| |
My Journal Top
<< Apr-Jun 2004 | Oct-Dec,2003 >> |
My Journal / Jan-Mar 2004
Non-Stop to Brazil with Ivan Lins! |
 The months have flown by so quickly and we welcome the pink cherry blossoms once again as I write. Just a week or so ago, the “ume” (plum blossoms) were in glorious bloom brightly covering the hill close to where I live. This is where I usually take my morning walks and it felt so refreshing. What a feast to the eyes, seeing the vibrant colors come to life again.
As vivid as the colors, 2004 ushered in another great turning point for me when my music travels took me to the other side of the world, to the land of samba, Brazil.
Bracing myself for the long trip, I took the opportunity to make a stopover in New York for a few days and get an energy boost. The city was freezing at -15°C but New York just isn't the place to huddle in a hotel room. I couldn't resist the temptation of walking out on the streets so I bought myself a fur collar, earmuffs and gloves. I was ready for action. I know it's way overdue but I indulged myself watching musicals I never had the time to watch before. I went to see Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast, it was indeed surprising to see how the theaters were fully packed!! Amazing! after all these years. The wonder and excitement of these shows explains why. I fully enjoyed the musical scores and their brilliant arrangements. It's a whole new world of music adventure out there. So much skill and talent, the performer's burst of energy got me all charged up.
 I flew in to São Paulo to be greeted by the welcoming warmth of summer in January. It was a very pleasant 27°C and not humid, just the right temperature. São Paulo is the New York City of the South American continent, where the city never sleeps and people come from other countries as well as all over Brazil looking for opportunities trying to make something of their lives. In addition to being the third largest metropolitan area in the world, this city is the wealthiest and most important commercial center in the southern hemisphere. Well known for its cultural diversity, it houses the biggest Italian population outside of Italy and has more Japanese people than anywhere other than Japan.
Brazil is truly a land of contrasts, and a visit here is likely to be a sensuous adventure. It is a fabulously rich land, but it's full of inequalities. You're as apt to see five-star hotels and resorts as you are shanty towns. Shopping malls, McDonald's restaurants, and international banks stand side-by-side with street vendors peddling homemade foods and herbal medicines. A variety of cultures, beliefs, and topographies make this warm nation a showcase of diversity. I began to take in as much as I could of this unique city and plunge into an exotic mix of colors, rhythms, and pastimes.
The day of my arrival was the first day of recording for the music tracks. The Art Mix studio located in the suburbs of São Paulo, was a fairly large building looking like a warehouse from the outside but beautiful and modern inside. It reminded me of studios in New York where the facade of the buildings are intentionally made to catch less attraction for security purposes.. I went in to check what was going on in the studio and immediately liked what I first heard.
 Here, I was joined by my co-producers Osny Melo and Paulo Gomez, who are both from Brazil, they are instrumental in helping me make this project a reality. All three of us share a deep connection with Japan for the most part of our lives and coming together to work like this by a twist of fate, surely makes for an interesting story. They also acted as bridge for me to meet Ivan Lins, my big favorite since I first heard him on his album “Love Dance” in '89. After Antonio Carlos Jobim, no Brazilian composer is more celebrated in America than Ivan Lins. This is mostly due to his jazz and pop musician friends who recognize his genius and record his music.
Little had I known then that I will be so blessed and fortunate to sing and record his music on my own album! Charito meets Ivan! the thought alone gave me shivers. I carefully selected songs I loved mostly written by Ivan , it was a difficult task because there were so many. Ivan's patented combination of romance, jazzy harmonies, and Brazilian pop has significantly made a mark on my music.
For the arrangements, we formulated a concept that would encompass a wide range of Latin music styles from very traditional bossa nova to the funkier modern samba but always keeping the essence of jazz. Brazilian music has always been characterized by great diversity and, shaped by musical influences from three continents, is still developing new and original forms. The samba is a mixture of Spanish bolero with the cadences and rhythms of African music.
The more subdued bossa nova characterized by songs such as 'The Girl from Ipanema', made popular by Astrud Gilberto was influenced by North American jazz. This album showcases all of these mixtures, I chose songs I have loved over the years that would enable me to interpret these influences. The whole recording session was a great experience for all of us, so many brilliant musicians came to contribute their skills. The contents of this album is truly a feast to the soul.
 Though most of my days were spent in the studio, it was easily compensated for by great food. Being the unrivaled center for gastronomy in Brazil, it is hard to not talk about São Paulo's fine RESTAURANTS. The city offers lots of options for great food. An array of nature's bounty -- from passion fruit and papaya to giant river fish and coastal crabs -- has inspired chefs from all over the world to come and try their hands
in Brazilian restaurants adding lightness and zest to the country's already exquisite cuisine. You can expect great service and tasty dishes in this city, which truly takes pride in its international cuisine. Churrasco or Brazilian barbecue instantly became my favorite. It was the traditional staple food of the gaúchos or cowboys of Southern Brazil for centuries before it spread to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It has become very fashionable and there are excellent churrascarias (restaurants specializing in Brazilian barbecue) all over Brazil and around the world. These are called churrascaria de rodízio because waiters move from table to table bringing different types of meats on skewers from which they slice portions onto your plate. The meats used most often are Brazilian sausages, different cuts of beef, pork tenderloin and chicken. I especially enjoyed this with Caipirinha, a traditional Brazilian drink made originally with 'pinga' which is a distilled drink made from sugarcane like rum.
 Towards the end of the recording session I had a great opportunity to fly over to Rio de Janeiro to do the photo shoot for the CD cover. It became one of my most unforgettable experience..... Flying into Rio is a beautiful sight, whether it be at night or during the day, one quickly finds out why it is known as the Wonderful City. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, its magnificent shoreline includes charming bays and beautiful beaches, dotted with islands up and down the coast. It's famous tourist site, the Corcovado Mountain is where the gigantic
statue of Christ the redeemer, a landmark of Rio stands. The panoramic view of the city is spectacular.
With cameraman and makeup artist in tow, I roamed the scenic places to capture some of it's breathtaking beauty. It occurred to me how inspiring these panoramic settings are, no wonder there's a song written for almost every famous spot.
Rio de Janeiro has a musical soul and can rightfully claim to be the birthplace of both samba and bossa nova! A couple of match boxes and a can with sand are enough to get things started in Rio. On weekends and holidays one may see spontaneous groups of musicians at the street bars and according to legend this is how song Girl from Ipanema was conceived.
I had great fun musically speaking and in every other way as well so it took me a number of days to come down from my “Brazilian high”. I know you will love the new album which will be out on July 7, we named it “Non-Stop to Brazil”
Charito
|
 |
|
|
|
