Certainly, music was the first introduction, as Bossa Nova was raging around the world, followed by MPB, Popular Brasilian Music. Some musical stars became household names even in faraway Australia: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud and later Bebel Gilberto, Elis Regina and later her daughter Maria Rita, and some cultural icons such as Jorge Ben, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Simone.
I wrote to my friend Camila in Rio de Janeiro for a list of songs. I realized that I was listening to icons of an era past and that there has been many new singers and genres of Brasilian music. She mentioned a very popular soft rock band with influences from Jamaica called SKANK, which had recently broken up after 25 years together. Pleasant listening. She wanted me to listen to TANTO..
Later she sent me a list of Brasilian songs, promising to send more
- W/ Brasil ( Jorge Ben Jor)
- Darwin ( Titãs)
- Grand Hotel ( Kid Abelha)
-Amor pra Recomeçar ( Frejat)
- Segredos ( Frejat)
-Por Você ( Frejat)
- Amor Meu Grande Amor ( Frejat)
- Na Estrada ( Marisa Monte)
- Beija Eu ( Marisa Monte )
- Vilarejo ( Marisa Monte)
- Maria de Verdade ( Marisa Monte )
- Gentileza ( Marisa Monte)
Amor I Love You ( Maria Monte)
- Uma Brasileira ( Paralamas do Sucesso )
-Aonde Quer Que Eu Vá ( Paralamas do Sucesso)
-Vital e Sua Moto (Paralamas do Sucesso)
- Metal Contra as Nuvens ( Legião Urbana)
-Quase sem Querer (Legião Urbana)
- Teatro dos Vampiros (Legião Urbana)
- Eduardo e Mônica ( Legião Urbana)
- Faroeste Caboclo (Legião Urbana)
She had mentioned Marisa Monte, a name familiar to me and I was enchanted with the very first song I heard, written by a sambista, Paulinho da Viola.
Loneliness is lava that covers everything
Bitterness, when in my mouth,
Smiles with its teeth of lead
Loneliness, a word stuck in the heart
resigned and silent
Under a bar of disappointment
Disillusionment, disillusionment
I dance, you dance
in the dance of loneliness
Camellia became widowed, Joan fell in love,
Maria tried to suicide because of her lover
My father always told me,"My son, be careful…
...When I think of the future, I do not forget my
past"
Disillusionment, disillusionment
I dance, you dance
in the dance of loneliness
When the early morning comes, my mind wanders
I run my fingers on the guitar, contemplating the full moon
However, there exists a source of pure water
Whoever drinks this water won't feel sorrow anymore
When the night arrives in Miami, the tropics . Wasn’t it Anais Nin (French-cuban writer) who once said : Tropics are like hammocks for lovers
The tranquility is enhanced by the lack of traffic, the night is starry and loved ones are far away . Plumeria blooms at my window, Ponciana colours the darkness.
With Brasilian music, such emotions are lighted up in my heart. Saudade nao solidao, Longing but not Loneliness .. solitude yes. I think it is time for a nice glass of Malbec.
So to all my friends and lovers, tonight especially to Camila in Rio de Janeiro, for filling up my heart with such tenderness. This euphoria is my wealth. Muito Obrigado.
Maria Rita is the daughter of that illustrious singer daughter of Porto Alegre in the South. A well beloved voice silenced far too soon. Here Maria Rita is singing, with such tenderness, the great Cuban Classic, Dos Gardenias. There is not a single Cuban in the Island who does not know this song!
Here is Marisa Monte singing. Amor I love you ..
As I was finishing up this blog, this note arrived from Rio.
Conhoece Tim Maia? Maravilhoso
Now I have a new singer to listen and add to my repertoire of saudade por tudo..
this is Tim Maia, who I am told is well loved by many Brasilians.
From Wiki:
Tim Maia (Brazilian Portuguese: [tʃĩ ˈmajɐ], born Sebastião Rodrigues Maia; September 28, 1942 – March 15, 1998) was a Brazilian musician, songwriter and businessman known for his iconoclastic, ironic, outspoken, and humorous musical style. Maia contributed to Brazilian music within a wide variety of musical genres, including soul, funk, bossa nova, disco, romantic ballads, pop, rock, jazz, baião and MPB. He introduced the soul style on the Brazilian musical scene. Along with Jorge Ben, Maia pioneered MPB's samba rock genre, combining samba, soul, and funk. He is internationally recognized as one of the biggest icons of the Brazilian music
Marisa Monte here singing with Paulinho da viola, danca da solidao, the english lyrics were quoted above.
Muito Obrigado, Camila.
My musical world usually in languages that are not mine. Each day I listen to songs in Iranian, French, Spanish and Portugese, almost never in English.. a bit strange ? but my brain responds with tenderness when it hears the languages I love. The English language, which is my first language, is the one I adore for its beauty, analytic diversity and usefulness, but I rather listen to music in another language.
Today is the wedding anniversary of my closest friends in Miami, Dr M and Mrs G W. I love them but unable to spend the evening with our dinner plus shmooze .. I opened a Finca Flichman Malbec from Argentina, toasted
Muito Obrigado a C
Feliz aniversario a M/G
Como Siempre Cuba esta en mi corazon.. thinking of N in Cologne, K in Linz, H in Dalian City, P in Sri Racha, M in KL, Cochin, Haifa and Siem Reap, Doha and its usual culprits and toi la bacsi I would say to H in Hanoi.
