Contemporary America
Foto: Angelica Del Nery
Project Celebrates an encounter between ten musicians from seven South American countries
COUNTRY: Bolivia, Brazil (São Paulo, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte), Chile, Colombia & Venezuela (Guests: Argentina, Mexico)
GENRE: Afro-Andean rhythms, Chacarera, Bullerengue, Colombian pacif coast rhythms, Ciranda, Merengue, Chillean Toinada.
DESCRIPTION: Contemporary music based on traditional rhythms from Latin America. Nine musicians from seven different countries bring the diversity of cultures, and musical elements in absolutely contemporary arrangements of the continent.
Contemporary America is a fascinating exercise in a cultural unification. Brazilian pianist Benjamim Taubkin brought musicians from all over South America to create something that synthesized their various traditions and influences into a sound that would reflect the continent in all its variety. The result, Another Center (Adventure Music), pretty much redefines the phrase “more than the sum of its parts”. Players from Bolivia, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, as well as several regions of Brazil, gather to perform songs from all these places. The arrangements are intricate and quite beautiful, featuring piano, horns, guitar, violin, and, of course, plenty of percussion.PHIL FREEMAN, GLOBAL RHYTHM
Just a few privileged people had the chance to see the union of one of the most creative Latin American musicians nowadays. The impact already happens in the first song Carmelita, Adios, a Colombian public domain composition, performed masterly by the Singer Lucia Pulido. The recreation of this singing with female ritual
origins is marked by the percussion of Ari Colares. In contrast, the sad and delicate “ciranda” Vale do Jucá from Pernambuco, sung by Siba with Lucia on the backing vocals.
LÍVIA DEODATO, O ESTADO DE S.PAULO
The multicultural group is highlighted by the open space to individual performance. The voice of the singer Lucia Pulido in duo with the Siba’s fiddler, in the “ciranda”, is one of the most touching moments. LAURO LISBOA GARCIA, O ESTADO DE S.PAULO
BIOGRAPHY:
Recorded live in a studio during the second half of 2005 on the Núcleo Contemporâneo label, the CD ‘América Contemporânea – Um outro centro’ (Contemporary America- Another Center) is the result of the project “Latin Encounter,” which headlined the festival “All the World’s Corners” put on by SESC Pompeia, last year. Brazilian pianist Benjamim Taubkin idealized and performed in this project that united 10 musicians on stage, four of them Brazilian, and six from other Latin-American countries: singer Lucia Pullido (Colômbia), saxophonist and flutist Alvaro Montenegro (Bolívia), guitarist Aquiles Baez (Venezuela), percussionist Luis Solar (Peru), multi-instrumentalist and singer Carlos Aguirre (Argentina), bassist Christian Galvez (Chile), fiddler Siba (Pernambuco, Brazil), percussionist Ari Colares (Brazil), and a special participation from pianist José Miguel Wisnik (Brazil).
Each artist presents a rhythm from his or her country, and is accompanied by the other musicians.
The CD is the realization of one Benjamim Taubkin’s dreams, a dream to share the stage with South Americans from varying nationalities. “I’ve always asked myself why Brazil has such little contact with the other South American countries. This is a question that has intrigued me for the past 15 years,” affirms Benjamim Taubkin.
The pianist became more familiar with his continent’s music in 2001, when he became the curator of the Mercado da Bahia, an event that brings in professionals from the world over, but prioritizes the musical dialog between countries of the Cone Sul accord. Since then, Benjamim has listened to more than 600 CDs and was impressed with the quality of the material. In 2003, he visited each of these countries in order to maintain contact with their local musicians.
“The diversity and the affluence of the music made in South America is impressive. Brazil is more than bossa nova, and Argentina is more than the tango. Colombia is fantastic musically, and not just in the traditional sense, but also in pop, modern, electronic and contemporary. Peru as well. The musical wealth is much more than anyone imagines. People need to know about this,” he explains.
Benjamim Taubkin believes that South America is experiencing an extremely important political/cultural situation. “There is a desire between the countries to establish connections. We have to take advantage of this. All we have at the moment is impersonal information about these places. Brazil doesn’t have a news correspondent in any South American country. Everything we know is via international agencies, which generally focus on the exotic side of things. These places are as sophisticated as anywhere else. There is life, music, and creativity. All this based on tradition, of course, but with eyes on the future,” he declares.
América Contemporânea has already participated in festivals such as the South America festival in Corumbá, Brazil; Mercat de Vic and Festival ArReus, Spain; and Cinars, Canada. The group has presented itself in places such as Joe’s Pub, New York; and in Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo.
The idea is to continue inviting new musicians to intensify the dialog. “Other countries are still missing, but this is a process in constant construction, always looking to open new collaborative projects… of vivid interchange and pleasure,” he concludes.
