The letter W doesn’t exist in the Portuguese alphabet.
It hasn’t always been so, but linguistic reforms expelled the letter, leaving only
a reminder in song.
W’s English name—in a unique Brazilian reading—entered the popular music
lore during the 1932 Carnaval, when Lamartine Babo and Noel Rosa scored a huge hit with
their irreverent marchinha on the inadequacies of elementary education:
A.E.I.O.U.
Dabliú, dabliú
Na cartilha da Juju, Juju
A Juju já sabe ler
A Juju sabe escrever
Há dez anos na cartilha
A Juju já sabe ler
A Juju sabe escrever
Escreve sal com cê cedilha!
Just as W has been cut off from the current language of Brazil, so has popular music
that doesn’t fit the commercial cookie-cutter mold been relegated to the margins of
the entertainment world. Enter Dabliú Discos, an independent São Paulo label whose
mission is to give voice to the excluded, promoting a renovation of MPB with an emphasis
on creative music and lyrics. Especially lyrics.
Why lyrics?
Because Dabliú’s founder and owner is the notable lyricist José Carlos Costa
Netto, who’s written songs with the likes of Roberto Menescal, Danilo Caymmi,
Paulinho Nogueira, Guilherme Arantes, Dante Ozzetti, Juca Novaes, and Walter Franco. Costa
Netto’s best-known partnership, however, is with the great paulista composer
Eduardo Gudin, several of whose discs have been recently reissued by Dabliú. With Gudin,
Costa Netto wrote "Verde"—the song that made a star of Leila
Pinheiro—and a number of other pearls like "Estrela do Norte";
"Paulista"; "Mensagem"; "Samba de Verdade"; "Poeta
Maior"; "Nossos Caminhos"; and "Atrás do Tempo."
Three of the above—"Verde," "Estrela do Norte," and
"Paulista"—are among the songs selected by Gudin for his latest CD, the
stately Luzes da Mesma Luz (Dabliú DB 0102). The disc—which could have
featured a crystalline voice such as that of Leila Pinheiro, Mônica Salmaso (who began
her career in Gudin’s group Notícias dum Brasil), Luciana Alves (who replaced
Mônica as soloist in Notícias dum Brasil), or the composer’s wife Vânia
Bastos—surprises us with the intimate, emotion-filled delivery of singer/composer
Fátima Guedes, who joins forces with a string and wind orchestra in arrangements by the
composer (see Gudin’s comments about the songs).
Gudin is one of a handful of well-known artists on Dabliú’s roster. For every
Gudin, there’s a score of young musicians struggling to make their voices heard. It
is no coincidence that in addition to being a lyricist, the man who’s providing a
showcase for their talents also happens to be one of Brazil’s leading copyright
attorneys, who has authored a textbook on the subject and has represented the spectrum of
top MPB artists, from Tom Jobim, Maria Bethânia, Roberto Carlos, and Milton Nascimento to
rockers Titãs, Paralamas do Sucesso, and Legião Urbana.
In this interview, I asked Costa Netto to elaborate on his activities as songwriter,
lawyer, and cultural producer.
Brazzil—Please tell us about your family background and childhood.
Costa Netto—I was born in the city of São Paulo to a family of lawyers (my
parents are lawyers, and my paternal grandfather was President Dutra’s Minister of
Justice in the 1940s). My surname, Costa Netto, is of Genovese origin, Genoa (Italy) being
the city of my paternal great-grandfather. My other paternal great-grandparents are paulistas
from the time of the founding of the city (called "400-year paulistas"),
and my maternal grandparents are Portuguese. My childhood was spent in the Liberdade
district, close to the center of São Paulo and several blocks from the courthouse where
my parents practiced. It was a simple old house but with a large yard, fruit trees, dogs,
rabbits, football, and gatherings of my street friends—always many.
My beginnings as a "writer": in 1961, at the age of seven, I participated in
a writing competition among pupils of the first four grades in all the elementary schools
of Brazil and reached first place (an absolute surprise for me), which generated a lot of
comments in the newspapers of the time.
Brazzil—What kind of music did you hear in your childhood and youth?
Costa Netto—The music I grew up to (from the age of six to sixteen) was
basically popular Brazilian music of the ’60s and early ’70s—one of the
most fertile periods in our popular music of quality: bossa nova, Jovem Guarda, the
festivals of MPB, and all that effervescence). A lot of Dorival Caymmi, Tom Jobim,
Vinicius de Moraes, Milton Nascimento (and his lyricist partners Fernando Brant, Marcio
Borges and Ronaldo Bastos), Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Elis Regina, Roberto Carlos and
Erasmo (in their Jovem Guarda phase), Gil, Geraldo Vandré, Taiguara, MPB-4,
Mutantes, Novos Baianos, Boca Livre, João Bosco & Aldir Blanc, and many others, as
well as the historic references of Noel Rosa, Lamartine Babo, Orestes Barbosa, Lupicínio
Rodrigues, and Ary Barroso.
In the international arena, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Elton John and Bernie Taupin,
Carly Simon, Carole King, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Steely Dan, Simon and Garfunkel,
Italian and French music of the ’60s and, obviously, the eternal songs of Cole Porter
and the Beatles—always with attention to the lyrics.
Brazzil—How did growing up in São Paulo mark you personally and
artistically?
Costa Netto—As a large metropolis in constant growth, São Paulo concentrates
an enormous diversity of musical information from all the centers of Brazil and the world.
This cultural melting pot affects the popular music created in São Paulo. Basically, it
was this niche that attracted me most, in addition to the literary publications,
cinema, theatre, and other such manifestations abundant in my city.
Brazzil—When did you begin to write songs? Do you also write poetry?
