Everybody Goes Awww!

Not without a gripe, Rio's traditional escola de samba (samba club) Salgueiro has lost cavaquinho (four-string ukelele-like instrument) player Claudinho to the United States. The musician, who is a chorinho lover, since coming here has learned also to love rock, jazz an gypsy music, with a vengeance.

Bruce Gilman

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."

Sir James Matthew Barrie

About two years ago, Mocidade Independente Los Angeles (MILA), the premier escola de samba of North America, was floundering. A rift between the director of the bateria and the escola's president, as well as the cavaquinho player's move to Miami, had created a vacuum. The bateria was like a jumbo jet that could still fly, but was having serious problems taking off and landing. Morale was plummeting. Rehearsals were sloppy. MILA had become the proverbial rudderless ship in a storm; and the ship was taking water fast. To top things off, MILA's president, Luizinho Ferreira, left for Rio and was gone for a month. When he returned; however, he brought with him the energy and performance know-how of escola de samba Salgueiro in the concentrated form of a twenty-six year old puxador named Luis Cláudio.

I have never met a musician who is funnier on the surface and more serious underneath than Claudinho. Listening to him between sets at Café Danssa jamming to songs played over the sound system never fails to conjure knowing smiles. He not only picks out the right chords, but the right chord inversions. As a further confirmation of his finely developed ear, Claudinho, having spoken solely Portuguese for twenty-seven years, today converses easily in English. Our interview took place in English at his home in Los Angeles.

Claudinho, how did you become interested in samba?

My father loved to play the cavaquinho and the acoustic bass. He was an amateur musician, and his friends were always over at our house playing. I acquired a love for samba listening to them and watching the fun they had. When I was 10 I started teaching myself how to play his cavaquinho.

What was the first group you played with?

I started playing with the Aprendizes de Lucas. This was before Salgueiro. Salgueiro was very close to my house. It was my samba school, so later I started going there.

Did you play choro?

I love chorinhos, but I couldn't survive in Rio playing choro when I was growing up. Everyone wanted samba, so that is where I concentrated. I really love choro, but it is a style that was felt by many to be the music for old people. Choro is getting more popular again. But then, it was almost extinct.

Which cavaquinho players have influenced you the most?

Alceu Maia is the best in Brazil. He was my teacher. This is funny because he was also my idol. One night I had a gig with my old band, Só Vodka (Only Vodka) playing the Copacabana Palace. And when I walked in for the gig, I saw him. I told my friends, "Hey look. It's Alceu." I went over and said, "Hey mestre (master), will you teach me?" He said, "I'm not mestre. We can be friends." We exchanged phone numbers.

Fundo de Quintal was on the same gig, and Arlindo Cruz, who had just written a tune with my uncle, told me that Alceu had an instrument for sale. After the gig, Arlindo went over to Alceu and said, "Hey, this guy goes to every pagode (samba party). Maybe he can take a look at your instrument."

Alceu started joking, "What, my cavaquinho? I don't have it here. It's back at Rocinha." Alceu's instrument was my first professional cavaquinho.

Sounds like a musician's dream.

Yeah, I was not playing very well before Alceu. My life now, is B.A. and A.A. (before and after Alceu). He's a great guy. When I went back to Brazil last year, I bumped into him at the airport.

When I saw him I said, "Alceu, mother fucker!"

"What happened, my friend?"

"I went to L.A."

"Why did you go to L.A.?"

"I'm playing there right now."

He gave me a hug and said, " What a pity."

He's thirty-eight or thirty-nine now, a young boy, with gray hair.

You were very active in Rio.

In Rio I played with many groups. I played with Elza Soares, Beth Carvalho, Leci Brandão, Neguinho da Beija-Flor, Almir Guineto, João Nogueira, and with my band Só Vodka. I also recorded my first CD Verdadeiro Cristal with the group Malícia Brasileira for the Imagem label.

Tell me about Salgueiro?

I was born in Tijuca where Salgueiro is. When I started playing, when I was conscious that I could play, I wanted to play with Salgueiro. At first, I was a little intimidated because I thought it would be difficult to get into Salgueiro. But it finally happened. Salgueiro opened the door to the world for me. Salgueiro helped me to realize what was possible for me as a performer and as a musician.

I've heard a story that the president of Salgueiro asked you once to stop playing.

