Chico Pinheiro: Listen and fall in love

If there is love at first sight, there must be love at first sound! The first time I listened to Chico Pinheiro, he was playing “Lamento”, a song from Vinicius de Moraes. Besides playing beautifully the guitar, he has a soft voice also. It was definitely love at first sound!



After listening to “Lamento” I started looking for more songs. Pretty soon I became a fan. My favorite song is “Tema Em 3”, a song composed and arranged by the talented Chico Pinheiro. You can listen to this song by clicking here. If you like the song you can buy it and others of his album “Chico Pinheiro” at iTunes. The guy behind the wonderful piano in this song is Fabio Torres. Great performance!


I can’t wait to go to Brazil next week and buy his album with another of my favorite guitar players, Anthony Wilson! They recorded the album “NOVA” in São Paulo, in June, 2006. NOVA includes eight original songs and compositions by Wayne Shorter, João Donato and Dorival Caymmi. The album has the participation of my cousin Paulo Paulleli, my favorite bass player ever! You can check the song "Café com Pão", from João Donato, from the album NOVA in the Brazilian radio show, Vozes do Brasil. Pay attention to the percussion my cousin makes with his mouth. I saw him doing it at Blue Note, in New York. Genius!
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Image
Paulo Paulleli, Anthony Wilson and Chico Pinheiro - source: http://www.anthonywilsonmusic.com/images.html

You can dance the samba too!

It is Carnival in Brazil! Everybody is having fun, dancing the samba in Rio and São Paulo, "axé music" in Salvador, frevo in Recife. The most famous Brazilian Carnival though is in Rio. Therefore, samba is the music that best express Carnival. If you think only the mulatas can dance the samba, check this video out!

The Brazilian Japanese Julia Futaki is here to prove that you can dance the samba too, even if you are a gringo! So, don't be shy and get into the groove!

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Image: Carnival in Rio - Picture taken by Lee Abamonte
(Source: http://www.leeabbamonte.com/south-america/carnival-in-rio-the-champions-parade.html)

The girl from Ipanema

Tall and tan and young and lovely

The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah

Who doesn't know this song? The beautiful song, composed by Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim, is one of the most played songs in the world and was performed by many artists worldwide.

Recently, Scott Vogel published an interesting article in the Washington Post entitled "The girl from Ipanema, a cruise to the muse". There, the journalist reaffirmed a story that many people in Brazil believe to be truth: Vinicius de Moraes wrote the lyrics of the song in a bar in Ipanema called Veloso (now Garota de Ipanema bar), inspired by a beautiful young girl named Heloísa or Helô. Scott Vogel writes about the trip he made to Brazil to meet her and about the fun he had in a cruise ship along the coast of the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. When he finally meets Helô, a tall, tan, lovely and not so young woman anymore, she gives her testimony on how she became aware of the rumors about having inspired the song.

Another version of the story, however, is explained by Ruy Castro in his book "Bossa Nova: The story of the Brazilian Music that Seduced the World" (p. 239-240):

It has already been explained, but people find it hard to accept the truth: Jobim and Vinícius did not write "The Girl from Ipanema" in the Veloso bar (today called Garota da Ipanema). It was never the duo's style to write music sitting at a table in some bar, although they had probably spent the best hours of their lives in them. Jobim composed the melody meticulously on the piano at his new home in Rua Barro da Torre, and it was originally intended for a musical comedy entitled Blimp, which Vinícius already had worked out in his head but had not yet committed to paper. Vinícius, in turn, had written the lyrics in Petrópolis, near Rio, as he had done with "Chega de Saudade" six years earlier, and it took him just as much work. To begin with, it wasn't originally called "Garota da Ipanema," but "Menina que passa" (The Girl Who Passes By"), and the entire first verse was different. As for the famous girl, Jobim and Vinícius did in fact see her pass by as they sat in the Veloso bar, during the winter of 1962— not just once, but several times, and not always on her way to the beach but also on her way to school, to the dressmaker, and even to the dentist. Mostly because Heloísa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto, better known as Helô, who was eighteen years of age, five feet, eight inches tall, with green eyes and long, flowing black hair, lived in Rua Montenegro and was already the object of much admiration among patrons of the Veloso, where she would frequently stop to buy cigarettes for her mother—and leave to a cacophony of wolf-whistles.

