Contagem regressiva!

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!

Só canto samba (e bossa nova)

I can’t believe I actually didn’t write anything for the whole of 2013! I had a few ideas but there was so much going on in my professional life that blog writing was the last thing on my mind. Originally, 'the Brazilian dream' was meant to tell the story of my time in Brazil, but my everyday life in London is still very much “Brazilian”. As my BF is from São Paulo, I speak more Portuguese than my mother tongue to the point where I’ve begun mixing them up. Not surprisingly, my mind thinks Portuguese is on the same priority level as Polish and if you woke me up in the middle of the night I am not really sure which one I would speak, given that I also teach English…

Linguistic confusion aside, musically I can’t get more Brazilian than through samba and bossa nova; the two genres that identify my singing style. So folks, here’s a glimpse of what I do, never mind that I’m revealing my identity once and for all. Anonymous blog writing is so 2013…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewkM7_xFZQ8

Feel free to post your comments here or under the video on youtube. 

P.S. The title of the post vaguely alludes to "Só danço samba", a bossa nova (!) classic by Antônio Carlos Jobim

Aprenda a língua com música!

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. 

Interested? Drop a line at: portuguesethroughsongs@gmail.com

Mind you, the lessons are available in London only!

P.S. For any Brazilians out there who read the post anyway, pssst, I also give English classes.