Yes, but this is not what it sounds like. You know mestre Loro? His real name is Lorival. He's the mestre of the bateria in Salgueiro. Lorival, my fucking good friend Fumaça, and I started playing a kind of pagode under this small structure right on the street where the members of Salgueiro passed on their way to rehearsal. Lorival played guitar, I played cavaquinho, Fumaça played drums. But the people wouldn't go to rehearsal. They would stop and listen.

Our pagode really caught on, and we were starting to draw large crowds. People were really getting into it. After we had done this a few times, Mangano (Paulo César Mangano, president of escola de samba Salgueiro) came over to us and said, "Hey man, you have got to stop this! We can't have a rehearsal. No one is getting inside!"

What projects have you been involved with since your arrival in Los Angeles a year and a half ago?

I'm gigging every week in Los Angeles with Banda Constelação and escola de samba MILA. In San Diego I play with Sambrasil. I have recorded with Lula and Afro-Brasil and with Kátia Moraes, and I've played the Brazilian Carnavals in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, also some club dates in the Bay Area. A couple of months ago, I went to Canada to play a Brazilian-style Carnaval with Lula, Reni Flores, and Josias Santos.

Sambrasil is an amazing band. I was really impressed with their performance at the Hollywood Palladium. How did you get involved with Josias Santos and Sambrasil?

I arrived in Los Angeles on a Tuesday, and the next Sunday Luizinho and I went to San Diego so I could meet the guys in Sambrasil. They knew about my band Malícia Brasileira. It was a group of young players who played really, really hard, man. Every time we played, people stopped what they were doing, and just stared at the players. Malícia Brasileira was a hot group. Josias Santos remembered this and invited me to join Sambrasil.

Do you go to the band rehearsals in San Diego?

I haven't so far. The guys rehearse all the time; the band is very tight. Fumaça, Josias, and I are going to rehearse together when I come back from Brazil. But so far, I just go and play, carefully, step by step right now. Josias has given me the opportunity. He is a great mind.

Do you have any special method of practicing?

Right now I don't practice cavaquinho everyday because I am really interested in learning guitar. I play cavaquinho three days a week, two hours each day. And three days a week I work out progressions on the on the guitar.

What about Banda Constelação?

Constelação... I need to talk about this carefully. In Brazil you no longer see bands like Constellation. Although samba is very rich in rhythm, some musicians felt that samba needed more harmony. In the past, it could be played with one drum and 7 strings (7-string guitar). But today, people play with more technology. Samba groups are playing with electric bass, keyboards, a drummer, and really making music. The public needs this now. It's better for the samba. You need to have keyboards to make more harmony and better arrangements. I come from this period, this modern time, the transition between the old school and the new school.

When I came here, I wanted to do my best. I told Luizinho, "We need to take care of this." But he likes this earlier time, the traditional samba, and he's my boss. The band needs more power, real musicians. Fumaça and I have played a lot with professional musicians in Brazil. We see that the line is breaking right now. But we still need to talk with other people like ourselves and agree on some important points and start making better music. So, I'm working my goals around my job. This hurts me because I believe you can be better. But Luizinho, I don't know why... The concept of samba has changed.

Constelação has been together for many years. Will the band release a CD?

I think we can do this. We could make a great CD because we can bring in the bass player from Sambrasil and Marcelo from Lula's band to play guitar. But when a band with a CD goes to play live, they have to, at least, be able to present the same arrangements, musicians, and instruments. When you play live, you have to sound better than the CD. If you can't sound better, at a minimum, you have to sound as good as the CD. Never less.

It is difficult right now with Constelação. In the past, Luizinho wasn't thinking about this. He only wanted to survive. But now, he is thinking about it. He asked me, "Can you write some songs for a CD?" I told him, "Man, we need to think very seriously about this and not joke. We'll spend money, spend time." I don't know. Sometimes we disagree about this. He wants to make one, but I don't think the band is prepared right now. We need to make the band tighter. When we can say proudly, "Yeah, this is my band," then we'll go to the studio and play with a drummer, a bass player, guitar, back up vocalists. One, two... One, two, three... Go! In Brazil, we always played this way, me and Fumaça.

What was the worst gig you've had in Los Angeles?

Can I talk, no problem?… The worst was at The Los Andes Dance Club in Pico Rivera. Neila was releasing her CD, and MILA played with her. The sound system was horrible. My cavaquinho was cutting in and out. At times, it lost my singing. I stopped and just let the bateria play. Then the woman who called us to play the gig came over and screamed, "What are you doing? I don't want this!"