The CD was also released in the United States in 2007, by Adventure Music, and in Europe in 2007, by Connecting Cultures.
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www.myspace.com/americacontemporanea
www.nucleocontemporaneo.com.br
Tour dates 2009
2009
28 Ago – Memorial da América Latina, São Paulo, SP
27 Ago – Festival Sabará Musical, Sabará, MG
Janeiro - Oficina de Música de Curitiba
2008
18 Jul – Festival Etnosur – Jaen, Espanha
19 Jul – Kesset Festival – Tarragona, Espanha
20 Jul – Festival de La Garriga – La Garriga, Espanha
12 Abr – San Jose, Costa Rica w/ Orquesta del Río Infinito
13 Abr – Alajuela, Costa Rica w/ Orquesta del Río Infinito
15 Abr – Nicarágua w/ Orquesta del Río Infinito
16 Abr – Nicarágua w/ Orquesta del Río Infinito
2007
30 Jun – Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
01 Jul – Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Musicians
Alavaro Montenegro – Bolivia
Composer, flutist and saxophonist, Alvaro Montenegro is one of the most active figures on the Bolivian music scene. With music in his blood (his father was a violinist and his grandfather, a pianist) he began studying music at age 8. He studied in the U.S and Nicaragua, and played in the Chamber Orchestra of Nicaragua from 1986 to 1989. As a composer, he has done soundtracks to films, plays, and dance performances. His compositions have been executed by important orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestras of Cuba and Bolivia, and have been presented in the principal festivals around the world. Versatile, he traverses through a variety of genres – from jazz to rock, from classic to pop. As a member of dozens of orchestras, he has transited through repertories from a diversity of times and spaces. In 1998 he released the CD Música Latino Americana del Siglo XX in partnership with Japanese guitarist Gentaro Takada. In 2001, he released El Parafonista, which gave rise to the Parafonista band, a Latin-American contemporary fusion sextet. With this band he’s released Los Frutos Prohibidos and República.
Ari Colares – Brazil
Percussionist and professor, for 25 years he has dedicated himself to the study, the practice, and the teaching of Brazilian percussion. He lectures in the Tom Jobim Center for Musical studies, USP, and Anhembi Morumbi. He has played with Naná Vasconcelos, Egberto Gismonti, etc. He is a musician in the Orquestra Popular de Câmara, directed by Benjamim Taubkin, as well as in the group A Barca. He plays with Mônica Salmaso and in Palavra Cantada with Sandra Peres and Paulo Tatit.
Aquiles Baez – Venezuela
Venezuelan arranger, composer, and guitarist. His characteristic is to create a singular sound by mixing Latin American rhythms with sophisticated harmonies. With five albums recorded, he’s collaborated with artists like Paquito de Rivera, Farred Haque, John Patitucci, Ilan Chester, Mike Marshall, Gioria Feidman, and has participated in concerts like Ensamble Gurrufio, Worlds of Guitars and Boston Symphony, Simon Bolívar and
Bach Academy Orchestras. Aquiles Báez has won the “Venezuelan National Award for Best Artist of the Year”; the Leavitt Award at Berklee College of Music and other awards for the soundtracks he’s written for theater, cinema, and dance performances. He administers workshops at universities in the United States and in Europe. He currently lives in New York.
Benjamim Taubkin – Brazil
Brazilian music has been the playing field for this instrumentalist, arranger, composer, and producer. As a musician he has participated in several formations – that range from soloing to symphonic orchestras – presenting in Brazil and abroad. Some of the most recent projects he’s participated in as musician and arranger include: Jobim Sinfônico, Samwad – Rua do Encontro, Milágrimas, Orquestra Jazz Sinfônica, Paulo Moura and Monica Salmaso. His current projects include: the Orquestra Popular de Câmara, the choro ensemble Moderna Tradição, and his work with the traditional music group Abaçai. He directs the label Núcleo Contemporâneo, focused on recording Brazilian instrumental music. He is present as a musician or producer on more than 130 discs. He has coordinated projects for institutions like Itaú Cultural, and the São Paulo State Secretary of Culture. He has developed programs for SESC, CPFL, and CCBB. He is the musical curator for the Mercado Cultural da Bahia and is a member of the European Forum for World Music.
Christian Galvez – Chile
With highlighted participations in the foremost jazz and world music festivals, this Chilean bass player has recorded three discs: Christian Galvez (2000), Cero (2002) and Dinâmica solista (2004). He has participated in productions and recordings with important international musicians: Joe Vasconcellos (Chile), Luis Salinas (Argentina), Fareed Haque
(United States), Bruce Hart (United States), among others. He is a music professor that has lectured in several Chilean schools, and has given clinics in countries like Argentina, Mexico and Brazil. He created the band Gálvez Quinteto together with Jorge Diaz (guitar), Lautaro Quevedo (keyboards), Rodrigo Gálvez (drums) and Cláudio Ortuzar (percussion). He is currently the musical director of Pez Produções.
