Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Interviews continue as the days lead up to Carnaval.

The past week has been great in that I have been getting tons of information. Luckily I have been able to record all of these interviews I´ve been getting so that later I can go back and transcribe (although that is going to be some serious work as I have almost 20 hours recorded at this point!). I´ve got to interview some musicians in their homes which is always an interesting experience. I´ve been treated very well for the most part although I´ve had several people either cancel at the last minute or not show up.
I already have a large amount of info for my thesis, but luckily I have one more month here to continue hanging out with musicians, interviewing them, and speaking with other people involved with the scene (composers, gov´t officials, students of the music, promoters, etc.). Forró really needs a full book to even begin to cover it with some depth!

Tonite I am going to train some capoeira (Brazilian martial art, dance, music) and play the berimbau to practice for the Carnaval block that I am going to play with. "O Bloco do Berimbau" which will be over 80 berimbaus playing together with some percussion that is going to march this coming Sunday.

Hopefully in the next couple weeks I will set up another site to talk about some of the interesting, weird, wonderful, and horrible aspects of what I see here everyday that I don´t think I should put on this site. Stay tuned for the address of the new blog!

Monday, February 13, 2006

One of the many churches in the historic centre of Olinda - A Igreja do Carmo. Posted by Picasa

Arlindo dos Oito Baixos and his grand daughter playing at his backyard stage. Posted by Picasa

Arlindo dos Oito Baixos and I at his backyard forró. Arlindo is one of the few people who still play forró in Brazil with an eight bassed accordeon and is recognized as a master by many musicians here without yet gaining serious commercial success for his many years of efforts. Posted by Picasa

O Patio do São Pedro - Big plaza in the centre of Recife with free music several nights a week. Also a spot for a couple of my interviews. Posted by Picasa

Patricia Cruz, a forró singer and radio announcer, and Roberto Andrade of the Confraria do Forró Pernambucano. Posted by Picasa

"The Virgins of Olinda" is held a few weeks before Carnaval and guys dress up as women. This one´s got a cangaceiro hat on that many forró players wear. Posted by Picasa

Some excellent graffitti art in Recife. Posted by Picasa

Kid dressed up in traditional costume for Pre-Carnaval in Olinda Posted by Picasa

The guy in the shades has absolutely nothing to do with my research, but I really love his hairstyle (Rick James anyone?). Posted by Picasa

Carlinhos Monteverde dressed up for Carnaval in the Patio do São Pedro Posted by Picasa

Viola, a percussionist who plays in local côco and forró bands, in the Praça do Carmo in Olinda. Posted by Picasa

Carlinhos Monteverde, a forró and frevo singer and one of my informants in a record store Posted by Picasa

Horse and cart and buses in the center of Recife Posted by Picasa

Solange, my land lady at the street party we held for my friend´s birthday
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Saturday, February 11, 2006

Interviews

The past couple weeks has been productive for my fieldwork as I have had eight interviews ranging from 45 minutes to over 2 hours. Riding all over Recife in boiling hot buses that are packed beyond capacity has been the only negative as the interviews themselves have been quite enjoyable. The last woman who I interviewed was also extremely helpful both with the information that she gave me and that she provided me with about 12 names and numbers of people connected with the forró world such as composers, radio djs, musicians, and the vice-mayor of Olinda who has been heavily pressing for city support for local musicians.
These interviews were great in that I had a wide variety of people, 3 women and 5 men, aged 18 to mid 60´s who play forró. Luckily I was able to record all but one of these interviews so that I can go over the material later and pick out the details I will need. I have two more interviews scheduled for tomorrow and Monday and hopefully will get another 5 next week. If I can keep up this pace then I should have over 30 by the time my fieldwork comes to an end (looking at the calendar today I was surprised to see I only have another 6 weeks to collect my data before I have to start making my way down to São Paulo to leave for Amsterdam!). I also plan to go back to the sound recording department at the Joaquim Nabuco Institute this week and pour thorugh their records again to note lyrics for alot of the classic songs played by all these musicians.

Today recovering after a long night dancing in the streets nearby to a maracatu/côco group playing in front of a local bar. I even got to join in and played the berimbau (one stringed gourd resonator used in capoeira), the triangle, and ganzá (shaker). My thumb is raw from the blister I got not having played the berimbau in such a long time. Mostly just relaxed and today and played the pandeiro to accompany my roommate who plays the accordeon.

Friday, February 10, 2006


Berto Hortis - one of my informants and rising star on the forró scene in Recife.
























Camarão at his home in Recife. He recently received the Patrimonio Vivo (Living Patrimony) award from the state of Pernambuco for his many years of contributions to the music here.























Lula do Accordeon at his accordeon repair shop behind his home in Recife. He has an amazing selection of old forró vinyl, some with him or his wife on the covers.










Terezinha do Accordeon, one of my informants that I met at the forró of Arlindo. She has had a long career and has several ongoing projects at the moment, one involving a group of all women.























What a beautiful instrument! Que lindo instrumento!

Camarão and I backstage at the Sala de Reboco in Recife