I told her, "I'm a professional. I am always concerned that the music is perfect. I love music. But how can I do my job? You don't have a decent sound system." After the gig she called me and apologized.

Women who watch you perform are mesmerized by your stage presence, your playing, the lewd antics, and your high energy. Have you ever encountered aggressive women after a show?

You know, when I'm playing, I become a different person. I get caught up. The music just takes me. It's like a narcotic. I've watched videos of the band, and I say to myself, "Who is that person making those ugly faces?" I have a lot of passion when I play, but I am devoted to my girlfriend. She is my real love.

Claudinho, you could be breaking the mold for Brazilian men.

Yes. But in my heart, this is how I feel.

Has living in the United States significantly changed your music?

When I was in Brazil, I cared only about my samba and my religious music. I am from candomblé. My father is Ogum and my mother is Yansan.* I played only these two kinds of music. But when I came here, I saw that a lot of people had other ideas and mixed them in their music. I started thinking about this and realized that I could do the same thing. Now I'm listening to rock, jazz, folk, gypsy music. I feel my perspective is expanding right now in this way.

What is the future of Brazilian music in the United States?

I think there is an excellent future for it because most Brazilian music hasn't come yet. American people know only about samba and bossa nova, but we have many kinds of music in Brazil that haven't got into the United States yet. I believe that xaxado, baião, afoxé will have a great audience here.

Do you think that Brazilian musicians are compromising their work by singing lyrics that have been translated into English?

I don't think so. Music is universal. It's from God. It doesn't have doors and is without borders. As long as a translation is carefully done and preserves the musical sound and true intent of the words, there is no harm.

Can musicians from the United States play Brazilian music, authentic Brazilian grooves without a North American accent?

You're right, this is like language. Once I didn't think Brazilians could speak English without an accent. But I do know Americans who can play Brazilian music. You, Piazza, the guy who directed the bateria before Flávio. He played very well. There are two American guys in Sambrasil who play very well. It is possible. It all depends on your heart, how you feel the music. Music is like a medicine that enters through your ears and goes to the heart.

Why do people in Brazil seem to be more interested in North American pop music trends than in samba, choro, forró, and axé music?

I think we need other kinds of music. It's not bad, American music. You need to listen, think, and try. And Brazilian music is something natural. The Brazilian people are born playing music. You don't have to go to school. Brazil is a treasure of music. On every street corner you find guys playing cavaquinho, guitar, drums. You know Meia Noite? He never studied music. But he plays very well.**

I don't see problems with American music in Brazil. Before, you may have had a point. There was too much. But a huge controversy developed about this. People went on television and talked a lot about why Brazilian radio was not playing Brazilian music. And these people made their argument. Today you can listen to axé music and you can listen to forró on the FM stations in Rio. Up until that point you only heard American music. But now there is a balance.

What groups, artists, or styles of music do you like to listen to?

Gypsy Kings, Boyz II Men, Só Pra Contrariar, Molejo, Galo Preto's chorinhos, Carlinhos Brown. This guy is really, really good. He said, "My music is not from Bahia, not from Brazil, not from the world. My music comes from the universe." Gil, Caetano, Djavan, Leny Andrade…

What are your plans for the future?

I want to study more harmony, composition, arranging. I need to study. I have my visa, but right now I don't have the money. M.I. (Musicians' Institute) is very expensive. And my second choice, U.S.C. (University of Southern California) is very expensive too. So I study on my own. I go to Kléber Jorge's house and ask him about things. ** I read my books. When I hear other people play, I ask them, "Hey, how can I do that? How did you do it?" I realize a lot this way. I also want to build a studio and start producing. My idea is to mix horizons. I want to be producing one day in my life.

Claudinho's Discography

1996 - Bahia Legend - Lula & Afro-Brasil - available from Brazil CD's

1996 - Ten Feet and The Sun - Kátia Moraes - SugarCane Records

1995 - Verdadeiro Cristal - Malícia Brasileira - Imagem

* Ogum is the candomblé deity associated with iron, courage, and security. Yansan is the spirit associated with wind, thunder, and storm.

** Meia Noite and Kléber Jorge play with the Sérgio Mendes band.

Bruce Gilman, music editor for Brazzil, received his Masters degree in music from California Institute of the Arts. He leads the Brazilian Jazz Ensemble Axé and plays cuíca for escola de samba MILA. You can reach him through his E-mail: cuica@interworld.net