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    Luiz Bonfa

    Uploaded by

    Xiongguan Zhang

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    LUIZ BONFA BRAZILIAN WIZARD Brian Hodel He has heen descritred technically os « “wizard? and a “virtuoso”, and reusically as “'a master of the soft-sell”. Hearing him live or on record, one is immediately taken cataack by the sheer variety of things he can da on a sviter. Whether playing @ driving samba or a sultry tropical baliad, he constantly changes textures, adds a bit of pizzicata in the bass, or ¢ percussive effect to enhance what hhe #8 doing; draw the listener further inio his musi. Bonfé is the composer af numerous hit songs including the international cless ‘Martha de Carnaval’, (later released as ‘A Day in the Life of a Foal"); and he shared in the writing for the award-winning film “Black Orpheus’’ which heralded the entrance of the bossa nove era. His sang “The Genile Rain’ has hecante a standard ia the jazz repertoire, and he has recorded with musiclans such as Sion Getz, Staniey Clarke, Ron Carter, Airta, aud Jobim. Just to mention a fevr. Yet in 1971, enjoying a successful career In film-scoring, recording, and concerts in the U.S.. le elected to retsarn ta Brazil. Since thet time he has appeared mainly in Europe ‘and the Far East waite his records have tecome catlectars? items in the U,S., fetching $40 or more cack. During @ recent trip to New York, Mr.Bonfé. played some of his recent recordings and tatked about his career as well as his present activities which include experimenis with -the ‘Ovation classic electric, electronic efjects, and a new reper wre he is composing for solo classic guitar —When and how did you first become involved with the guitar? My facher, who was Atalian and very mu: guitar. Though what he played was very certainly an influence. There were other kids in the neigh- ourhood who took lessons from the local teacher, 80 when was Lents fd ol iy father 1 wanted i kare He told me he would buy an instrument uncer the condi- tion that if I didn't demonsirate progress after three months I would give it up. I gather you showed progress? ‘Yes; and after a couple of months I told my father that 1 needed another teacher because there was so much more I felt T could [earn that this local teacher couldn't show me. But we lived in Santa Cruz, about 2% hours by train from 8 Rio, and there was no one else co study with in that small village, Hovrever, some eight or nine months later had the zood fortune to be at @ party in Rio where I met tsaias Savio, the great Uruguayan classic guitarist. I played for him and he invited me to become one of his students ‘How cid you find studying we Savio? Itis thanks to him that T acquired a good classical tech- rnigue on the guitar. I studied with him about two years, and it was a tremendous oxpericnce. I enjoyed the recitals wwe students gave with groups of guitars playing classical musieg but 1 had fallen in love with Brazilian popular music ang began working in that direction, applying the classic technique to popula: musi. Did Savio disapprove of this? No. He had told me that I had the potential, if I would dedicate myself to it, to become one of the greatest classi- cal guitarists. However, some years later when I had bad, some success a3 a popilar guitarist he said that he liked very much the things I was doing with the guitar. I felt very, grstified to hear it. How cid you hegin to develop your own personal sisle of Playing? ‘This began very carly, in my teens. I rememtycr ome very Important experience of playing an old 78 rpm record of the Glen Miller Band doing "In the Mond”, Listening to all, the parts of the big band: the bass, the accompaniment, the melody, all joined; began me thinking I could do this on my instrument. Sol worked it out on the guitar and there began my basic approgch to playing. It was at this time also that I developed the percussion cechniques 1 became, known for Tater. What were your early experiences as a professional? Oh, 1 played clubs and dances and so forth. In 1946, however, I met the great Brazilian guitarist Carlo who, was at Radio Nacional in Rio. and he introctuced me there where 1 began working. I also worked at Radio Tupt Shortly afterward T becarne part of a very successful yocal ‘group called the ‘Ouitandinka Serenaders’ which toured throughout Bracil. T sang with the group and also did {guitar solo numbers, We were scheduled to go to Paris and, play, but contract