I suppose I should summarise 2014 which passed rather
quickly. Maybe because I did a lot of what I love – music!! According to my
maths I did 30 gigs last year!! 23 with my Polka Nova duo (or occasionally
trio), 4 with London School of Samba (Unidos de Londres), 2 with the few vocal
group, one with a vocal choir for the EFG Jazz Festival and one with Guilherme
Tavares, a Brazilian musician living in London. Let's see if I can beat this in
2015!
Now, the news I’ve been waiting to share with you – I’m
going to Brazil next week!!! It’s been almost three years since my last 4-month
trip so it was long due. This time I can’t stay that much because of work
commitments, but it’s still going to be three weeks! I’m excited, even though I’m
not planning anything outrageous – just a quiet time with friends and my BF’s family
in São Paulo. We bought the tickets back in September and now I can count the
days left to my departure. The lucky BF is already there, enjoying the
apparently sizzling hot weather. For me, it’s 8 more days. Let the countdown* begin!!!
Oh, and may you all have a Happy New Year, filled with smiles
that are real, friends that care, prizes that you deserve, good deeds that you
do and music that you enjoy!
*Contagem regressiva is countdown in Portuguese - mystery solved!
The last post was about food, so
now it’s time for music. These are definitely my two passions ;)
And talking about passion, I
never told you how me and my BF met. It was over three years ago, at another
musician’s rehearsal at a London studio. He was there, tucked into the corner
of a dilapidated sofa, quietly strumming his 7-string guitar. When we first
started talking, he thought I was Portuguese. I wished he’d thought I was Brazilian
but there was no way this paulistano*
was going to take my attempted carioquês**
for truly native… Oh well. It didn’t stop us from deciding to rehearse
together with the view to maybe performing at some point. And believe it or
not, it took us three months to take it to another level, although I still
sometimes wonder whether this whole guitar trick wasn’t meant to seduce me in
the first place. Bottom of the line is: it did, both romantically and
musically; the latter is what I want to talk about.
A few guests appearances here and
there, a number of intimate shows during our stay in Brazil, a performance in
Prague… Little by little we were gaining ground. Winning London over is another
kettle of fish, so we’ve been working really hard for the past year or so and
finally it seems that all this effort is beginning to pay off. We’ve played at a few private
events, wine tasting sessions, somewhere in Soho (but the place does not
deserve attention so I won’t mention the name), and we are now getting regular
gigs. Phew.
We decided to call our duo Polka
Nova, which is a play on me being Polish and our main music style – bossa nova,
as you might have figured out, served as the main course. We mix it with generous amounts of samba,
lightly seasoned with some zesty jazz. See, I can’t even talk about music
without thinking of food! It’s mostly covers of timeless classics and
traditional songs that resonate with many Brazilians and non-Brazilians alike.
But let me stop this babbling and let you get a taste (!) of our music on your
own:
If you like it, then the next stop is to visit our facebook
page and let us know by clicking the ‘like’ button. I will love you for this
eternally. www.facebook.com/PolkaNovaLondon
And if you get so excited as to want to follow us on Twitter
as well, we are here:
London life indeed did suck me in (hope you enjoyed the
silence). But if you think I’ve given up on my Brazilian Dream, think again. I
am living it, every day, here under the grey sky, where theweatheris coldand
the beer is warm.
My
BF finally came to the UK, 3 months after my return (!), and he is here is to
stay. In the UK I mean, and hopefully by my side. And no, we didn’t have to
marry. He would have it stamped on his
forehead that he is now Portuguese as well, if he could. That’s why it took so
bloody long! So,
I now speak Portuguese more than my mother tongue* (I even dream in Portuguese,
for those of you who’ve asked me about it) or even English, and my exploration
of Brazilian music has gained new heights. We rehearse regularly (did I ever
say he’s a flippin’ good guitarist?), that is, if we manage to find time in our
crazy, mutually exclusive timetables.
I continue to sing with Paraíso Samba School, doing gigs at least once
a month**; not that it’s terribly creative – those enredos really are
repetitive, mas uma coisa é*** – it’s good fun! I may come home nearly deaf, having stood next to the
bateria during the show, hardly being able to hear my own thoughts, let alone
my voice, but there seems to be a direct link between the intensity of rhythmic
drumming and the level of endorphins in my brain. That’s why I do it. Oh, and
also so that I can say I belong... Hey, you will surely
agree that passing all these delirious crowds at the Notting Hill Carnival,
waving at them while trying not to drop the mic, and basically giving it all,
is not something you do every day. OK, I do it every year (this was my 3rd
time) and I am still not bored.
