05/09/09 Benjamim Taubkin, Moderna Tradição and Abaçaí, in Austria

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Benjamim Taubkin, Moderna Tradição and Núcleo de Música do Abaçaí in the Festival Glatt und Verkehrt, in Krems, Austria

The quintet Moderna Tradição performed for the first time at this festival in 2008. The 45 minutes-concert was so well received by the audience that the directors of the festival – Josef Aichinger and Albert Hosp – invited them again but this time bringing another project led by Benjamim Taubkin: ‘Songs from our ground’, with the group Núcleo de Música do Abaçaí.

Krems is a magical city, where the festival Glatt und Verkehrt takes place in a beautiful area, located in a vineyard. The city has a lovely river landscape as well as an interesting architecture – traditional and very contemporary. In fact, contemporary art and culture play a significant role in the city life, which make us wonder that probably this is the reason for a highly opened audience.

Currently divided by country-theme, the festival’s artistic directors chose Finland, Brazil and Ethiopia, this year. For the Brazilian evening the opening was with the master percussionist Naná Vasconcelos, in a solo recital, followed by a duo with Marlui Miranda, and then a duo with Trilok Gurtu – the Indian percussionist who has played with Naná several times.

Benjamim Taubkin, his ensembles Moderna Tradição and Núcleo de Música do Abaçaí were scaled to perform at the final part of the evening, when, for the first time in the festival the chairs at the back line were removed, encouraging people to dance.

Benjamim Taubkin has been experimenting to gather these two different groups a few times before in Brazil. For the musicians this is more than a challenge, it is a very touching experience where they can bring to their audience an even more fulfilling sound.

Moderna Tadição explores the tradition of the choro, a kind of music with its roots in Europe, blended in Brazil, which became totally part of the Brazilian culture. The group is formed by the very traditional “chorões” Izaías de Almeida – mandolim, and Israel de Almeida – 7 Strings Guitar, and also by another generation of musicians: the percussionist Ari Colares and the accordionist Lula Alencar.

The project “Benjamim Taubkin & Núcleo de Música do Abacai“ confronts traditional songs and rhythms from all over Brazil with very urban and contemporary bass and piano sounds. Bringing so many different traditions and languages from the land through new ways or arrangements – an experience of observation and celebration of the cultural diversity of Brazil.

The concert started with two songs from Abacaí, where the singers Mazé Cintra, Verlúcia Nogueira and Neusa de Souza could show the beautiful chorus singing, and where Sapopemba – the truck driver who traveled all over the country and has brought in himself so many of these traditions – presents the strongly and deeply side of Brazil. Together with Ari Colares, João Taubkin, Lula Alencar and Benjamim Taubkin, they took the audience to a journey through different parts of Brazil, from the Northeast to the South, exploring the bits and sounds of those communities.

Then, was the time of the already ‘consagrated’ veterans of the Choro – Izaías and Israel to be part of the group. Maybe for its European roots, the Choro shows to be very moving for the Austrian audience.

The third part, when all of them were together, was the time to see the audience being part of these traditions. When they played a collection of Cirandas, Neusa de Souza started the circular dance, and in a few seconds a big part of the audience joined her in a beautiful celebration.

Registered by Petr Doruzka, journalist, the video shows this amazing moment that can be shared with all of us. Watch it here.

In the last song, some friends who performed at the festival, joined them at the stage: Naná Vasconcelos, Marluí Miranda, the Colombian singer Lucia Pulido and the Venezuelan ‘cuatro’ player, Aquiles Baez.

A very special evening for them.

Photos

by Luiza Morandini

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