Costa Netto—I began intuitively to change the lyrics of songs in which I
liked the melody more than the lyrics (without any esthetic connotation, but simply
adapting them to my personal anxieties at the time). Later, having learned to play the
guitar at age 10 or 11, I began to write music and lyrics at age 12 or 13. After I had
personal contact with the composers Otavio Toledo and (later) Paulinho Nogueira, I began
to dedicate myself more to creating lyrics. I love to write lyrics and am an avid reader
of poetry, but I haven’t dedicated myself except sporadically to creating poems with
any literary pretensions.
Brazzil—How did you meet Paulinho Nogueira?
Costa Netto—The great guitarist Paulinho Nogueira lived (and still lives) in
the borough of Perdizes, where I sought him out when I was 19 or 20 (around 1974) in order
to improve my guitar playing (he gave lessons at the time). Two or three years later, we
composed "O Dia Seguinte" and later "Jornada Para Ser Ninguém."
Paulinho recorded these songs on his LP Asas do Moinho in 1978. These were my first
recorded songs.
Brazzil—Where and when did you meet Eduardo Gudin, and how did you begin
writing songs together?
Costa Netto—I got to know Eduardo Gudin first as a listener, hearing his songs
on the radio around 1973 or ’74 and attending his show with Paulo Cesar Pinheiro and
Marcia, O Importante é que Nossa Emoção Sobreviva at the Teatro Oficina in São
Paulo. In 1979, Paulinho Nogueira presented our song "O Dia Seguinte" at Teatro
Tuca in São Paulo, and Gudin was in the audience with Geraldo Vandré. Backstage he told
Paulinho that he liked the song and the lyrics.
In 1981 I finally met Gudin, who was introduced to me by his then musical editor,
Waldemar Marchetti (known as Corisco in musical circles). Since Gudin at that time was
impresario of the composer Adoniran Barbosa, our first meeting took place in his office in
the traditional Italian district of Bexiga. I left with a tune to put to
words—"Te Rever"—recorded by Gudin and his group in the LP Ensaio
do Dia, released in 1984. The album contained two more songs we’d written
together—"Coração Aberto" and "Ensaio do Dia"—launching
our partnership on disc. From then on we never stopped. Our partnership is now 20-years
old, with more than 30 songs written.
Brazzil—"Verde" and "Paulista," both written with
Gudin, are masterpieces of MPB. How was "Verde" created?
Costa Netto— "Verde" was inspired by the popular movement for
reinstating direct elections for President of the Republic in 1984. Gudin and I went to
the largest of the demonstrations at the Vale do Anhangabaú in the center of São Paulo
and left with the idea for the song. At the beginning of 1985, we finalized the song in
order to enter it in TV Globo’s Festival of Festivals. Sung by Leila Pinheiro (who
won the festival’s Revelation award), "Verde" placed third in the
competition. Since then it’s been adopted by various singers and radio stations and
achieved some recognition, even internationally, as a sound portrait of an important and
ever-renewed phase of hope for the mudança dos ventos [a change in the winds; see
song lyrics] of our country.
Brazzil—Last year, Estado de S. Paulo’s music critic Mauro Dias
named "Paulista" as his personal choice for the city of São Paulo’s
anthem. He wrote, "To my heart, nobody sang São Paulo in such a beautiful and
sensitive manner." How did you write it?
Costa Netto—I wrote "Paulista" in 1988 (Gudin already had the melody
for some time). I felt the absence of a song that talked of São Paulo from the inside
out, like a person who was born here and lives all the transformations of a great city.
Paulista Avenue, one of the principal landmarks of the city, entered the scene as a result
of an experience I had as an adolescent in the early ‘70s (I was studying English at
UCBEU—União Cultural Brasil Estados Unidos, which was in one of the cross streets
off Paulista). Next to the bus stop there was a very beautiful mansion built at the turn
of the previous century, and while I waited for the bus, I imagined the various stories
that could have taken place there, in the hundred years of its life. One day, however, I
arrived at the bus stop to discover that the mansion had been demolished by the owner
(rapidly, to avoid the consequences of a law then being passed for obligatory preservation
of historic landmarks). I was so shocked at the sudden disappearance of the mansion that I
preferred to imagine that it had only moved to another place (or another country) with
more sensitivity to its cultural assets. Thus the principal verses of the song that I
wrote years later: "Se a avenida exilou seus casarões, quem reconstruiria nossas
ilusões..." and "Se os seus sonhos emigraram sem deixar nem pedra sobre
pedra pra poder lembrar..." [see song lyrics].
Brazzil—How do you normally work with your composer partners? Do you
write lyrics to existing melodies?
Costa Netto—Yes. I prefer to create the letters based on existing melodies. I
have more difficulties with the inverse process.
Brazzil—Please tell us about your songwriting partnership with Vicente
Barreto. How did you meet him, and when did you begin to collaborate?
Costa Netto—I met Vicente Barreto at the beginning of the ’90s at a song
festival in Ituverava (birthplace of Vitor Martins), where we were members of the jury. We
continued to see each other in São Paulo, usually at the musical evenings at the Bar Vou
Vivendo in Pinheiros, when we began our collaboration with the song " Toada da
Lua." In ’93 we composed "Ano Bom," which ended up being the title of
one of the first CDs released by Dabliú at the end of ’94. Since then, Dabliú
produced and released two more original CDs by Vicente (Mão Direita and E a
Turma Chegando pra Dançar), as well as this year’s compilation O Melhor de
Vicente Barreto.
Vicente Barreto is today one of the major melodists (besides being a guitar innovator)
in popular Brazilian music. Influenced by the richness of the nordestino rhythms
and styles (Vicente lives in São Paulo but is a baiano), his melodies permit the
creation of lyrics that have the same touch of Brazilian seasoning. We wrote seven songs
together, and I can’t say which one I like most (in order of creation, they are:
"Toada da Lua"; "Ano Bom"; "Mão Direita"; "Longa
Estrada"; "Suinguiando o Coração"; Mundo Virtuoso"; and
"Cisma").
