[Monday Notes no. 71] Much of Dorival Caymmi’s music is dedicated to his homeland, Bahia, and to the sea in particular. The singer-songwriter in 1959 recorded Caymmi e Seu Violão, a record made entirely by accompanying himself with only the guitar, from which we hear the song O Mar.Continue readingO Mar, Dorival Caymmi the poet who writes of the sea
Tag: bossa nova
[Monday Notes no. 67] Although it is natural to associate bossanova with the guitar, the piano has been very important in the development of this music. The most important founders of bossanova include pianists Johnny Alf, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sergio Mendes, Ivan Lins and Milton Nascimento. Let us analyse a nice piece entitled A Ra…Continue readingJoao Donato, A Ra. The Piano and Brazilian Popular Music
[Monday Notes no. 62] Olê, Olá is part of Chico Buarque de Hollanda’s first album, released in 1966. The Brazilian musician was just 22 years old, yet in his first record are already present the typical elements of his music, rooted in Brazilian popular music but often very elaborate from a harmonic point of view.Continue readingChico Buarque de Hollanda, Olê Olá. A smile that hides sadness.
[Monday Notes No. 50] Dolores Duran made a career out of music when she was still a child, using her exceptional talent to support her family after the death of her father. When she met Antonio Carlos Jobim, he was not yet a legend of Brazilian music and the term bossanova had not yet been…Continue readingPor causa de voce, Dolores Duran meets Antonio Carlos Jobim
[Monday Notes no. 45] Noel Rosa is one of the most important authors of Brazilian Popular Music. Noel Rosa sings about the lives of the miserable, describing small details in an ironic and poetic way, always with a benevolent and optimistic outlook.Continue readingNoel Rosa, Conversa de Botequim. A conversation in the bar
[Monday Notes n.30] The album Jazz Samba released in 1962 by Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz introduced Brazilian music to the jazz repertoire. Dizzy Gillespie and others had already been mixing Jazz and Cuban music since the 40’s, while Brazilian music had remained on the sidelines. Let’s listen to and analyze Desafinado.Continue readingCharlie Byrd and Stan Getz, Desafinado. Bossa nova becomes jazz
[Monday notes n.1]Antonio Carlo Jobim often relied on Vinicius de Moraes to compose the lyrics to his songs, but not in this case. The lyrics of Aguas de Março are in fact written by Jobim himself, who personally composed both the English and the original Portuguese versions. The song is here performed by Elis Regina…Continue readingElis Regina & Antonio Carlos Jobim, Águas de Março harmonic analysis