I am among the ones that find it hard to accept the truth. I prefer to believe in Vogel's version. It is more romantic. Besides, because of Helô, many girls like me grew up dreaming of one day finding an artist to inspire. And speaking of artists, let's check this video with Tom, Vinicius, and their masterpiece:

The Sound of Rio

If you haven't seen it yet, do it. The musical documentary "The Sound of Rio: Brasileirinho" is a great present from Mika Kaurismäki to those who have a passion for "choro", a typical Brazilian style of music. "Choro" or "chorinho" was originated in Rio de Janeiro in the 19th century and has its roots in European ballroom dance music - like waltz and polka - and African rhythms.

The documentary "The Sound of Rio: Brasileirinho" tells a little bit of the history of "choro" but the great thing about this movie are the performances by great names of the current generation of "choro" musicians, like the clarinet and saxophone virtuoso Paulo Moura, the percussionist Marcos Suzano, the Trio Madeira Brasil, the guitar player Yamandú Costa, among others. I had the opportunity to see Yamandú in a concert in Brazil. He is a genius!

If you live in the US, "The Sound of Rio" can be rented at Netflix. If you want to buy the DVD, you can do it at the Milan Records website. Now, if you can't wait to know a little bit more about "chorinho", check this video I have found in YouTube. It is a documentary with Conjunto Época de Ouro, Pixinguinha, Altamiro Carrilho, Jacob do Bandolim, entre outros. If you know Portuguese, you will be able to understand the history told in this movie. If not, just enjoy the music. And if you want to learn Portuguese to see this and other Brazilian movies, I am starting my new blog: Brazilian Portuguese Class. Check it out! And tell me what you think about it!

Rosa Passos at Blue Note, New York

If you are in NY or in a short distance from the Big Apple, you can't miss Rosa Passos' concert at Blue Note this weekend (Nov 2 - 4). I will certainly be there. Not only to see this wonderful Brazilian singer but also to see my cousin, Paulo Paulelli that plays the bass in her band. You can listen to him by clicking in "I'm all ears" on the bar on the right side. He is playing a song composed by my father, Messias Santos Jr., also a musician and arranger, who played with João Gilberto among other famous Brazilians.

I have been in one of her concerts before and I simply loved her band. They are all very talented musicians. For those who are bossa nova or jazz fans, this is a must see concert! Have I mentioned she also plays beautifully the guitar? So, check this video out!

Rosa Passos

[via FoxyTunes / Rosa Passos]

Seu Jorge so close to me!!

Seu Jorge

[via FoxyTunes / Seu Jorge]

I am a fan of Seu Jorge. He has a wonderful deep voice that really touches my heart. And I like his lyrics too. First time I noticed him was in the movie "Cidade de Deus" (City of God), directed by the talented director Fernando Meirelles. In "Cidade de Deus", Seu Jorge was Mané Galinha (Knockout Ned), who had his girlfriend raped by the ultra-violent Zé Pequeno (Little Joe), who also massacred Mané Galinha's family. After the episodes, Mané Galinha begins a plan to destroy Zé Pequeno. Yeah, I know, too much violence. But if you have a strong stomach, I recommend the movie to see the social discrepancies that unfortunately we still witness in Brazil. Seu Jorge also had a participation in the movie "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou", directed by Wes Anderson, with one of my favorite actors and actresses, Bill Murray and Cate Blanchet, respectively. In "The Life Aquatic", Seu Jorge plays some songs of David Bowie.

As Mané Galinha from Cidade de Deus, Seu Jorge also has a poor origin. But instead of moving into a violent path, he found strength in music to fight against violence and has succeeded. His interesting life history is shown in the documentary "Moro no Brasil", written and directed by Mika Kaurismäki. You should check this documentary out. It shows the great diversity of Brazilian music. Besides Seu Jorge, the documentary shows the "Velha Guarda da Mangueira", a group of older people from one of the most important and traditional groups of Carnival in Rio, and other people of significant importance to the Brazilian music in Pernambuco and Bahia, like Margareth Menezes. If you live in the US, Netflix has this documentary as well as "Cidade de Deus" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" to rent.