Brazzil—Is there such a thing as a paulista style of popular
music? If so, how would you define it?
Costa Netto—São Paulo has the advantage of being a large metropolis, with its
contradictions and international influences and, at the same time, being a large center of
consumption and creation of music from all Brazilian regions. Thus it ends up having its
own innovative movements, like the so called vanguarda paulista led since the
’80s by Arrigo Barnabé, Itamar Assumpção (both from Paraná), Luiz Tatit, Ná
Ozzetti, Vânia Bastos, Eliete Negreiros, and other highly original artists in the
contemporary line of MPB. The historic line with the sambas of Adoniran Barbosa and Paulo
Vanzolini; the MPB of Toquinho and Eduardo Gudin; the pop of Mutantes and Rita Lee; the
inventiveness of Tom Zé and other great composers who lived or live here also show much
of the paulistano style of music.
Brazzil—Why did you decide to establish Dabliú Discos?
Costa Netto—I decided to create Dabliú in order to make my contribution to
the field of quality MPB, which has great difficulty entering the mass media of commercial
radio and TV and therefore sustaining itself economically. The Brazilian music that today
accounts for 70% of the domestic record market and also for practically the entire pirate
industry active in Brazil is composed basically of disposable entertainment consumed
primarily by teenagers, as well as by adults susceptible to aggressive marketing, who
often have no access to better cultural resources and end up hostages to the strong
influence of the mass media. In the last decade, independent record production has grown
in Brazil owing mainly to (a) the increasing disregard for artistic quality as a standard
for new releases and especially for assessing new musicians on the market, and (b) the
evolution of digital technology that has made excellent phonographic results possible, at
far more accessible costs.
Several Brazilian composers, performers, and producers of excellent music have moved
away from the isolation of musical and poetic-musical creation to concentrate on
recording. Undoubtedly, they also try to smuggle a minimum of cultural survival into this
predominantly mercenary environment. With this kind of initiative, an independent music
market is taking hold in Brazil. At present there are some four hundred small record
companies, as against the five large multinationals (Universal, Sony, BMG, Warner, and
EMI). The number of CDs produced independently is beginning to be representative in the
Brazilian market—of the 100 million discs sold per year (Brazil is the seventh CD
market in the world), about 20 million are produced independently, representing
significant billings that can already be estimated at close to a $100 million a year,
beyond the obvious underlying cultural benefits they provide.
Brazzil—The Dabliú story makes me think of another independent paulista
label, the pioneering Discos Marcus Pereira, which was also owned by a professional (an
advertising man). Did you know Marcus Pereira? Did his experience serve as an example of
what to do and what not to do in a record label?
Costa Netto—I knew Marcus Pereira personally, although briefly—introduced
by the show producer Léo Stingen. His early contributions (especially in the musical
mapping of Brazil)—as well as that of the musician Antonio Adolfo, of the label Lira
Paulistana (run by Wilson Souto Jr.), and of the vocal group Boca Livre—were
fundamental in the initial phase of independent Brazilian production of high quality. The
musician and producer Marcus Vinícius Mororó de Andrade, who used to be artistic
director of Marcus Pereira, continues this concept today with the label CPC/UMES.
Brazzil—Lamartine Babo appears to have been a great influence on you,
judging by the name you chose for your record label and by the disc De Lalá pra Cá
which you conceived and produced. What has been the significance of Lalá’s work for
you?
Costa Netto—The authors of the song that includes the verse "a, e, i,
o, u, dabliú, dabliú..." were the first Chico Buarque (Noel Rosa) and Caetano
Veloso (Lamartine Babo) to exist in the evolutionary line of popular Brazilian music.
Following these two pioneer songwriters, the line passes through Tom Jobim, Vinicius de
Moraes, Chico, Caetano, Milton Nascimento, and so many others who raised MPB to an
impressive cultural level.
The object of Dabliú and of other independent labels that have sprung up in the 1990s
is to follow this road, seeking to support this kind of music, not only in relation to
high-quality artists and repertory that already exist but are marginalized by the market
at large, but also (and this applies specifically to Dabliú) in opening the way for new
artists who follow this line and who need an opportunity to show and develop their art.
In this context, Lamartine Babo and the songwriters who were influenced by him combined
with Marcia Salomon’s interpretative subtlety and sensitivity in the ever bubbling
and stirring cauldron of my poetic and musical references to create the project of the CD De
Lalá pra Cá. The result, I believe, was very interesting and unusual.
Brazzil—What are Dabliú’s five most successful discs?
Costa Netto—Judging by what the music critics say, most of the CDs released by
Dabliú can be considered successful. In terms of sales, the top five are Ná
Ozzetti’s LoveLee Rita; Esquina Carioca with Beth Carvalho, João
Nogueira, Monarco, Dona Ivone Lara, Nelson Sargento, Walter Alfaiate, and Moacyr Luz;
Carmina Juarez’s Arrasta a Sandália; Tetê & Alzira Espíndola’s Anahí;
and Jorge Mautner’s O Ser da Tempestade. Other top-selling Dabliú artists are
Klébi, Kleber Albuquerque, Moacyr Luz, Vicente Barreto, Luiz Tatit, and Eduardo Gudin.
Among the recent launches that are selling well are Kleber Albuquerque’s Pra
Inveja dos Tristes; Luiz Tatit’s O Meio; Ione Papas’ Noel por Ione;
Eduardo Gudin & Fátima Guedes’ Luzes da Mesma Luz; Lingua de Trapo’s
Vinte e Um Anos de Estrada; and Alzira Espíndola’s Ninguém Pode Calar.
