Orquestra Popular de Câmara´s new CD “Danças, Jogos e Canções” (“Dances, Plays and Songs”) presents readings by its formers “It´s an album with many facets showing the influences of each composer”.

That is how flutist and composer Teco Cardoso defines the new Orquestra Popular de Câmara CD.

The iintention was to present several renditions that each of the groups founders – musicians, solists, composers, arrangers – contributed to the orchestra. It was also intended to maintain the ideas that were present in the first album and in the group´s formation itself: the appropriation of popular and erudit languages, and regarding the arrangements, the mixture of opened and closed structures.

Among the songs, the album “Danças, Jogos e Canções” ,recorded live, presents:

“Malunga” by Caíto Marcondes, “O Circo Invisível de Fellini” by Mané Silveira, “Um Olhar sobre a cidade” by Benjamim Taubkin, ” Jabaculê no Jabour” by Teco Cardoso (dedicated to Hermeto Paschoal), “Correnteza” byTom Jobim and “Blackbird” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

We feel that this music reflects and represents our land and the people who are here, dreaming, in space, alive.

Our orchestra provides an endless play (a continuous dance):

Creates a free but disciplined music at the same time

Seeks the sense of individuality and also the interaction within the whole group

Represents the contemporary urban reality, witho ut leaving aside the search for a deep contact with our traditions. There is no need to lose our essence in order to be civilized. We must try to go deep inside and search for the peace in our soul.

There is joy, contemplation and warmth when making music.

—
Musicians

Ari Colares (percussion)
Music professor at the Universidade Livre de Música and at the University of Sao Paulo (the most important university in Brazil.) Ari has played with: Naná Vasconcelos, Egberto Gismonti, Winton Marsalis, Césa Camargo Mariano, among others.
Recently, he has been playing with: Vanessa da Mata, Fortuna, Banda Heartbreakers and others. Besides that, Ari has an instrumental project with Heloisa Ferandes, a percussion/piano percussion duo, which started when they were nominated for the best Instrumental album in the VISA Awards.

Benjamim Taubkin (piano)
Benjamim started his career in the 70s and since then he has played with Rafael Rabello, Paulo Moura, Marlui Miranda, among others. Playing with Zizi Possi, he participated in her CD “Valsa Brasileira” – chosen as the best Brazilian Popular Music album by the SHARP Award in 1993 – and also participated in her program “Sobre todas as Coisas”.
In 1989, Benjamim created the Brazilian Memory Project, where he produced several concerts as “Violões” (Guitars), “Piano” and “Arranjadores” (Masters of Arrangers) , that were all released by his Núcleo Contemporâneo label, which he founded together with Teco Cardoso. His first CD, “A Terra e o Espaço Aberto”, was released in 1997, also by his label, and was a nominee for the ´Prêmio Movimento´ and ´Sharp´ Award.

Caíto Marcondes (percussion)
Caíto had his CD “Porta do Tempo” released in Brazil and Europe. Airto Moreira considered him the Villa Lobos of percussion”. Together with Teco Cardoso, he has made the soundtrack for the movie “O Cineasta da Selva”. The soundtrack was released by Núcleo Contemporâneo in 1998. In August of 2001 Caíto had his CD “North Meets South / Sul Encontra o Norte” (a duo with the american violinist Tracy Silverman) released by the same label.

Dimos Goudaroulis (violoncello)
Born in Greece, he studied with Phillipe Muller and Reine Flachot. Living in Brasil since 1996, Dimos has been presenting in several musical formations: baroque music with the Tripo Contínuo group; and the contemporary music, of the Novo Horizonte group.

Guello (percussion)
Guello has been playing with major musicians such as Zizi Possi (her latest four CD´s), Chico César, Joyce, and others. He is also former member of the Bonsai Group, which released the latest CD “Desdobraduras”.

Lulinha Alencar (acordion)
Pianist, composer, arranger and acordion player, Lulinha began studying piano and jazz improvisation. He formed the instrumental trio LSD´Jazz and also formerly was in the Banda Buscapé, focusing on regional music. As an accordion player, Lulinha has been playing with groups such as Mafuá, Mawaca, Antônio Barros and others.

Mané Siveira (sax and flutes)
Mané had three Cd´s released by Núcleo Contemporâneo record: ” Sax sob as Árvores” (nominee for the Sharp Award), ” Bonsai Machine” and “Imã” (a duo with Swami Jr.).

Mônica Salmaso (vocal)
Considered the best new vocal talent in Brazil, Mônica released her CD “Trampolim” in 1998 and “Afrosambas” (together with Paulo Bellinatti) in 1996. She won the VISA Award in 1999 as best singer in Brazil and in the same year released her latest CD “Voadeira”, with special participation of Marcos Suzano and Toninho Ferragutti.

Ronem Altman (mandolim)
Representing the new generation of mandolinists, Ronem performed on the soundtrack of Walter Salles Jr.´s movie “Terra Estrangeira” and in several editions of the choro festival “Festival Chorando Alto”.

Sylvinho Mazzucca (bass)
Sylvinho Mazzucca has played with major Brazilian artists such as Ivan Lins and Zona Azul. He is one of the most busy bass players in Brazil.

Teco Cardoso (sax and flutes)
Winner of the Sharp Award in 1998 (best instrumentalist) with his CD “Meu Brasil”, Teco is one of the owners of Núcleo Contemporâneo record. He has been touring with his own group and also with artists such as Joyce and Dori Caymmi, among others. Together with Caíto Marcondes, Teco was responsible for the soundtrack of the movie “Cineasta da Selva”. In 1999 Teco and flutist Léa Freire released the CD “Quinteto.

Zezinho Pitoco (percussion)
Pitoco was involved in the founding of several Brazilian music groups such as “Mexe com Tudo” and “Mistura e Manda”. He is now the musical director for Antônio Carlos Nóbrega.

—
Comments

“What I love about this music is that it sounds like now in Brazil to me, without really being that traditional somehow, even though it is obvious that the players know all about the sources of what they are playing.”
— Pat Metheney

“It´s not easy to define this music. There is a feeling one cannot easily describe the music, even though the musicians know it well, and that leads us beyond our mere passions. “Musical”, perhaps, it´s a possible name for this feeling. It´s from the bottom of this almost ´impersonal´ emotion where the Orquestra found some reserves of meaning. And it´s to this spot where we go now, where we always want to go, following the black bird of music, down the river.”
— Folha de S.Paulo, 14/10/2002, Arthur Nestrovski*
*Danças, Jogos e Canções got the highest rate (four stars) from Arthur Nestrovski.

“Orquestra Popular de Câmara goes deep inside tradition but nevertheless shows a contemporary loyalty to that popular music tradition.”
— O Estado de São Paulo, 17/12/99, Mauro Dias