Flipside – Brazilian Literature and Music – the start
Snape Maltings, in west Suffolk, is the home of Aldeburgh Music, which is renowned as an outstanding year-round performance centre. On Friday evening, the Flipside Literature and Music Festival opened with “The boys from Ipanema”, by paying tribute to the composer and essayist Vincius de Moraes and the musician Antonio Carlos Jobin. They “boys” (actually two men and a woman) sang and played their way through a fabulous and clear explanation of Bossa Nova, illustrating the entwining of Greek myths and African rhythms. Author and composer, Jose Miguel Wisnik, Arthur Nestrovski, a very talented guitarist and Paula Morelenbaum, one of Brazil’s great singers, entertained and enlightened an appreciative audience.
The influences on Jobin such as Villa Lobos and Chopin were explored and defended in a delightful way. Contrast was made between the nature of Brazilian speech, which is right for the natural sound of Bossa Nova and how English lyrics do not provide the appropriate rhythm. This was a masterclass in understanding this Brazilian genre, which has set the scene for what looks like a rich and deep vein of Brazilian culture over the next couple days of the Festival.