Photo by
bellaphon
Can it get more
Brazilian than parading in the carnival? Yes it can. Taking part in the
Olympics closing ceremony beats it. Damn hard. And frankly, that deserves a
separate post. Promise! A little teaser beneath, but what I want to say is –
you will now be hearing news from Brazilian London. One thing though; I will be
absolutely subjective, partial, biased and frank. If something deserves my
praise, it will get it, if it’s below any standards, I won’t think twice about
tearing it to pieces. You’ve been warned.
Olha que coisa mais linda Mais cheia de graça É ela menina Que vem e que passa No doce balanço, a caminho do mar
If you are one of those lucky ones able to understand those words (from "Garota de Ipanema" by Tom Jobim), don't bother reading the rest as this post is not meant for you. If, however, you're dying to find out what they mean and using google translator just doesn't do it for you, you've come to the right place.
Why? Well, having brushed up on my Portuguese which is now more fluent than ever, with fresh colloquialisms and a myriad new expressions picked up straight from the streets, bars, clubs and educated daily conversations in Brazil, I am offering language classes. They're not just your regular (i.e. boring) repetitions of grammar or memorizing lists of words. No, no, no, no. The lessons I am now offering are a skilful combination of the language and... music.
Senhoras e senhores, what some of you have been dreaming of - learning Portuguese through songs! This may come as a surprise to some, but I am actually a fully trained and experienced language teacher. So, it doesn't have to be the Girl from Ipanema we'll be working on, but any song in (Brazilian) Portuguese you like (I unwillingly accept even Ai se eu te pego, if that tickles your fancy) and soon you will not only be able to understand your the lyrics, but even hold a proper conversation with your Brazilian friends. No miracles though. If you don't do your homework, don't expect to suddenly start chatting like a carioca or a paulista (mineiro/baiano/pernambucano, etc.).
The reason why I am offering this kind of classes (apart from the obvious), is that you learn the language a lot faster with music, as you will unconsciously repeat the melody in your head, which is bound to solidify words and idioms in your memory. This is how I learned Portuguese and I can assure you, it works.
One of the other good memories from Brazil, and specifically from São Paulo, is a music show my BF took me to in December 2011. I'm not a particularly big fan of instrumental music, but having seen this one, and been exposed to tons of Yamandu Costa and Raphael Rabello (because of my guitarist BF), I might be considered a convert in this respect.
The star of the night, though quite a modest one, was Swami Junior, a guitarist, bassist, arranger, composer and producer. Apparently, he is now one of the most sought after Brazilian musicians! On December 12, when he performed at SESC Consolação, his band was formed of the following members: Swami Jr. (7-string guitar), Alexandre Ribeiro (clarinet), Douglas Alonso (percussion), with Chico Pinheiro (guitar) and Marco Pereira (guitar) as guest musicians.
When they started playing, I felt like in a dream, being transported somewhere to cloud 9 with the wonderful arrangements. I’ve got this particular, physical reaction when I experience something truly magic that tickles my musical taste; I get goose bumps. So that night, it must have looked as if I was cold, but I was simply wrapped by the veal of exquisitely delicate, yet precisely placed sounds. At times though, I was brutally brought down to earth by a neighbour from hell.
This guy in his late 50s, sat next to me, stretched his legs onto a seat in front of him as if he was about to watch a football match and… would not stop tossing and turning, visibly still uncomfortable. I tried not to pay attention to him so as not to lose touch with the heavenly music. Suddenly, the man got up, walked along the back wall (looking for the exit?), a bunch of keys ringing unmercifully by his side. I winced once or twice, but was determined to enjoy the show. He came back to his seat. And started teeth-kissing. Not in a disapproving way, rather as a means to remove hell knows what from his gurgling throat. At times like these I wish I had a gun. He was obviously enjoying himself though as he would shout an out-of-place “Bravo!” each time a track finished. The last straw was when his mobile phone rang (of course!), luckily for him - in a pause between songs, at which sign he left the hall. Luckily for him.