Brazzil—In addition to being a lyricist and record company owner,
you’re an eminent copyright attorney. Has this legal specialty been useful in running
the label?
Costa Netto—My songwriting activity helps me in assuring that repertoires
selected for CDs maintain a certain qualitative level in their poetic content. On the
other hand, my legal specialty helps a lot in Dabliú’s contractual matters. In any
activity, my efforts and professional principle have always been to defend authors’
rights. I believe this is one of the best ways to bring the results of cultural
exploitation directly to the creators of the intellectual property (songwriter,
interpreter, artistic producer, arranger, and musicians).
Brazzil—Have you ever found yourself on two opposite sides of a
copyright dispute?
Costa Netto—So far, Dabliú has not been presented with authors’ demands
that it hasn’t been able to duly satisfy.
Brazzil—Would you tell us about some copyright cases you’ve won for
your clients?
Costa Netto—In my 23 years of copyright advocacy (interrupted only between
1979 and 1983, when I president of the National Council of Copyrights, organ of the then
Ministry of Education and Culture), I’ve had the opportunity to represent great
artists and authors in hundreds of cases, both contractual and litigious. Here are a few
examples.
The painter Mario Gruber had an unusual case. A famous São Paulo art gallery owned
several of his paintings and put together an exhibition of his works as if it were a solo
exhibit of the artist’s initiative. The gallery not having adopted criteria that
would enhance the value of the exhibited work, the latter was, in fact, depreciated. There
was no legal precedent to this case, which was decided in 1991 by the Superior Court in
favor of the artist. The decision, which has since become a precedent, stated that
although it’s not possible to prevent the owner of a work of art—especially a
gallery—from exhibiting it, it also isn’t permissible to leave the creator of
artistic or intellectual work without protection.
Another interesting case involved the writer Millôr Fernandes. A well-known newspaper
published prominently on its first page—as if it were real news—the solution to
a fictional crime from a novela [soap opera] broadcast on a TV channel belonging to
the same conglomerate that owned the newspaper. The following day, in his daily column in
another newspaper, Millôr wrote an ironic critique beginning: "Yesterday, reading my
favorite newspaper, […] I noticed on its first page the notice..." He followed
by explaining that he’d been surprised to observe that the "news" was
fictitious and questioned the credibility of the newspaper, wondering whether its famous
owner might also be a fictitious character. The newspaper retaliated the next day by
publishing a prominent ad with the headline Do as Millôr Fernandes does, read our
newspaper. This was followed by the opening of Millôr’s article, giving the
impression that the expression "favorite newspaper" was sincere rather than
ironic, as the rest of the article (purposely left out of the ad) made clear. Sued by the
author, the newspaper was made to indemnify Millôr Fernandes for adulterating his work.
The cartoonist Paulo Caruso had an unusual suit, not only because of the nature
of the case itself but also for the high value of the award. One of the largest
advertising agencies in Brazil created a campaign for a major beer brand, using famous
press features. The central concept was: "Despite the controversy raised in that
publication, there’s one thing about which everyone agrees—[brand x] is the best
beer in Brazil." One of the items selected for the campaign was Avenida Brasil,
a political strip cartoon by Paulo Caruso, published weekly on the last page of the
magazine IstoÉ. The beer ad was placed on the magazine’s inside back cover,
facing the page with Caruso’s strip. The ad agency refused to pay Caruso a royalty
corresponding to the market value of that advertising space ($10,000), claiming that the
use of his work had not been effective. The court disagreed and awarded the cartoonist $3
million.
The singer/songwriter Walter Franco revolutionized the panorama of Brazilian music in
the 1970s when he presented the song "Cabeça" [Head] in TV Globo’s
International Song Festival. The song’s characteristics were not properly melodic,
rhythmic, or harmonic, like the principal elements of any musical work. The lyrics were
minimalist and repetitive ("Cabeça... Cabeça explode, irmão"). In the
1990s, an important foreign pharmaceutical company launched a radio campaign for a
headache remedy, using elements that recalled "Cabeça." In the suit that
followed, the defendant alleged that "Cabeça" was neither a musical nor a
literary-musical work and therefore had no legal protection. The court disagreed,
unanimously recognizing the entitlement of Walter Franco’s work to legal protection
and ordering the company to compensate the composer.
Brazzil—In its short life, Dabliú has already been distributed by
Warner and Eldorado, and not always successfully. Now that Eldorado is going out of the
distribution business, how is Dabliú going to market its discs?
Costa Netto—With the goal of improving Dabliú’s distribution system,
we’re seriously thinking of no longer farming out this function and taking on the
challenge of direct distribution ourselves. We’re working on doing this within the
Brazilian territory. Outside Brazil, we’re concentrating our attention on two
objectives: increasing our relationships with exporters and looking for distribution
partnerships with firms that operate in America, Europe, and Japan.
Verde
(Eduardo Gudin/
José Carlos Costa Netto)
Quem pergunta por mim
Já deve saber
Do riso no fim
De tanto sofrer
Que eu não desisti
Das minhas bandeiras
Caminhos, trincheiras da noite
Eu que sempre apostei
Na minha paixão
Guardei um país
No meu coração
um foco de luz
Seduz a razão
De repente a visão da esperança!
Quis esse sonhador
Aprendiz de tanto suor
Ser feliz num gesto
de amor
Meu país acendeu a cor
Verde as matas no olhar
Ver de perto
Ver de novo um lugar
Ver adiante
Sede de navegar
Verdejantes tempos,
Mudança dos ventos no
meu coração.
|
Green(Eduardo Gudin
José Carlos Costa Netto)
Whoever asks after me
Must already know
Of the laughter at the end
Of so much suffering
That I didn’t abandon
My flags
Paths, trenches of the night
I who always persisted
In my passion
Kept a country
In my heart
A point of light
Seduces reason
Suddenly the vision of hope!
