Native Brazilian Music

Just been watching a youtube video about the lost Rio carnival film footage of Rio Carnival in 1942 shot by Orson Welles. It brought in mind another great lost samba recording from the same era, also lost through indifference the vaults of some USA media corporation

Back in the late1990s I bought a number of old samba Vinyl LPs from a street seller in Caetete in Rio de Janeiro. There was an LP called 'Native Brazilian Music' with credits to Leopold Stokowski - looked extremely uninteresting to me, but it was only 2 reals (about 50p), so I bought it. I brough this back to the UK where it lay unopened for a couple of years, until I found an article online about these recordings called 'Stalking Stokowsky'

It turns out that these tracks were recorded in 1942 on the American goodwill ship SS Uraguay, anchored in Rio de Janeiro harbour. The recording was organised by Leopold Stokowski, who got his good friend Vila Lobos to collect the most important samba musicians of the era and bring them to the ship for a mamoth overnight  session. Cartola, the bateria of Mangueira, Ze Espinguela and others from the dawn of samba were present. For some this was the ony time they were ever recorded. Between 40 and a hundred tracks were recorded - and then largely lost. The musicians never heard themselves on disc, nor were they paid.

Just 17 of the tracks were released, and  Colombia records then lost all of the masters. My LP turns out to be a re recording taken from those original 33rpm discs. Daniela Thompson has tracked down a further 8 tracks in the music library of Columbia Records, but cannot persuade anyone to release them, They include 2 tracks by cartola with Mangueira (30 years earlier than his first LP), and a famous flute solo by Pixinguinha.

The full story story is incredible.  I urge everyone interested in samba to read this Daniela Thompson's fascinating account - you can find it here:

http://daniellathompson.com/Texts/Stokowski/Stalking_Stokowski.htm

Mangueira records the backing vocals for the official CD  of Grupo Especial samba-enredos for Rio carnival 2012

 

Here's the bateria of Mangueira recording its breaks (bossas) for the official recording of the Sambas de enredo CD Rio carnival 2012.

Video timelapse of the building of the New Sambodromo

Virtual Samba Schools

 

These are online samba schools. They parade in two rival leagues, Virtuafolia and LIESV, and the praades of the latter are happening on the weekend of 18th August at www.liesv.com.br.  You can only see the whole parade live as it is happening, so if you miss the parade you will have to wait till next year. It starts at 9pm Rio time, which at the moment is 1am UK time, and goes on for around 4 hours. Each school parades for about 30 minutes.

 

To read more about these virtual samba schools, have a look at http://www.tdsounds.co.uk/rio-carnival/samba-schools/192-the-virtyal-samba-schools-of-brazil.

Timelapse video  of the work done up to June 5th 2011 in redeveloping the sambodromo.

 

So its finally happening. For years the powers that be in Rio and Rio carnival have been planning to demolish the old Brama beer factory to make room for the redevelopment of the sambodromo. On June 5th, in a controlled explosion, the Brama factory was no more. They had already pulled down the old setor 2 private boxes. And if all goes to plan there will be a new and seriously enlarged sambodromo ready for Carnaval 2012.

Here's a video of the spectacular explosion.

Well hey, ho to the march of progress. But I cant be the only one who is a bit sad. Those horrible old camarotes, hideously expensive, uncomfortable and with restricted views, are no more, but they sure held a lot of intense memories. I remember the time I was offered a service pass and somehow ended up in a camarote for a whole night of Grupo Especial. And the Parade of Champions where I was invited into the judges box opposite setor 9, surely the best place of all to watch carnaval. And the many technical rehearsals spent in the obscure pathway in front of setor 2, where you were right next to the samba schools. And I had a very soft spot for the little square behind the sambodromo which has also mostly gone to make way for the new development. Great food stalls there during carnaval, and many other memories.

All these locations have gone. OK, what will replace them has to be better, and the capacity of the sambodromo will be much greater, though I doubt if the tickets will become any cheaper as a result.

Anyway, if you want to read more about the redevelopment plans, I've written an article Here

Samba school themes Grupo de Acesso A Rio carnival 2012

Last year the winner of  Rio Carnival presented a homage to Robero Carlos. The winners of Sao Paulo's carnival also presented a homage to a musician, as did the winner of Rio's grupo B. So its no surprise that  homages to musicians feature heavily in this years themes. We have Viradourou with Nelson Rodrigues, Tuiuiti with Clara Nunes and Imperio Serrano with Dona Ivone Lara. These Samba schools are hoping to recreate that wave of emotion that swept Beija Flor's adequate parade to a crushing victory in 2011.

Estácio is presenting a homage to a queen of the bateria and muse of carnaval, Luma da Oliveira. Cubango's theme is a historical charachter. Innocentes is looking at a place, possibly in the hope of getting some sponsorship from it. Rocinha is featuring town squares and Imperio da Tijuca is considering Utopia. Santa Cruz? Not yet announced.

TUIUTI - Clara Nunes
VIRADOURO - Nelson Rodrigues
ESTÁCIO - Luma de Oliveira
CUBANGO - Barão de Mauá
SANTA CRUZ - ??? IMPÉRIO SERRANO - Dona Ivone Lara
IMPÉRIO DA TIJUCA - Utopias
INOCENTES - Corumbá
ROCINHA - Praças

Rio carnival results 2011 Grupo E

1 - Unidos de Lucas 300 points

2 - Matriz de São João de Meriti 299.7 points

3 - Unidos do Cabral 299.1 points

4 - Vaz Lobo 298.5 points

5 - Chatuba de Mesquita 298.4 points

6 -Arame de Ricardo de Albuquerque 294 points

7 - Paraíso da Aklvorada 293. 5 points

8 - Canário das Laranjeiras 291.9 points

9 - Boêmios de Inhaúma 288 points

10 -Unidos do Uraiti 277 points

11- União de Guaratiba 256.3 points

12 - Infantes da Piedade 220.2 points