problems prevented it. A Hitle later I left them to go off on my own as a soloist. My replacement in the 'Serenaders? was a young man named Joao Gilberto. Why did you decide 10 g0 solo a1 this point? ‘There were several factors that occurred at the same time, ‘The cancellation of the Paris contraci was very disappoint= ing and also at the same time my father died, which left me feeling very lost in Tife. Besides this, I jst wanted i be a guitar soloist. Were you composing at this time? Yes. Thad been composing for the guitar, and about the time of the “Serenaders’ | begen writing both the music and Iyries. Dick Farney was the first to record one of my songs, *Ranchinho de Patha’, which was released in Sao Palo in 1951, I had another song, ‘Caneao de Vaqueiro’, which was a success, but “De Cigarro em Cigorro’, in 1953, was ay first Big hi Were you being influenced by American music et this time? ‘You know it's funny, but I was always strongly influenced by American music and I liked al! styles. Sometimes [ ‘would get together sith Gardto, who loved American jazz, and we would tune in the short wave radio to American stations and listen to the big bands together. [also had a strong desire to travel to the U.S. and to know this, country. How did your career in the U.. Travelled to New York in 1957; alone; | didn't speak any more English than “hello” and “‘thank you", | didn't, know anyone in New York, After living in a hotel there for about three months, I was invited to a party by Julius Glanzer, the representative of Cartier Jewellers im New 20 get its start? ‘York, whom Thad met. t was fantastic. There were many. actors and calebrities there, oh, Arthur Rubenstein, Natalic Wood, Bob Wagner, Flsa Maxwell, to mention ‘only a few. So Mr.Glanzer had improvised an area like a stage there and I played my puitar for these people and they were very impressed, After I finished a woman ceme up to me and started talking. OF course I couldn't understand anything; but with the help of a Brazilian jour- nalist I realised Thad been offered a job by Mary Martia in her touring show. So this was the beginning of my career in the U.S, We toured 60 American cities doing picces that ‘Mery had done in Broadway shows and 1 did numbers with her, the orchestra, and was a featured soloist. Fortunately tie reaction of the American public w my playing was very enthusiast, Did Americans fita! your playing stvte unusual? ‘Yes; and now this remings me of one time I was playing in a music store in New York shortly after I arrived. T was playing ‘Sombolero’ and there was this fellow there ooking intensely at my hands trying to Figure out how I put all the parts together. It turned out to be Tal Farlow, the great jazz guitarist, and he paid me a great compliment about my style of playing. He was amazed at how T kept the bass, accompaniment, and melody all going at the same time, phusa percussive effect that sounds like brushes on a snare dru, Didn't the filming of “Block Orpheus” happen at about this sime? ‘That occurred when [returned to Rio during a two month break in the Mary Martin tour. Actually | had been the theatre orchestra guitarist in the play ‘Orfew da Conceicao” rom which the movie screen play ‘was written and had written one song, ‘Raxcho de Onfeu’, for the theatre version. The play was a fantastic suceess in Rio with most Of the masic written by Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, During my return to Rio, Marcel Camus, the French direc- tor, was there looking for music for the sound track and he asked me to write for it, 1 improvised a song for him, but hie didn’t Tike it. So 1 went back and wrote another whitch he said he liked, Then I told hima: “Listen, you're wrongt The first is the one you want.” So the lyricist Antonio Maria was there and he quickly made up some lines, The people there om the set began singing it and it seemed to work very well, Camus then accepted it, though reluc- tantly. The song was ‘Mena de Carnaval’. which became aan imeernational hit. I wrote some other music For the film including ‘Samba de Orfeu' that comes near the end of the picture. ‘The rest was written by Jobim and Vinicius. Shortly afterwards the film hae won at the Cannes Film Festival, and ‘Manha’ was the number one song through- out Burope. Were you w pesformer in the first bossa nova concert in had been working in Germany with Caterina Valente at that time and arcived in New York just in time to be in- ‘cluded in the programme, It was a long affair