This dreamer
Apprentice of so much sweat
Wanted to be happy
in a gesture of love
My country lit up in color
Green the forest in the eye
Seeing up close*
Seeing again a place
Looking ahead
A thirst for sailing forth
Greening times,
A change of winds in
my heart.
* In the original, the final stanza
offers several puns on the
word verde (green).
|
Paulista
(Eduardo Gudin/
José Carlos Costa Netto)
Na Paulista os faróis
já vão abrir
E um milhão de estrelas
prontas pra invadir
Os jardins
Onde a gente aqueceu
Numa paixão
Manhãs frias de abril
Se a avenida exilou seus casarões
Quem reconstruiria nossas ilusões
Me lembrei
De contar pra você nessa canção
Que o amor conseguiu
Você sabe quantas noites
eu te procurei
Nessas ruas onde andei
Conta onde passeia hoje
esse seu olhar
Quantas fronteiras ele já cruzou
No mundo inteiro de uma
só cidade
Se os seus sonhos emigraram
sem deixar
Nem pedra sobre pedra
Pra poder lembrar
Dou razão
É difícil hospedar no coração
Sentimentos assim
|
Paulista(Eduardo Gudin/
José Carlos Costa Netto)
On Paulista Avenue the stoplights
will turn green
And a million stars
ready to invade
The gardens
Where we warmed up
In passion
On cold April mornings
If the avenue exiled its mansions
Who would reconstruct our illusions
I remembered
To tell you in this song
That love did it
You know how many nights
I sought you
In these streets where I walked
Tell me where your
gaze roams today
How many borders it has crossed
In the whole wide world of
just one city
If your dreams emigrated
without leaving
Even stone upon stone
For us to remember
I agree
It’s difficult to house in our heart
Such sentiments
|
| Eduardo Gudin on Luzes
da Mesma Luz
The composer talks about his songs and
partners
The entire disc is built around the arrangements. They are an integral part of the
songs, not just background accompaniment. I find this to be a fundamental characteristic
of the work, where the singer and the orchestra are equal partners. Here I was able to
write arrangements that reveal my more assertive side, in an assertive way. All the
melodies in Luzes da Mesma Luz were composed first, and the lyrics came later.
"Abertura" [Opening] is instrumental; it’s a piece composed for
orchestra, especially for this project. It’s an experiment in composing for
orchestra—this was the first time I’ve done this. The basic motif develops
according to the reading of the various instruments. I thought more of sonority, not of a
melody that would have lyrics. It’s a different kind of adventure.
"Estrela do Norte" is a samba made shortly after Leila Pinheiro sang
"Verde" at the 1985 Festival of Festivals produced by TV Globo. Costa Netto had
the idea of writing a song about how Leila emerged before the public in that festival. The
lyrics are precisely about this relationship of the singer with her public.
Costa Netto is a leading if not the leading copyright attorney in Brazil.
Because of his talent to describe, to deal with words, he selected the legal profession.
In reality, he is above all a poet and lyricist, a writer who divides his time with the
law. He’s been a very important person in my career—someone who’s made
things happen besides being a lyricist. Now he has the label Dabliú, where this disc is
being launched. He’s always been concerned about me beyond our friendship.
"Das Flores" is a samba for which I wrote both music and
lyrics. The first part of the melody has fixed letters that repeat like a refrain, while
the second part repeats three times, but with letters that vary, as if it were a response
in a partido alto samba. However, it’s not a partido alto, because that
kind of samba needs four repetitions.
"Verde" is a samba that initially I was going to keep instrumental,
but then Costa Netto suggested that we make a song for the 1985 TV Globo festival. I
inserted a new second part in G minor between the first part [in G major] and the final
part [that ends in B-flat major]. We talked about writing a samba in support of direct
elections, because that was the era of the movement for direct elections in Brazil.
However, it wasn’t meant to be restricted to this but to have other meanings as well,
which several poetic devices accomplished [see song lyrics]. The song has an epic sound
within the samba structure.
In "Neo-Brasil," both lyrics and music are mine. It’s a samba
that speaks of the Brazilian, and the melody also has an epic feel in the style of Ary
Barroso. It talks of the Brazilian living in these days of neo-liberalism. I find this
total absence of the State very unfair to Brazilians, since commercial relations favor the
developed countries. So this is the story of the Brazilian who’s in the midst of all
this but who always manages to overcome through cheerfulness and who straddles the border
between criticism and allegory.
"Paulista" is a bolero for which Costa Netto wrote lyrics about
Avenida Paulista, the pride of the paulistanos. It seems like a love affair with
the old mansions. A few that were designated as landmarks still exist, but the majority
were transformed into commercial buildings. It’s really a beautiful avenue.
"Ângulos" is an experiment proposed by Arrigo Barnabé. We mixed
twelve-tone and tonal music, switching from one to the other. Caetano Veloso’s lyrics
also follow this quasi-Impressionist proposition.
"Obrigado" is a love song, a slow samba. It was created for the disc Notícias
dum Brasil, which was released by Velas in 1995 and reissued last year by Dabliú.
Vitor Martins, president of Velas and Ivan Lins’ songwriting partner, suggested that
I make a love song, and I wrote the lyrics to a melody that I’d already had for some
time.
"Mordaça" is a song from the time of repression, a song against the
dictatorship in Brazil. It was created in 1974, When the repressive acts were still in
force and censorship was very strong. Paulo Cesar Pinheiro and I created it, and from this
song was extracted the phrase "O importante é que nossa emoção sobreviva"
[the important is that our emotion survives], that became the title of a show and a series
of discs.