Lucia Pulido – Colombia
Colombian singer, who sings anything from jazz to her country’s traditional music. For more than 13 years, she partnered with the singer/composer Ivan Benevides in the duet “Ivan and Lucia.” They recorded three discs and toured through Spain, England, Colombia and Ecuador. Since arriving in New York in 1994, her work has been focused on traditional Colombian rhythms. In 1995 she recorded her first solo CD, Lucia (on the Sonolux label). With a full calendar, she has presented in theaters, universities, and clubs in the United States, as well several important festivals in New York. She is constantly invited to participate in concerts and on CD recordings by jazz musicians like Ed Simon, Erik Friedlander, Dave Binney and Fernando Tarrés. Her most recent CD is Dolor de Ausencia. Currently, Lucia is dedicating herself to projects with musicians in New York and from Latin American countries: an experimental one with Argentinean guitarist Fernando Tarrés that is based on traditional songs from Colombia and Argentina; the recording of the CD Pure and Impure by Erik Friedlander, based on poems by Colombian poets; and lastly, her next disc, contemporary arrangements of traditional Colombian music. Her calendar remains full of performances scheduled in Europe, the United States and Latin America.
Luis Solar Narciso – Peru
Peruvian percussionist who, for 15 years, presented nationally and internationally
with the group Peru Negro. He has played with important names in music such
as Nestor Torres,
Luis Salinas, Paquito de Rivera and Eva Ayllón, among others. He participated on
the CD Acuarela de Tambores by Alex Acuña, which was nominated for a
Grammy in 2002.
At the moment, Luis Solar Narciso is a member of the group Wayruro, as well as
Jean Pierre Magnet’s Grand Banda.
Lula Alencar – Brazil
Pianist, composer, arranger and acordion player, Lulinha began studying piano and jazz improvisation. He formed the instrumental trio LSD´Jazz and also formerly was in the Banda Buscapé, focusing on regional music. As an accordion player, Lulinha has been playing with groups such as Mafuá, Mawaca, Antônio Barros and others.
Siba – Brazil
Musician from Nazaré da Mata, Zona da Mata–Pernambuco state. As a member of the band Mestre Ambrósio, Siba moved to São Paulo in the early 90’s. A few years later he returned to the city of his childhood, where he has been exploring new aesthetic possibilities for ciranda and maracatu, thus providing new vitality and youth to the northeastern traditions. In Nazaré da Mata, he recruited a trio of percussionist/singers (Biu Roque, Mané Roque and Manoel Martins) to release his first solo CD, Fuloresta do Samba. This disc’s relationship to the sound of Mestre Ambrósio is apparent due to Siba’s peculiar voice as well as the format of its songs (percussion, trombone, trumpets, and voices), but at the same time it differentiates itself from the band by way of its ancestral sound that negates contemporary influences, thus bringing us a simpler, more rural Brazil, full of poetic subtleties.
Press
Contemporary America is a fascinating exercise in a cultural unification. Brazilian pianist Benjamim Taubkin brought musicians from all over South America to create something that synthesized their various traditions and influences into a sound that would reflect the continent in all its variety. The result, Another Center (Adventure Music), pretty much redifines the phrase “more than the sum of its parts”. Players from Bolivia, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Peru ,as well as several regions of Brazil, gather to perform songs from all these places. The arrengements are intricate and quite beautiful, featuring piano, horns, guitar, violin, and, of course, plenty of percussion.
“We used to say that Brazil is looking at the ocean, with its back to Latin America,” laughs Taubkin about Brazil’s relative cultural isolationism. But the project’s been enthusiastically received – by audiences, and the group members themselves. “The thing is,” adds Taubkin, “the level of the musicians in a lot of those countries is so high nowadays, that it looks like a new revelation. Places like Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina can surprise anyone.”
The bandleader is extremely pleased with how the live recordings came together, and he’s ready to keep it going. “We did the most of the recording before the first concert, live at the studio, in one afternoon, after only two days of rehearsal,” he recalls. “I felt that for the project to continue to exist, and not to be only one event, we had to have some material. Since then we’ve been playing a lot. We had, after the first one, five more concerts in Brazil. We played New York, at Joe’s Pub, and in Montreal. We’ve had invitations to Colombia and Spain. And we have some ideas for research initiatives together. And, of course, a second album.”
Phil Freeman