and many, many players; among them Sergio Mendes, Jobim, Bola Sete, and Carlos Lyna~were-there. The Now York Times ave me a very good review for my participation. During the show, Nick Vanoff, Perry Como’s producer, hearé me and invited me to become a regular on the “Perry Como 1 See Is this about We Time you recorded with Sion Getz on Verve Records? In 1962 Creed Taylor, then a producer at Verve. asked me to record with Getz, and we did “Jazz Saba Envore"on which Jobim played the piano, and my former wife, Maria Toledo, sang. (V-68523). T recorded another record for Verve shorily afterwards: “Luiz, Bona Sings and Plays Bossa Nova. (V-6852). ” released shortly before the Wasn’t “Jazs Samba Ep “Get and Gilberto” record on Verve which was such a big hit with “Fhe Girl fron Ipanema”: she song that many feel began the bossa nova “era” in the US.? Right. And looking back I think that even though the record sold well, if Maria had only besn singing in English rather than Portugese, “Jazz Samba Encore” might have bbeen the big bit! So, during the “Bossa Nove Era” you were living in and based out of New York? Yes. From 1957 1@ 1970 1 was in New York and actively composing, concertising, doing musie for films, and so forth, In 1971 1 moved back to Bra7i What pronapted you to do so? ‘You know I got very tired of all the travelling and intense activity. Even in my younger years, I had always been one to take it easy. It's not laziness, but what T vould call a ‘more sane life-style as an artist. This is my way both as a professional musician and asa person. So many artists be- ‘come successful and maintain a frantic pace. Then you get anxiety and it begins to obstruet you. So it’s important to take it easy. It doesn’t mean being lazy; just maintaining a healthy pace so you don’t go crazy. So'l decided to return to Brazil where things are slower and there is so much nature and physical beauty. What was it like ceturning to Brazil as an internationally succesejul composer and guitarist? ‘The attitude towards artis's in Brazil is very different than here in the U.S. Things are very provincial and political and there is a great deal of envy mined with destructive criticism there. Here if you are dressed in rags, but have talent and can play, you are respected as an artist. And if you are dressed to the mines but have no ability, all the clothes won't help you. But in Brazil there is often a lot af criticism made about unessential things like whether your sitge-strings are tied or if you have a hole in your shirt- sleeve, rather than concentrating on the ability of the artist. So it is a negative environment for an artist. Then your artistic activities were curtailed in Brazil? Somewhat; although back in 1960-61 I did ‘TY show in Brazil ealled “O Violao do Bonfi Guitar") and Tye done some ether performing there as vyell since my return What has been the emphasis of your musical activities since 19702 I've concentrated an composing, especially more serious compositions for solo guitar. I've gotten into developing a more descriptive, romantic style of music which I was into ‘when I pecorded a record for RCA called “Introspection"’, (@SP-297), released primarily in Europe in 1973. | have continued ta concertize internationally, although not as frequently as before. In the early 70s L did concerts in Ger- many, Rome, and Amsierdam, In 1974 T played a concert ‘with Dave Brubeck and Ramsey Lewis at the Kennedy ‘Center in Washington D.C. In *76 | did a televised concert in Munich, and in °78 1 represented the Brazilian govern. ment on a six-city tour of Australia in collaboration with Don Burrows, the fine Australian flute ancl sax player arnd— Gvorge Golla, a wonderful jez guitarst. ‘That tour resulied in an album | am especially proud of entitled ““Bonfé, Burrows, Brazil”, (Cherry Pie Rees. CPF 1016). What was your role in the development of the bossa nova? T would say it was the ‘Bevel de viola (guitar accompa ment siyle), of Joao Gilberto which signified the ereation of the basse nova, But Joao has said that he was heavily influenced by my playing and bas cited examples of my recordings where he told me J was doing bossa move, Really it was the creation of a number of musicians in Rio about 1957, people ike Jobim, Baden Powell, Johnny Alf, Lyra, and 50 on. Iisa style strongly identified with the guitar, is it not? Very definitely, And L think this is because (he subulety of the thythmic patterns of the bossa nova sound 0 good phieked on the nylon strings. That