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro got a very early start. His first recorded song,
"Viagem," was a hit throughout Brazil, and he was only 14 when he wrote it. He
was very attached to Vinicius de Moraes and a suburban carioca way of life, he read
a lot of Guimarães Rosa, wrote poetry from a young age. His song "Viagem" was
made with João de Aquino, who was Baden Powell’s nephew. When Vinicius and Baden
Powell drew a little apart, Paulo Cesar Pinheiro occupied Vinicius’ place and wrote
with Baden Powell an enormous quantity of songs. He’s always been a professional
lyricist—he makes a living from this, has a system and works every day, besides
having published books. Very few people are professional in the same way. He’s a
genius and continues to work with great satisfaction and irreverence. He has absolutely
nothing to do with fashion. Genius and perseverance are his principal characteristics. The
joy with which he works is as if he were just beginning to write today.
"Canção Serena" is a typical 4x4 song—it has only one long part
that keeps developing. The lyrics talk about the serenity that love brings with time.
"Luzes da Mesma Luz" is another song whose melody was composed first,
and Sergio Natureza was happy writing the lyrics in his special style—very delicate,
but with great expressiveness. It’s in the line of Jobim’s songs. Unlike Paulo
Cesar Pinheiro and Costa Netto, Sergio Natureza usually writes the lyrics first. Sergio is
a naturalist, has a different philosophy of life, and is a marvelous poet.
"Ainda Mais" is a samba I made with Paulinho da Viola. I wrote the
melody and Paulinho created a little bridge to return from the middle part to the
beginning and then added the words. This samba stayed with him for quite a while until he
completed the lyrics, and it’s a partnership that makes me very proud, since Paulinho
has always been my idol. It’s a samba that’s fun to sing—I always enjoy
singing it. Paulinho da Viola requires no commentary, because he’s the best, the
great samba composer. He’s the synthesis of a more intellectualized samba with
traditional samba.
"Apaixonada" is a song with lyrics by Aluízio Falcão. This samba
spent ten years in the drawer. It was made for Gal Gosta, but she ended up not hearing it
at the time, so we saved it. In the context of this disc, it’s very important for
being on the border between authentic samba and bossa nova, which is another form
of samba.
Aluízio Falcão is a journalist and cultural producer, for whom making music is almost
a hobby. Sometimes he even uses a pseudonym. He’s one of those incredible people who
are masters at everything they do. He’s produced excellent discs for Eldorado and has
written a lovely book about the bars of São Paulo. These day he organizes the cultural
events at the Universidade de São Paulo.
"Velho Ateu" is the most root-based samba that I’ve made, and the
most gratifying. It’s very much in the line of Nelson Cavaquinho, who was my compadre
and godfather of my eldest daughter. The Nelsonian type of samba is always very rich, and
I was influenced by him in making this samba, so I could only conclude the disc with this
kind of orchestration. Roberto Riberti, who wrote the lyrics, is also a composer of
melodies. We’ve always had great affinity in our partnerships. I believe that all the
songs I made with Riberti are very well put together. He’d stopped songwriting for a
while, but now he’s coming back to it. He is always the lyricist when I compose with
Arrigo Barnabé, with the exception of the song in which Caetano Veloso participated. |
Notable Dabliú artists
& releases
Like Costa Netto’s client list, the Dabliú catalog is highly
diversified, including MPB, samba, art song, pop, rock, regional music, and various
experimental hybrids. Below are some of my personal favorites, listed in alphabetical
order.
Vicente Barreto: O Melhor de Vicente Barreto (DB 0103)
Every new disc by Vicente Barreto is good news. Consistently creating songs that are
both musically interesting and fun to listen to, he’s been recorded by the likes of
Alceu Valença and Elba Ramalho. Yet Barreto is also a wonderful performer in his own
right. In this ‘best of’ compilation, we can enjoy Barreto’s danceable
takes on afoxé, baião, xote, samba, and reggae in songs from his previous three
albums, Ano Bom (1995), Mão Direita (1996), and E a
Turma Chegando pra Dançar (1999), plus "Cisma" from last year’s
Globo song festival.
Daisy Cordeiro: Paladar (DB 0034)
Daisy is a singer in the Joyce mold, but working in a slightly lower register. Her
vocal abilities—both technical and expressive—are as good as they come in
popular music. She shows them to excellent advantage in this CD, whose sixteen songs are
mostly little-heard delights, including "Mandingueiro" by Moacyr Luz & Aldir
Blanc; "Bossa do Bayard" by Dulce Quintal (a bluesy tongue-in-cheek portrait of
an "artist" who’s his own poem); the lovely toada "Anel de Prata"
by Sergio Santos; an unusual and lyrical rendition of Djavan’s
"Flor-de-Lis" accompanied only by cellos; and the bolero "Nossos
Caminhos" by Eduardo Gudin & J.C. Costa Netto.
Alzira Espíndola: Ninguém Pode Calar (DB 0079)
Maysa was the queen of fossa in the ’50s and ’60s. She wrote
and sang songs of heartbreak and disillusion, lived hard, and died young. This 2000
tribute offers ten songs composed by Maysa (e.g., "Meu Mundo Caiu,"
"Adeus," "Ouça") and two others she made famous ("Bom Dia
Tristeza" by Adoniran Barbosa & Vinicius de Moraes and "Quem Quiser
Encontrar o Amor" by Carlos Lyra & Geraldo Vandré). Alzira gets the atmosphere
just right, ably assisted by Luiz Waack’s bluesy arrangements.
Mario Gil: Contos do Mar (DB 0048)
A beautiful album of sea-related songs, all composed by Mario Gil, with lyrics by Paulo
Cesar Pinheiro. The arrangements are acoustic and the atmosphere lyrical, with guest
artists to match: the fabulous Mônica Salmaso and Renato Braz. The gorgeous songs include
"Anabela," Lenda Praieira," and "Samba de Roda na Beira do Mar."
