta vezes mais substâncias cancerígenas do que a corrente primária', diz Carlos Alberto de Barros Franco, presidente do departamento de tabagismo da Sociedade de Pneumologia do Rio de Janeiro. 'Se pensarmos no caso de um garçom não fumante que trabalhe oito horas por dia num estabelecimento onde é permitido fumar, ele estaria tão contaminado como uma pessoa que fume dez cigarros por dia', compara Vera Colombo, do Inca." (fonte: Veja Rio).

Quando eu tinha 19 eu tive uma namorada fumante. Ela e o pai fumavam sempre dentro de casa. Por incrível que pareça, a própria mãe/esposa (que nunca fumou na vida) morreu de câncer dos pulmões...

Samba na Fonte!

There is a movement of composers making a scene with some wonderful new songs! The Samba na Fonte movement is made up of composers young and old, veteran and amateurs alike. Meeting at the historic Pedra do Sal, they bring all original compositions to be learned and shared among its members.



Like so few sambas around town, this one boasts a small gathering, which helps to ensure a quieter environment for the all-acoustic sambas to be played, and heard!


(Composer: Sing your samba and then partake in your partner's. Please be silent during presentations.)



The purpose is to increase the visibility of these talented composers, many of whom already have had their songs recorded by other artists. Ferreira, one of the movement's founders told me that as a cohesive movement, they have a better opportunity of being heard by someone that would be willing to record one of their songs. If one composer's work get recorded, the whole group benefits.



Below is the young poet and composer DiCaprio in striking pose!



I would like to share a video clip of their "theme" song. I do not have a title for it, but will call it "Todos somo iguais" written by Ferreia and Wagner. (Ferreira is directly to the right of the surdo player and Wagner is playing the cavaquinho closest to the camera). Enjoy!

In the studio with João Martins & friends

(João Martins)

Yesterday I had the privilege to hang out at a recording studio in Copacabana with some very talented musicians. Composer, musician, and wicked banjo/cavaco player João Martins is recording his debut album with all original compositions from his own pen. Some of the tracks are "partnerships" with some very illustrious folks. I can't wait to tell you more about it, but since it is still early in the process, I cannot reveal too much. I hope to visit the studio a few more times as more guest musicians make their contributions to João's new album.


(João Martins/Dedé/Jorge Alexandre/Wanderson Martins/Lula Matos)

It was quite a samba-filled day. But it didn't start as early for me as it did for these guys who began at 9am... I ended up getting home at 3am the next day (today!).


(like father like son)

Around 11:30 am my cell phone rings and the caller ID says "João Martins" but it was Lula calling. He says "Cadê você rapaz! O bicho ta pegando! (Where are you? Untranslateable slang for "things are getting hot"]. So I get my lazy butt out packed with cameras to the next beach over. I arrived at the studio just after noon. I guess they were eager for me to come by and snap some photos (perhaps for the album jacket?).


(Jadir/recording engineer)

I stayed with the guys at the studio until 6pm as they recorded non-stop all of the base (not bass!) percussion and guitar tracks. João's father, producer/musician Wanderson Martins, was the maestro, who played the scratch cavaco track, while João sang along to guide the musicians. These tracks will later get replaced by polished takes, of course. After the first round, the guys recorded a second batch of percussion tracks.


(Lula Matos/tantam)

For the session João brought in a couple of the fellas from Galocantô. Be sure and check out my recent post on them here. Lula Matos played general percussion (repique/pandeiro/tantam) and Marcelo Correia played 7-string guitar.


(Marcelo Correia/violão 7 cordas)

To round out the percussion, the Jorges were brought in. Jorge Alexandre and Jorge André.


(Jorge Alexandre)


(Jorge "Dedé" André/pandeiro)

These guys are incredibly talented and I was very impressed by João Martins' compositions. I was already familiar with several of the tunes from hearing them played at the local sambas that these guys frequent. Some songs I didn't even realize were written by him, but thought were some older songs that I had never heard before! Especially since people are already singing his songs at these rodas. Such is the talent of this 23-year-old...


(Joãozinho)

There is something really sweet about how these guys look out for each other and spend all day in the studio to see João's album come to frution. There are many more guests yet to come to the studio to lay down tracks. Look out for the next post on JM!


(listening to playback - good results!)


(Marcelinho)

Since I don't have any of João's recorded music to share with you yet, I would like to add a song by the group Toque de Prima, of which Wanderson is the cavaco player and musical arranger. The group has several albums and its members include some of samba's most respected session players. Wanderson has also recorded and toured with heavies like Dona Ivone Lara, Roberto Ribeiro, Beth Carvalho, Zeca Pagodinho, and Martinho da Vila.


(Wanderson Martins/cavaco)

The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree...


"Tudo liberado" by Toque de Prima
from the album Se tem que ser, será (2000)

Abraço meu compadre João Martins!