is, in my opinion, the suitor is the proper instrument for that kind of beat, Bossa nova is strongly influenced by the samba. no? Yos, very much by the samba, but there is also a litle trom. the Bofero where you get the ‘bossa nova clave’ rhythm. Was Garéto a big fluence on you musically? Yery much so. He was the first one to explain how 10 read chord symbols so | could play on racio, Healso influenced my conception of harmony. When we played together I paid very close attention to what he was doing. Gardto was arcatly influenced by American jaze and he played not only dlassie guitar but 14 stringed instruments in all, He made me a beiter musician and he wes also a fabulous ‘human being. Ht was a great tragedy that he died so young. {in 1955 at age 39). Was Gardio playing bossa raova? No. He was playing in the forms popular at that time such as the chéro and samba. This was the time of Carmen Miranda's popularity and he played with her. But had he lived he would have been one of the greatest of the bossa nova because the harmony he developed on the guitar, ‘blended with a later rhythmic conception drawn from the samba, is what the bossa nova i What is your playing technique in terms of the left and right hands? Twas taught in the traditional classic schoo) of Tarrega by Isaias Savio. Thersfore I studied the works of Migucl Llobet, Boccarini, Careassi, te. So my right hand plays in the classi Finger style, but my hand position is not of the old school where the fingers are perpendicular to. the strings, Rather, the right hand is at a more natural angle to the strings. This is more comfortable ang incidentally was also. the position favoured by Savio. I never used ony method books although I studied the set of daily exercises Savio gave all his stucents. The basic idea of the finzer strokes is to get a smooth, non-aggressive souné. There are, of course, tmes when ‘you need to be aggressive, but the basic tone is round. The lef hand also follows the classic positions. U think the American jaz2 guitarists are the strongest in their development of the left hand with their ase of the pick to ‘Bel great speed with scale passages. It's interesting 10 notice that many American players, especially the younger cones, are now dedicating themselves to learning the right hand fingcr stvle. The pick is very limiting and it would be a great step forward for the guitar to see the American left hand jaze concept combined with the Brazilian and classic right hand techniques What is the role of improvisction in your playing? It’s not the mast important, and I'm very earetul with my improvising as I don’t have a great ability in this areg. 1s all pretty spontaneous, I'm not always thinking in-ierms of ‘what chords axe comiag next and what scales or substitu tions I can make on the changes. And using the right han igh slightly more limited in scope. The basic idea is have an independent bass line and lots of voice movement in the chords underlying the melody. This way you avoid the danger of playing everything in the monotonous paitert ot “bass note, chord, ass, chord” and by creating different chord inversions with an active bass line you also escape the limited variety of standard chord forms many evitarists ase, ‘One Timst-keep-in mind that the Brazilian, the South American guitarists in general, gets a great deal of help by. using the open bass strings. He stays mostly inthe keys of , A, and D when he learns fo accompany, aid using these keys gives him an advantage when he improvises. ‘The Americans often use the Keys where you eanvar play open strings such a: Bb and Eb for example. This has its advan- tages too, of course. You have more latitude in modula~ tion, but you are limited in the patterns of your accom- Peniment frm improvising I try to combine both of 2 these approaches maintaining the bass, accompaniment, and melody as a pianist would. You referred earlier to a ‘deseriptive, romantic’ style af composing. thot you heave davetoperl. Doyo seo. this coe to the repertoire of classic guitar, or is it a popular farm? 1 iss fn between the two, But the guitar's repertoire can exist independently of that repertoire that has existed for Several centuries, Pieces like my. composition “O Mar Encentedo’, ("The Enchanted Sea’), can have a place in Serious guitar literate, ¥ fet that in tne reaction Lreesived when | performed it for over 3000 people in the Sydncy (Australi) Opera House. And thar is piece that lasts 814 minutes. You clescribe this musie