I was able to enjoy the rest of the concert, undistracted and, frankly, I had never heard a better quality sound at any show in Europe. I must admit, and will probably reiterate in the future, that São Paulo’s music scene is truly impressive. And so are its music venues.
So here, a fragment of this exact show, in a neighbour-from-hell-free version, especially for you. (filmed by sesctv) Sound by Rafael Valim.
At the beginning of my stay in Brazil, I had the impression that time had slowed down. Suddenly I felt more relaxed than ever and could finally savour moments of laziness in the warm sun. It seemed like my trip would last forever, and, of course, I wanted it to! But all good things come to an end. Due to personal circumstances I wasn’t able to stay there any longer and there came a day (on Tuesday) when I had to pack my bags, heavy with bottles of cachaça, and board the plane. Since, towards the end of my stay, invitations to meet suddenly bloomed, final errands had to be made and I was working on some translations (to relieve my dented budget), hardly any time was left to take care of my blog!
So I’m back in cold London (and no, it’s not a bad dream), tired and pensive, but with pockets full of stories and enough of good memories to keep filling the pages of this blog until my next trip to Brazil. I am pretty sure I will now be a frequent visitor! What I also have in excess, and that wasn’t planned, are the few kilos I gained during the numerous trips to bars and restaurants. I reached my record level of 65kg! So, please, dear friends and family, if you see me these days, kindly refrain from commenting about what I already know! I’m starting my post-Brazil diet right away. So today, instead of sinking my teeth into a juicy lump of beef and quenching my thirst with (stupidly) cold beer, I had to make do with wild rocket, organic carrots and light Philadelphia cheese.
Stay tuned, folks! More Brazilian tales coming soon. And in the meantime, listen to the beautiful voice of Rosa Passos singing “Samba sem você” (Samba without you). This song really reflects my current mood as my love stayed behind and will only join me in about a month...
This is a very quick post just to let you know (those of you who are still awake) that you can watch the carnival parade in Rio live here, today and tomorrow:
So the carnival is here and it would be a sacrilege not to celebrate it. Strangely enough, not all Brazilians sport this annual revelry and, sadly, that includes my boyfriend. The main reason, according to him and many of his compatriots, is that it is not what it used to be, the highly institutionalised parade at the sambadrome topping the list. I have heard quite a few people complain about the quality of today’s enredos (samba theme songs), which actually qualifies for a separate post, as well as about extreme nudity which seems to be prevalent among the female samba dancers these days. Let’s face it, the samba costumes have never been prissy, except maybe for the allegorical fantasias*, but I have to admit that those plastic boobs sticking out a mile do ruin the whole thing. Revealing – yes, sexy – yes, slutty – no. Unfortunately, the latter has become the new chic to some.
Despite the above mentioned downsides, I still want to experience the carnival as it is, since I can’t magically teleport myself back in time to enjoy its magnificent past. Nor do I have any comparison. I may claim to have been a Brazilian in my previous life, but that somehow doesn’t empower me to remember the original beauty of the greatest party on Earth. But if you don’t have what you want, want what you have. And what there is plenty of in São Paulo are the blocos or mini-parades not confined to the rigid concrete space of sambadrome, but allowed to freely roam the streets. Sure, they’re not as lavish or impressive as the main parade, but neither as costly (they’re free!) and way more authentic!
Last night I saw Ilú Obá de Min, a bloco devoted to exploring the Afro-Brazilian heritage, so the dancers, conveniently using stilts (conveniently – because at least you could see them from the crowd!), represented various African Orixas; deities that correspond to various forces of nature and whose archetypes are manifestations of these forces.** You could see, for example, Oxalá – the father of spiritual purity and pure light:
Good fun in a crowd that at times became too dense, but never stopped jumping and enjoying the vibe. Here’s a taste of the night and I’m off to another bloco....
There's another video here: http://youtu.be/fcKyuvBmrlg - check it out!
(can't seem to be able to include a miniature)
Since there is less time till the end of my trip than has passed since my arrival in São Paulo, or, to make it simple, I’m more than half-way through, it’s time for a summary. What have I actually done in those two months and what have I yet to do? I’m kind of thinking aloud, if you will. As you will have already figured out, I AM coming back to London after all. I miss it!
