Meia Volta #3: Queen of Forró, The Memory of Brazilian Guitar, and Our Favorite Fictional Music Artist
Painting a Fuller Picture of Brazilian Music
Hello again, Brazilian music lovers ❤️
Co-editors Beatriz Miranda and Ted Somerville here.
Welcome to 2024 and…welcome to Issue #3 of Meia Volta!
First off, since our last issue we created a new Meia Volta Instagram page. There we will keep you continuously updated on our favorite new songs, discoveries of rare gems, fun video clips, and original content by our talented contributors several times a week. Follow us there to be in the know and share what you dig!
In this issue…
Q&A with singer and composer Anastácia, an amazing initiative that celebrates the memory of Brazilian guitar, the significance behind a MC Soffia single cover photo, the musical debut of fictional artist Ametista on streaming platforms, and more!
Bora lá? :)
BRAZILIAN MUSIC IN A PHOTO
In this section, we are pleased to present the work of Daniel Olivier, our first guest collaborator of Issue #3.
Daniel Olivier is a photographer and video creator born in Baixada Fluminense (the Northern region of metropolitan Rio). He has been working in the visual arts for three years, and has covered music festivals like Rock in Rio and TIMMusic.
Here is Olivier’s testimonial about the significance of working with young rap star, MC Soffia.
“I took this photo to create the cover of the single “Let's Go” by rapper MC Soffia. It references the renowned game Grand Theft Auto which was very successful in the 2000s. We did the shoot in Parada de Lucas, one of the largest communities in Rio de Janeiro, and it involved the collaboration of several artists from the outskirts Rio.
The shoot was special for me because it involved the things I love doing and working with most which are photography, fashion and music. I had followed MC Soffia for a few years and been fan of hers all along, so it was very rewarding to be part of her work. It was something extraordinary. I was so happy with the results and everything that I created for her and the producers.”
Peep the rest of the photo series from Daniel’s shoot with MC Soffia on our Instagram page!
INTERSECTIONS: MUSIC + HUMOR
This month, actress and content creator Miranda launches the first original singles by Ametista (in English, Amethyst), one of her most successful characters.
Created by Miranda at the beginning of 2023, Ametista is a caricature of the so-called “nepobabies” - artists who achieve professional opportunities thanks to their family relations.
Mocking clichés of the new MPB scene and satirizing the privileges of the Brazilian artistic class, her first single, “Chapada de Amor,” arrived on streaming platforms on the 15th. “Sabático Shabat” premieres on January 30th.
"Followers are joking that this is gonna be the 2024 carnival hit. People thought the song would be nothing but a meme, but they were quite surprised by the quality of the music production. We took this joke seriously, and ended up doing a great job,” Miranda told Meia Volta.
“They said women didn’t have the stamina to sing forró”
Exclusive Q&A with Anastácia, the Queen of Forró
Societies have historically overshadowed the legacy of women for music cultures - and it hasn’t been any different with forró music.
However, the music birthed in Northeastern Brazil owes much to a woman named Anastácia. Whereas she is less acknowledged than the famous men of forró like “King of Baião” Luiz Gonzaga and Dominguinhos, Anastácia has been one of the most prolific songwriters in the history of the genre. So far, the artist has composed almost a thousand songs including hits like “Tenho Sede” (I’m Thirsty) and “Eu Só Quero um Xodó.” (All I Want is a Lover). Several of her songs have been recorded by giants like Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and Luiz Gonzaga himself.
At 82, the singer and songwriter (and formerly a humorist!) spoke about breaking gender barriers in the forró world, her inspirations in Brazilian music and her professional projects in the coming years. Check it out!
MV - What are your earliest memories related to music?
A - When I was six, seven years old, singing at the dam for the washerwomen in my hometown, Recife. That is a very prominent memory for me.
MV - Why has forró assumed such a strong role in your professional life - does it have to do exclusively with the importance of forró within Pernambuco culture and, consequently, with the influence of forró on your formation? Or does it also have to do with other aspects (circumstantial, professional, or subjective)?
A - When I sang in my homeland, I sang everything. When I arrived in São Paulo and recorded my first album, which was forró, I thought I was predestined, chosen to assume my musical “nordestinidade” (Northeasterness). But I also thought that if I were to dedicate myself to making another type of music at that time, maybe, over time, I would no longer be here. There were a lot of people better than me, and I wouldn't have space. I've been involved in Northeastern music for 70 years, and God knows until how long.
MV - To date, you have composed more than a thousand songs - with different themes. However, was there a theme that most instigated/inspired you?
A - I don’t believe it’s a thousand, it must be a little less. But I think it will arrive any time as I am in full swing. Regarding the themes, I don't think it is premeditated. When I composed with Dominguinhos, he always had an idea, “Don’t you want to talk about (this or that)?”. And then I used his theme and wrote the songs. But normally when it comes, lyrics and melody come into my head, it's random. I don't program what I'm going to talk about. It happens. It comes to mind, and I go forth developing it. It’s whatever theme comes to my mind at the moment.