Eduardo Gudin & Fátima Guedes: Luzes da Mesma Luz (DB 0102)
Gudin’s sambas in formal attire. A tour de force by all involved
Eduardo Gudin & Notícias dum Brasil (DB 0087)
Imagine you’ve died and gone to heaven and are sitting on a glowing cloud at
sunset next to a benevolent Vinicius de Moraes. But this time there’s a wonderful
ensemble of crack musicians and vocalists along for the ride, and they pour forth angelic
samba and bossa nova without end, for this is the kind of music you’ll want to
put on an eternal loop. One of the most memorable albums of the ’90s, it’s where
Mônica Salmaso and Renato Braz made their first marks.
Eduardo Gudin, Marcia & Paulo Cesar Pinheiro: Tudo o Que Mais Nos Uniu
(DB 0088)
During the military dictatorship, Gudin and Pinheiro wrote the protest song
"Mordaça," whose lyrics provided the title for their legendary 1975 show with
Marcia, O Importante É Que Nossa Emoção Sobreviva. Twenty years later, the three
staged a revival show, again with a title taken from "Mordaça." In the
repertoire, Gudin and Pinheiro’s standards from the original show (e.g., "Santo
Dia," "Veneno," "Recado ao Poeta," "E Lá Se Vão os
Anéis"); "Arrebentação," composed in 1986; the medley "Roda de
Samba"; plus "Verde" (Gudin/Costa Netto) and "Refém da Solidão"
(P.C. Pinheiro/Baden Powell).
Carmina Juarez: Arrasta a Sandália (DB 0003)
A musician’s musician, Carmina Juarez possesses a beautiful clear voice with a
wide interpretative range. She also chooses her repertoire very carefully. Accompanied by
imaginative acoustic arrangements, she does equal justice to syncopated rhythms and
lyrical songs, urban and country tunes. In this album she visits classics spanning several
decades, including "Rugas" (Nelson Cavaquinho/Ary Monteiro), "Amigo
Amado" (Alaíde Costa/Vinicius de Moraes), "O Maior Castigo Que Te Dou"
(Noel Rosa), Nega Maluca (Ewaldo Ruy/Fernando Lobo), "Essa Mulher Tem Qualquer Coisa
na Cabeça" (Wilson Batista/Armando Reis), "Que Nem Jiló" (Luiz
Gonzaga/Humberto Teixeira), "Zanzibar" (Edu Lobo), and "O Pedido"
(Elomar).
Ivor Lancellotti: Ivor Lancellotti (DB 0063)
This is Lancellotti’s fourth solo disc, although he’s been composing for 30
years, with hits recorded by Clara Nunes, Roberto Carlos, Nana Caymmi, Alcione, and João
Nogueira. The new CD is an album of profound emotions in the form of slow sambas, choros,
and delicate songs. An excellent lyricist, Lancellotti is above all a great melodist
who’s collaborated with the best lyricists of Brazil. Some of the co-authored songs
here are "História Renovada" (with Sergio Natureza), "Amor Alheio"
and "Casa Encantada" (Paulo Cesar Pinheiro), "Cilada" (Juca Novaes),
"Quando Essa Paixão Me Dominar" and "O Sol por Testemunha" (Delcio
Carvalho). Lancellotti conveys feelings exceedingly well in his fine, high voice. The
superb musicians include the choro group Água de Moringa, guitarists Paulão 7
Cordas, Maurício Pacheco, and Marcelo Menezes, and percussionist Marcos Esguleba.
Moacyr Luz: Mandingueiro (DB 0043)
This notable composer and guitarist is Aldir Blanc’s most constant songwriting
partner. He sings the pair’s creations on this, his third disc (highlights:
"Mandingueiro" and "Pra Que Pedir Perdão," the latter with Aldir
singing), as well as on the reissues Vitória da Ilusão (DB 0085; with
"Paris: de Santos Dumont aos Travestis" and "Saudades da Guanabara")
and Moacyr Luz 1988 (DB 0053). It’s interesting to follow the
composer’s evolution from disc to disc, as he becomes more and more of a sambista.
Regina Machado: Sobre a Paixão (DB 0058)
This classically trained singer was Mônica Salmaso’s singing teacher, so
it’s no surprise that in the tree one can discern the apple. The repertoire of this
brief and beautiful disc includes art songs by classical composers (two by Schumann &
Heine, one by Guerra Peixe & Guilherme Neves), popular songs by Chico Buarque and
Caetano Veloso, and the singer’s own accomplished compositions, tastefully
accompanied by acoustic guitar, string quartet components, and percussion.
Jorge Mautner: O Ser da Tempestade—40 Anos de Carreira (DB 0060)
Defying classification, Jorge Mautner has dedicated 40 years to irreverence in several
artistic and intellectual fields. This double disc looks back on his long career of
offbeat creativity. In Disc 1, Mautner himself romps his way through new recordings of his
unconventional songs, in which rock, Carnaval music, caipira, and regional rhythms
are mixed into a heady brew. Disk 2 is a collection of various stars’ recordings of
Mautner’s songs, including Gilberto Gil’s and Chico Science & Nação
Zumbi’s separate renditions of "Maracatú Atômico"; Gal Costa in
"Lágrimas Negras"; Zé Ramalho in "Orquídea Negra"; Fagner in
"Vajante"; and Caetano Veloso in "Vampiro."
Ney Mesquita: Canções de Dorival e Dori Caymmi (DB 0049)
This fine album was released before the recent spate of Caymmi tributes, and it’s
a mystery why it never emerged from obscurity, given the imaginative choice of material,
the singer’s beautiful voice and interpretations, and the excellent arrangements by
Eduardo Gudin, who also produced and plays guitar on some tracks. The repertoire is
divided almost equally between the father’s and the son’s compositions.
