ROSA (Pixinguinha / Octávio de Souza)

Tu és, divina e graciosa
Estátua majestosa do amor
Por Deus esculturada
E formada com ardor
Da alma da mais linda flor
De mais ativo olor
Que na vida é preferida pelo beija-flor
Se Deus me fora tão clemente
Aqui nesse ambiente de luz
Formada numa tela deslumbrante e bela
Teu coração junto ao meu lanceado
Pregado e crucificado sobre a rósea cruz
Do arfante peito seu
Tu és a forma ideal
Estátua magistral oh alma perenal
Do meu primeiro amor, sublime amor
Tu és de Deus a soberana flor
Tu és de Deus a criação
Que em todo coração sepultas um amor
O riso, a fé, a dor
Em sândalos olentes cheios de sabor
Em vozes tão dolentes como um sonho em flor
És láctea estrela
És mãe da realeza
És tudo enfim que tem de belo
Em todo resplendor da santa natureza
Perdão, se ouso confessar-te
Eu hei de sempre amar-te
Oh flor meu peito não resiste
Oh meu Deus o quanto é triste
A incerteza de um amor
Que mais me faz penar em esperar
Em conduzir-te um dia
Ao pé do altar
Jurar, aos pés do onipotente
Em preces comoventes de dor
E receber a unção da tua gratidão
Depois de remir meus desejos
Em nuvens de beijos
Hei de envolver-te até meu padecer
De todo fenecer

Some weeks ago while walking the few hundred meters that separate the subway from the train station at Sta. Apolónia I was surprised with a concert (still under assembly) on the subway station lobby. At the time I was in a hurry to catch the train and it really needed to be the 19h06 one, so I was unable to see the show, and spend some time listening to music. Today I was surprised with another concert, this one had already started, in the form of a woodwind quartet. 

Unfortunately, once again I was in a hurry, so I was only there for a few minutes, but it a very nice initiative from the Metropolitano de Lisboa.

Almost every day I find a new good reason to work in this city…

From svn:

In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan, armed with a reel-to-reel tape deck, snuck into John Lennon’s hotel room in Toronto and convinced John to do an interview. This was in the midst of Lennon’s ‘bed-in’ phase, during which John and Yoko were staying in hotel beds in an effort to promote peace. 38 years later, Jerry has produced a film about it.

I’ve been listening to Maria João & Mário Laginha for some years now, and since the first music I thought that the combination of unusual voice and accent with the mastering of the keys produced a really beautiful music (not that I’m an expert on the field). Some weeks ago, after seeing Lisa at the CCB I saw the ads for Chocolate, and decided that this would be occasion to finally see this great musicians live. 

The concert was GREAT! Maria João was glowing on her yellow and brown dress, and Mário was so graceful with the piano that it was almost as nice to see, as it was to hear him. But they were not alone, with them there was Alexandre Frasão that I already knew from other records, and that performed a great drumming show, and Bernardo Moreira that  with the ever so cool posture quietly filled the music with gentle strings. I was already familiar with Frasão’s work with João & Mário, and noticed his touch in Bernardo Sassetti’s “Nocturno”, but I don’t think I ever listened to Bernardo Moreira, even knowing from other sources that his family has a great presence in the portuguese jazz. Finally, Julian Argüelles was a complete stranger to me, but after that concert, I think I’m going to pay more attention to his music.

The concerted lasted for almost two hours, including an great encore that by itself was another concert, and the musicians were unstoppable at filling the Grande Auditório with great music. There was no “4 minute mtv tune” routine, and at some point I even thought that Maria João would simply collapse after so much vocals. Once again, it was really a great evening, and never before I clapped so much and with so much pleasure. 

Really, they all rock… errr… jazz !

Unfortunately, it can’t be embedded. But it’s on YouTube

Last night I was at ccb, thanks to Fly’s kind invitation, and spent a good time listening to Lisa Ekdahl. It’s been maybe ten years since my last concert, and it was a different venue at the time, listening The Tindersticks at Coliseu, standing. The Grande Auditório is a much nicer place, maybe I’ll return soon to see Maria João & Mário Laginha.

She was on stage with three other musicians in a somewhat simple arrangement, but overall it was a nice concert. I met Lisa’s music through Long Board and only have “Heaven, Earth And Beyond”, so I was expecting a more “jazzy” sound, but about half of the songs were new (simpler) arrangements from musics like “Cry Me a River”, “When Did You Leave Heaven”, “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”, that were ok, but a little different from what I was used to.

For me, that last two or three songs were the best, mainly due to the more “common” sound, and during the show Lisa presented new songs that will be on a future album.

It was a good evening.

The album’s version is richer and faster