MV - Despite being very popular, some of your compositions, to this day, are not immediately associated with your authorship. In your opinion, what factors are this situation due to?
A - I think it’s the kind of music I make. I do a little bit of everything, I don't just make Northeastern music. But I think that the moment I was recognized for songs like “Só Quero Um Xodó”, which was my great success in partnership with Dominguinhos, people were so engaged and in love with the talent of the accordionist, Dominguinhos, that they forgot that I was the person writing the lyrics.
In Brazil, until a certain time ago, it was very normal for people to value men more than women. And Brazilians are like that too, they like to see what’s easiest, right? The press, for example, was rarely interested in knowing who was behind the song. There was Dominguinhos, but Anastácia was hidden. But now things are changing.
MV - You often celebrate the career of Marinês, an artist who, in a way, opened paths for women in forró. Can you tell me a little more about this?
A - Firstly, Marinês was a talent. Secondly, she was the first woman in this scene, who was bold. In the time when she emerged as an artist, men had this greater power, and women could do almost nothing. Forró was considered a rhythm for men to sing. They even said that women didn't have the stamina to sing forró, which isn't true. Today everyone sings forró. So, I talk about this topic, you know. She arrived and rose up singing forró, and people had to deal with a woman singing forró. After Marinês, I came along.
When I showed up, I was already a fan of hers, and I was given the opportunity to make a forró album, and that's when I really got into it and thought, “Marinês has it figured out, I'm going to follow her”. I admired her fantastic strength. She ended up recording a bunch of my songs, and we became great friends. So Marinês was, without a doubt, my mirror, and inspired me to follow the wave of singing forró.
MV - What are your musical plans or projects for 2024?
A - Thank God I have lots of plans. I have 3 albums, one of samba produced by Daniel Gonzaga, with some collaborations. I'm making a forró record just the way I like it, with an accordion in the background, making a really nice forró, in the Gonzaga style. But I'm also about to release the six songs that make up an album that I started making in 2020, which I had to stop due to the pandemic. The album is produced by Zeca Baleiro. Other than that, I want to travel a lot outside of Brazil, to show how great our forró is going. And here in Brazil, to take part in forró movements to show more of my side as a composer. I always have projects, I want to live a long time to be able to do all of these things.
MV - For a foreign audience: how would you define, in your own words, forró?
A - It's a rhythm that the world doesn't know yet. Forró is nothing more than the companion of samba. To represent Brazil, musically, there is samba and forró. Northeastern music has always been understood as regional, as it comes from the Northeast. But the Northeast is Brazil. And it's something very strong, very diverse, rich, high-quality music. Brazil still needs to take a better look at Northeastern music, and put it on a level where there is no restriction of “don't play it, because it's from the Northeast”. It's top-quality music, which is why Gonzaga stayed there for so long at top level. We have to break down this barrier of thinking that there is nothing appreciable in the Northeast. Seek, and you shall find.
Also, check out this beautiful clip of Anastácia and Dominguinhos live in 1974:
BRAZILIAN ALBUM REVIEW
Théo de Barros - ‘Primeiro Disco’ (1980)
Review by second guest collaborator Felipe Arêas.
Felipe Arêas is a Brazilian, Rio-based record producer and mixing engineer constantly seeking new music to explore.
“Long after the split up of Quarteto Novo, a group birthed in São Paulo in 1966, their former guitarist Theo de Barros released ‘Primeiro Disco’, which means ‘First Album’ - a very unassuming name for a rich, deep and complex work.
Although being a double LP could suggest a lack of care in its repertoire cohesion, ‘Primeiro Disco’ proves the opposite. “Bolivar” transitions smoothly into “Estória,” changing drastically -while also subtly - the mood with a brief orchestral passage, whose melody is also repeated at the end of the song - that time, with a gentle glockenspiel. It is masterfully interwoven throughout the album so track transitions feel like chapters from a book.
When not alone with vocals, the stunning guitar of Theo de Barros is enhanced by a wide array of carefully arranged accompaniments such as regional instruments, including the Argentinian ‘leguero’ and Brazilian ‘viola caipira’, and orchestral instruments, from common strings to unusual woodwinds such as the sopranino clarinet. Additionally, electric pianos and synthesizers are used with such a craftsmanship that it's hard to believe that they were arranged in a way that enhances the otherwise acoustic nature of the album.”
INITIATIVE YOU GOTTA KNOW
This section presents Brazilian music-related initiatives that we appreciate. Starring in this section is Acervo Digital do Violão Brasileiro, a true, complex database about the Brazilian guitar culture and its guitarists. This year, Acervo celebrates its 10th anniversary.
According to its founder, Alessandro Soares, the project aims to preserve the Brazilian guitar's memory, release Brazilian guitar-related news (albums, books, festivals, contests, etc.), and promote the work of new generations.
“We have a library, a musical scores base, photo galleries, timelines, agenda of shows, a radio, and even a dictionary, the first focused on the theme,” said Soares. “Acervo embraces all genres that Brazilian guitar encompasses, from classical, to jazz, to Bossa Nova”, he concluded.
Thanks for the read, and see you in two weeks in Issue 4! 😍