But I'm not here to talk about movies now. I'm here to tell you that Seu Jorge will perform really really close to my home. I can't wait to see him. And as a bonus, I will also listen to the Cape Verdean singer, Cesária Évora. Both will be performing this Friday, June 22, at Wolf Trap, Filene Center, in Vienna, VA, at 8:00 PM.

Cesaria Evora (iii)

[via FoxyTunes / Cesária Évora]

If you live nearby, don't miss this concert! Two great voices singing in Portuguese! If you can't be there, enjoy this video with Seu Jorge and Ana Carolina, two beautiful deep voices together.

ANA CAROLINA E SEU JORGE - É ISSO AI

[via FoxyTunes / Seu Jorge]

Beautiful voices!

Ivete Sangalo e Rosa Passos || Dunas

[via FoxyTunes / Rosa Passos]

I've just found this video in YouTube, with two beautiful voices from Bahia: Rosa Passos and Ivete Sangalo. And the song is gorgeous too! I hope you enjoy it!

And speaking of YouTube, there is a version in Portuguese now! Brazilians will have even more fun with the site now! The link for the Brazilian version is: www.youtube.com.br

Fish with farofa

Farofa is lightly toasted manioc flour. Brazilians eat farofa with "churrasco", fish and beans. Manioc is a root present in many dishes of the Brazilian cuisine. I am going to post some recipes with manioc in this blog. Keep checking for them!

For now, just enjoy this video of a very unusual and cute way to give a recipe: singing it! Rita Ribeiro, a Brazilian singer from the State of Maranhão, gives a recipe of fried fish with farofa.

After getting inspired, go find the manioc flour for the recipe of "farofa de dendê" that I will post here soon! You can find manioc flour in the Latin section of super markets or in specialized Latin/Brazilian stores. If there are no Latin stores nearby, you can certainly find it online. When you have your manioc flour, you can make the "farofa de dendê" to serve with the delicious moqueca I posted here! Yummy!

The beauty of colors and words

One thing that is unforgettable for those that had the opportunity to visit Brazil is the beauty of its colors. They are everywhere: flowers, fruits, birds, butterflies, mountains, sky, sea, people.

For those that have never been there, I have a question for you: what are you waiting for? If you are afraid because of the violence you see sometimes in the media, I need to tell you something: Brazil is much more than violence. And if we think a little bit, violence is everywhere today. Unfortunately there is no more safe place in our planet. So, plan your trip, be cautious as you would be in any big city and have one of the most fantastic experiences of your life. I am sure you will make some Brazilian friends since you will be surrounded by very fun and friendly people.

If you happen to be in São Paulo, don't miss the "Mercado Municipal de São Paulo". It is a market located downtown, founded in 1933. The building is majestic, with 72 colored glass panels showing peasants working on the farms. Your eyes will be constantly stimulated with beauty. The "Mercado Municipal de São Paulo" is well known for exciting not only the eyes but also the tongue of visitors. There you will find fruits from all over the country (and Brazil has lots of different fruits) and from other countries too. You will also find spices, all kinds of meats, seafood, ground coffee, dairy products, breads, tobacco and ice cream. Plan to visit around lunch time, so you can try some specialties. In this huge market, you will find stands that serve bacalao cakes, bologna sandwiches, fresh fruit juices and more. You definitely need to visit if you're in the most cosmopolitan and busiest city of Brazil.

Now, if you happen to be in a more tranquil place, enjoy the colors of nature, get your mp3 player and listen to one of my favorite songs of Caetano Veloso, called "Trem das Cores" and found in his album "Cores, Nomes". I practically see the colors when I listen to it. For those who enjoy Brazilian music, the sound of Brazilian Portuguese and poems, I strongly recommend it. Every time I listen to it, I feel like I am inside Caetano's silver train, taking a trip through the green mountains of Brazil, watching the colorful houses passing by my eyes. I love the way Caetano describes the color of children boarding the train: pomegranate. Isn't it beautiful?

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Images
Toucan - Picture taken by Paulo Albuquerque Filho (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pantaneiro/424437267/)
Colored glass panel at "Mercado Municipal de São Paulo - Picture taken by Massao (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/massao/97107410/)