João Bosco around the world
Acoustic guitar magician on tour
Felipe Tadeu
18/10/2000
MUNICH, GERMANY – Singer/songwriter João Bosco conceded this exclusive interview while on tour in Europe. Sharing the stage with Jorge Ben Jor, Salif Keita, Los Van Van, The Manhattan Transfer, Al Di Meola and Yellow Jackets, Bosco cast a spell on the audience, along with his superb back up band: Armando Marçal (percussion), Nelson Faria (guitar), Kiko Freitas (drums) and João Figueiredo (bass).
AllBrazilianMusic – When did you first perform in Europe?
João Bosco – It was in 1983, when I played the Montreaux Festival (Switzerland) - we (him, Caetano Veloso and Ney Matogrosso) had a Brazilian night. That concert was turned into a live album. Since then, I’ve been coming every year, and not only in the summer. In 2001, for instance, I’ll be coming in March with Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, with whom I’ve worked in Brazil.
ABM – So you’ll be playing stuff from your upcoming album...
João Bosco – Sure enough!
ABM – What is it going to be like? Are you still writing with your son, Francisco?
João Bosco – Yes, the full album was co-written with him. After all, he’s really into Brazilian music, Brazilian poetry, and is very stimulated, even because he’s still very young. The album will be called Na Esquina (On the Corner), precisely because the corner is the proper place for the type of artist that I am. A place with little definition, because it is not the result of a single road. I figure it has a lot to do with our country, since our culture was originated from the convergence of different roads. This new album is totally based upon my memories, and I’m back to working with orchestras, arranged and produced by Jacques Morelembaum.
ABM – You are among the greatest (acoustic) guitarists in contemporary Brazilian music. Have you ever considered making an instrumental album?
João Bosco – As a matter of fact, I have, and maybe I'll do it soon. Playing with Nelson Faria, we have been having long conversations about Brazilian guitar playing. He has written a number of books about the guitar in Brazil. But first I have this acoustic guitar/piano project with Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Him and I haven’t yet decided whether it should be a live album. Anyway, I’m fascinated with this project. This meeting with Cuban music, through Gonzalo, has been very exciting and inspiring.
ABM – Do you intend to go on writing music scores for ballet?
João Bosco – Yes. After working with Grupo Corpo (a ballet group from Brazil), I began paying attention to music written for the dance, the choreography, and all. I have been watching, hearing and reading about musicians who have written music scores for dance presentations.
ABM – Like Edu Lobo?
João Bosco – Not just Brazilian composers, but also foreign ones. There’s this thing that Phillip Glass did with African musicians that is most amazing! I shall definitely be doing it again.
ABM – The album Zona de Fronteira is regarded by many as your masterpiece in the past ten years. Do you still write songs with Wally Salomão and Antonio Cícero?
João Bosco – That is a rare record because it was a rare meeting. Waly and Cícero hadn’t done anything quite like that before – neither have done after. To me, Zona de Fronteira is unique. Sometimes I’ll meet the two of them, we’ll think of future projects, but it’s never happened, so far. And I reckon there are little chances of it happening again.
ABM – In 1994, the three of you were working on a project to link the Arabian culture to the Northeastern Brazilian culture; and that pack should include a book. Has the idea died out?
João Bosco – The book would have been written during a trip that the three of us would take around Syria - where Waly’s family came from – and Lebanon, where my own family came from. But it so happens that we were unable to take that trip as we were preparing to do it. As a result, we had to postpone the trip and couldn’t rearrange it - when one of us could go, the other two couldn’t... So, the album As Mil e Uma Aldeias was released, but the book wasn’t. It would have involved the Arabian influence suffered by each of us. Antonio Cícero didn’t have Arabian blood in his veins, but being from the northeast, he had everything to do with it.
AllBrazilianMusic – When did you first perform in Europe?
João Bosco – It was in 1983, when I played the Montreaux Festival (Switzerland) - we (him, Caetano Veloso and Ney Matogrosso) had a Brazilian night. That concert was turned into a live album. Since then, I’ve been coming every year, and not only in the summer. In 2001, for instance, I’ll be coming in March with Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, with whom I’ve worked in Brazil.
ABM – So you’ll be playing stuff from your upcoming album...
João Bosco – Sure enough!
ABM – What is it going to be like? Are you still writing with your son, Francisco?
João Bosco – Yes, the full album was co-written with him. After all, he’s really into Brazilian music, Brazilian poetry, and is very stimulated, even because he’s still very young. The album will be called Na Esquina (On the Corner), precisely because the corner is the proper place for the type of artist that I am. A place with little definition, because it is not the result of a single road. I figure it has a lot to do with our country, since our culture was originated from the convergence of different roads. This new album is totally based upon my memories, and I’m back to working with orchestras, arranged and produced by Jacques Morelembaum.
ABM – You are among the greatest (acoustic) guitarists in contemporary Brazilian music. Have you ever considered making an instrumental album?
João Bosco – As a matter of fact, I have, and maybe I'll do it soon. Playing with Nelson Faria, we have been having long conversations about Brazilian guitar playing. He has written a number of books about the guitar in Brazil. But first I have this acoustic guitar/piano project with Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Him and I haven’t yet decided whether it should be a live album. Anyway, I’m fascinated with this project. This meeting with Cuban music, through Gonzalo, has been very exciting and inspiring.
ABM – Do you intend to go on writing music scores for ballet?
João Bosco – Yes. After working with Grupo Corpo (a ballet group from Brazil), I began paying attention to music written for the dance, the choreography, and all. I have been watching, hearing and reading about musicians who have written music scores for dance presentations.
ABM – Like Edu Lobo?
João Bosco – Not just Brazilian composers, but also foreign ones. There’s this thing that Phillip Glass did with African musicians that is most amazing! I shall definitely be doing it again.
ABM – The album Zona de Fronteira is regarded by many as your masterpiece in the past ten years. Do you still write songs with Wally Salomão and Antonio Cícero?
João Bosco – That is a rare record because it was a rare meeting. Waly and Cícero hadn’t done anything quite like that before – neither have done after. To me, Zona de Fronteira is unique. Sometimes I’ll meet the two of them, we’ll think of future projects, but it’s never happened, so far. And I reckon there are little chances of it happening again.
ABM – In 1994, the three of you were working on a project to link the Arabian culture to the Northeastern Brazilian culture; and that pack should include a book. Has the idea died out?
João Bosco – The book would have been written during a trip that the three of us would take around Syria - where Waly’s family came from – and Lebanon, where my own family came from. But it so happens that we were unable to take that trip as we were preparing to do it. As a result, we had to postpone the trip and couldn’t rearrange it - when one of us could go, the other two couldn’t... So, the album As Mil e Uma Aldeias was released, but the book wasn’t. It would have involved the Arabian influence suffered by each of us. Antonio Cícero didn’t have Arabian blood in his veins, but being from the northeast, he had everything to do with it.