Let’s have a look at what I’ve done first. It seems that my main activities have been eating out and going to music shows (I warned you, didn’t I). I’ve tried, repeatedly, wonderful Japanese food (sushi rodizio – eat as much as you want!), Brazilian feijoada (I owe you guys that one, pictures coming soon!), countless salgados (savoury pastries, such as pastel), invariably accompanied by cerveja gelada. See? Your Portuguese is getting better!* I have to reiterate – gastronomy in São Paulo is of top-notch quality, with even the crudest corner bars serving fresh food and following all hygiene requirements, let alone fancy restaurants. Most dishes I’ve tried were absolutely amazing. The only thing you have to watch is your wallet; first of all, because you don’t want it to disappear, secondly – not to get carried away. Some might want to watch their weight. I decided not to worry about that.
As for music, I have been to six or seven excellent shows at Teatro FECAP (Francis & Olívia Hime, Tom Jobim Festival that included the likes of Zimbo Trio and a few other bands I can’t remember) – they’ve got amazing sound there, seen a beautiful instrumental performance of Swami Junior at SESC Consolação, had fun watching friends play samba rock. I even got to sing. A song or two here and there. And I have to say that the pressure is high; after all, a gringa venturing to sing samba in a country where it was born, in a Portuguese that, unfortunately, still sounds a little foreign, is no common sight. Let’s say I got positive reviews and motivation to continue learning. I have tried paulistan nightlife too. The best area to go, and I may be repeating myself, is Vila Madalena. This is where you find the best music bars the entrance to which won’t ruin your pocket. I’ve been to Ó do Borogodó, Pau Brasil, Traço de União, Bom Motivo and can easily recommend all of these. I left the best bit for the end. The already mentioned roda de choro** at the Contemporânea music shop is in itself an experience worth coming to Brazil for.
As every day brings new events, twists, turns and last-minute invitations, the what-I’ve-done list is getting longer and what-I’ve-yet-to-do is shrinking at an amazing pace and will hopefully come to a point where I can safely say “I can go back now”.
*my dear Brazilian friends will hopefully understand that my main focus (target audience?) were people who don’t speak the language
**for details, see an earlier post (Next station: Contemporânea)
That samba train has really taken off! Stopping at various more or less glamorous venues around São Paulo. And it looks like it’s an express train as I go to shows almost every day! No remorse. No sooner had the sounds of pandeiro stopped ringing in my head (not least because I got one to practise in my “free time”) than we* were clinking beer bottles at Traço de União. (http://tracodeuniao.com.br/) A more glamorous venue, if you want to know; more airy, with a proper stage for the artists and... a no-flip-flops policy. Much to my disappointment as I can’t seem to part with my havaianas.** Good job we knew in advance.
There were a few people performing that night, including Deyse do Banjo (because she plays banjo***), Carllão Maneiro and, again, Aldo Bueno, providing the crowd with a good dose of samba rhythms.
With only a few hours’ sleep, we dragged ourselves out of bed the next day to see roda de choro at a music shop round the corner. Every Saturday morning, the shop Contemporânea, hosts a gathering of vintage musicians (the guitarist is 85 years old!), the crème de la crème of the local traditional music scene. As in every roda, they switch places and instruments to play choro, as well as samba. Choro is a popular music (largely) instrumental style, originating in the 19th century. You can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choro, but don’t take wikipedia’s word for certain as I have heard from a trustworthy source that it was actually born in Argentina, not Brazil. Leaving this debate aside, the weekly event is truly unmissable. A few wooden benches in the shop’s back room, walls adorned with drawings portraits of great choro masters and faded pictures of them playing with friends in that very shop.
By midday there’s barely room to sit, but as there seems to be a roda of the audience as well, I eventually manage to squeeze in. And the most authentic sounds of Brazil’s tradition start to seep into my ear, raising the hair on my skin and silencing my tongue. I dare not breathe fully in case I let this air of emotion out too soon. I survey the room. Senile gentlemen share the space with young fathers who decided their sons needed a more sophisticated musical education. Mature ladies smile at the mesmerized tourists whose shaking hands try to grasp every moment of greatness. After a few pieces, my initial stupor lets go and my body begins to sway rhythmically. Hands start to clap and don’t stop until the show’s over two hours later. OK, I do take breaks. For filming.
*my BF and I, and a few other jolly people **the most popular brand of flip-flops, or chinelo, in Brazil. ***you might want to look this one up for yourselves, eh?