as ‘descriptive and romantic’. What do you mean by that? ‘Since | was a child I have always felt that one must live a little in the land of fantasy. Descriptive music is associated ‘with images and fantasy. I have always felt an affinity with the visual and have done the musie for many: films. $0 1 feel that these can all tic together: music, cinema, plastic ats, navure, humanity, allt it. As for romanticism, this is what the world is losing. Romanticism is what makes you feel affection and love, Ws like a serenade; love for a woman, Is not just a ‘woman in a window listening to = song inthe street but isa reflection of man's feelings. It a spiritual message; something humanistic that people can axsinilate and understand. You have become well-known for innovations in the use of Special effects on the guitar, especially percussive ones. Could you desertbe some of these? ‘These effecis, which are becaming more widely used by suitsrists today, I developed when I vasinmy teens. Being ‘a Brazilian, 1 was of course exposed toa lot of percussion and it was natural that | wanted to use these sounds on the suitar, Most of them are imitations of the sounds of the Flythm insirmenis of the Carnaval groups called cola de Samba. make the sound of the famborim, a small hhand drum played witha stick, by playing an arpegaio over strings 1, 2, and 3 muted with the 4th finger of my leh hand up around the 15th or 16th fret. If you mute lightly at the 16ch fret you can get armonics that ound like another instrument, the frigideira, (frying pan). The arpeggio is done in a samba rhythm. At the same time the first finger ‘on my left hand mutes @ piczicato at the 14th fret, 5th and 6th strings, with the thum> of my right altern on these to provide the bass drum sound of the surdo drum, If 1 move my Ist finger of the left hand upto the 16th fret orso and do descending giscaad on the Sih and 6th strings, 1 get the sound of the citica, which sounds like the howli of a dog. You cam main the sound of the iamborins simultaneously with the other fingers. ‘To we the Sound of brishes on a snare drum 1 simply move the position of my right hand so thatthe fingers are almost parallel tote sirings. Then when I pluck the chords, the flesh and nails of my right hand fingers on the wound strings gives the “swishing” sound of brushes. also have various ways of tapping the front of the Guitar and the strings to get the sound of bongos, but these are hard to describe. Another affect I use I call the “lush string effect" as it sounds like a tremolo on violins and violas. With the ring finger of my right hand [strum across the Ist through 4th strings in a fast tremolo while my left hand docs chordal modulations. Done softly this is 2 very subtle effect, also make a lot of use of pizzcato and harmonics. What advice would you gre players who desire 1 playin s0yle similar to yours? This is diffienit to answer, especialy since my style is grounded in the music of Brazil. As teachers of languages say: The best way 0 kena language is to live an the 2 ‘country where itis spoken. Fortunately, with the Language of musie one can learn from recordings. But one must listen to.a lot of Brazilian music and dedieate oneself. Ic is 8 whole school of playing, and I think it may become very popular among guitarists in the coming years if they dedi- ‘eale themaselves t0 it; but it js not an easy style. Do you follow a particular routine in preparation for ‘concerts or recordings? | york on the pieces only. I don’t do exercises. What make of classic guitar do you use? Right nov I play a Giannini from Brazil, I can’t revall the model number, but it is the top of their classic fine. Actually don’t think that the ideal guitar has yet been built; T mean one that has @ balanced response on all strings. I like the Brazilian made instruments and have played DiGiorgio’s and Del Veccio’s in the past; but until recently the guitars made in my country were not well prepared for drier climates and some of them literally blew up on me, Now they are being better made though. You also use the Ovation classic electric, (siereo model 1613-4). What do you think about that instrument? The Ovation is a very soft, comfortable instrument to play and amplified with just a litle volume has a very smooth, ound tone. I also like to use it with a little echo and phasing, As long as these effects are not turned up too fer they sound very good on this instrument, When over-

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