Beth Nazar: Dia a Dia (DB 0073)
The singer’s timbre and delivery fall somewhere between those of Simone and Nana
Caymmi. In this CD she is backed up by Eduardo Gudin’s sumptuous arrangements in
songs like "Dia a Dia" (Celso Viáfora); "Vento Bom" (Eduardo
Gudin/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro); "Estranho Sumiço" (Chico Maranhão); "Quem
Já Esteve Só" (Ivor Lancellotti/P.C. Pinheiro); and "Antigos Sinais"
(Eduardo Gudin/J.C. Costa Netto).
Novo Canto—O Espaço Para os Novos Talentos da MPB (DB 0065)
The Novo Canto series of shows presents new talents introduced by established
musicians. Released in 1997, this double CD features Bêlo Velloso, Orlando Morais, Renata
Arruda, Jussara Silveira, Rita Ribeiro, Zeca Baleiro, Pedro Luís, Pedro Camargo Mariano,
Dorina, Cris Braun, Marcelo Vianna, Simone Guimarães, Chris Nasser, Marcos Assumpção,
Bernardo Lobo, and many others.
Ione Papas: Noel por Ione (DB 0084)
An exuberant tribute to Noel Rosa (who wrote the songs) and Aracy de Almeida (who first
recorded them) by the Bahian singer and actress, who presents Noel’s work in
contemporary settings. The repertoire isn’t run-of-the-mill Noel either. Instrumental
standouts include Ubaldo Versolatti’s clarinet and some great percussion by Fred
Prince and Chocolate. Guests: Simone Guimarães, Jussara Silveira, Quinteto em Branco e
Preto, the feminine vocal trio A Três, and the group Choro, Seresta & Cia. This album
moves right along in a continuous chug of energy.
Consuelo de Paula: Samba, Seresta & Baião (DB 0082)
The essence of Brazil, without the noise. Here you can hear viola caipira,
cavaquinho, typically Brazilian percussion like matchbox, pandeiro, and djembê,
acoustic guitar, accordion (all played by crack musicians), and the clear, calm,
assured voice of the singer offering songs that draw on Brazilian traditions. The
repertoire includes "Anabela" (Mario Gil/P.C. Pinheiro); "Folia"
(Lourenço Baeta/Xico Chaves); "Espelho Cristalino" (Alceu Valença); "Na
Pancada do Ganzá" (Antonio Nóbrega); "Lua Branca" (Chiquinha Gonzaga);
and "Riacho de Areia" (folklore).
Pirajá, Esquina Carioca—Uma Noite com a Raíz do Samba (DB 0075)
If you’ve never been to a roda de samba, this disc will deliver the
authentic atmosphere minus the beer, appetizers, sweat, and smoke normally found in bars
where samba is played. All the performers are stars, and they’re joined by the
audience in singing their hits. Soloists: Dona Ivone Lara, Beth Carvalho, João Nogueira,
Walter Alfaiate, Luiz Carlos da Vila, Moacyr Luz, and guest Nelson Sargento. Backup
vocals: Dorina & Teresa Cristina. Musicians: Moacyr Luz, Carlinhos Sete Cordas, Pedro
Amorim, Beto Cazes, Marcelo Moreira & Gordinho. Pure fun.
Marcos Sacramento: Caracane (DB 0052)
A chain of witty love songs to Rio de Janeiro and its wonders, from Urca and Pão de
Açucar—the city’s breasts in "Ares do Rio"—through the denizens
of the night in "Rapa da Lapa" to Maracanã, the palace of many kings in
"Pra Ver o Futebol" (all by Paulo Baiano & Marcos Sacramento). Sergio
Natureza contributes poignant lyrics in "Caracane" and the "Caricas"
cycle. Antonio Saraiva’s unusual arrangements take these creative samba hybrids in
new directions.
Marcia Salomon: De Lalá pra Cá (DB 0016)
Lalá was Lamartine Babo, celebrated author of Carnaval marchinhas and a symbol
of MPB in its golden age. This concept album illuminates the evolution of MPB by pairing
standards by Lalá and his co-generationists with compatible tunes by younger composers:
João Bosco & Aldir Blanc, Caetano Veloso, Zé Ketti & Elton Medeiros, Rita Lee
& Roberto Carvalho, and Roberto Menescal & Chico Buarque, among others.
Luiz Tatit: O Meio (DB 0094)
A musician, writer, professor, and veteran of the 1980s group Rumo, Tatit specializes
in canto falado (spoken singing) à la Noel Rosa and Mário Reis. A member of the vanguarda
paulista, he called upon fellow vanguardistas José Miguel Wisnik, Ná Ozzetti,
and Ricardo Breim to participate in writing some of the songs in O Meio. The songs
are literate, ironic, and often hilarious, with abundant verbal pyrotechnics. The musical
arrangements are equally delightful. In the same vein is Tatit’s previous disc, Felicidade
(DB 0027).
Celso Viáfora: Paixão Candeeira (DB 0018)
He’s been called the Guinga of São Paulo, but perhaps he should be compared to
Guinga & Aldir Blanc, for he writes brilliant lyrics as well as music. Like Vicente
Barreto, Viáfora utilizes very Brazilian themes, so it’s natural that the two have
been collaborating more and more. Standout tunes in this second disc are "Paixão
Candeeira"; "Canção Brasileira"; "Quebra a Cara"; "Luz do
Meu Samba"; "O Rio Virou Sertão"; and "Por um Fio" (the last two
co-authored with Barreto). Also recommended is Viáfora’s first disc, Celso
Viáfora (DB 0010).