Vinicius Cantuaria was a Brazilian born in Manaus, Amazonas. He lived there until the age of seven when his family moved to Rio. His career spans many areas of Brazilian music, including singer, songwriter and guitarist. His music has a distinctive twenty-first-century feel. Cantuaria’s group might be best described as ‘post electronica acoustic’. It features Paul Socolow (jazz bassist), Michael Leonhart (the young Steely Dan trumpeter), and a rotating band of Brazilian percussionists Nanny ASSIS, Mauro REFOSCO, and the legendary drummer Paulo Braga. They often include songs by Jobim, Gilberto Gil, and Cantuaria’s own songs. Cantuaria’s albums have been praised for featuring collaborations with stars in left-field commercial music such as Laurie Anderson, David Byrne and Brian Eno. Lindsay, Frisell, and Anderson share a similar style, but there’s always something awkward about their music. They don’t care about making it sound bad. They are ready to entertain and challenge their sophisticated audience. Cantuaria produces beautiful things, in contrast. Although he might be enthusiastic about DJ Spooky’s scratchy beats and trade vocals with David Byrne, or duet with Marc Ribot with Marc Ribot, the end result is always light, musical, tuneful, fleet, and musical. His version of “O Nome Dela” (co-written by Arto Lindsay) is comparable to the version on Lindsay’s album Prize. It has a wonderful tune, a catchy hook, and simple but profound lyrics. Each version is worth its own merits and showcases a different aspect Cantuaria’s chord playing. But it’s the Brazilian version of Sol Na Cara that haunts and grabs the heart. It is worth looking back at Cantuaria’s 1996 album Sol Na Cara to get an idea of his soundworld. This album helped to shape a new, super-cool world of neobrazilian music. Celso Fonseca, Moreno Veloso, and Bebel Gilberto have all successfully occupied this space. Ryuichi Sakamoto (founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra) was a significant collaborator on this album. His combination of keyboard skills and synthesizer squiggles gave unexpected stylistic touches in a genre that was out of sync with the times. Sakamoto, who has been playing the piano in an all-acoustic band with Paula Morelenbaum and Jaques Morelenbaum, has become more interested in Brazilian music. Cantuaria has also reduced his dependency on electronics, except for a few effects to the guitar, perhaps due to Bill Frisell’s influence. Cantuaria is also a member of the Intercontinental Quartet. Cantuaria sings Gilberto Gil’s song ‘Procissao,’ which is featured on Frisell’s new album, The Intercontinentals. Cantuaria’s band performed this song at Tonic, New York last March, and it has an infectious, Beatles-like chorus. The club’s rough recording reveals a more Brazilian interpretation. Cantuaria can seem as reserved and shy as Frisell, but there is a more assertive side to her personality, as shown in songs like ‘Sanfona,’ from the Verve album Tucuma, and ‘Normal,’ on Vinicius’. Lindsay’s English translation of “Normal” gives a glimpse of Cantuaria’s songwriting approach: “The boys from Bahia are playing capoeira / Every morning there’s a hot soccer match on sand/ And the concrete poetry boys of Sao Paulo/ The immigrants of the northeast with their lunchpails full of happiness. The Guanabara boys and the carioca boys / Beat the bass drum making tin can funk / The Brazilian boys grew up, and they’ll get there / Here are Carlinhos Brown, Bide and Luna / Nana Vasconcelos / Paulo Braga / Robertinho Silverado This song is sung against the beats of percussion and drums played by Cantuaria and Paulo Braga, with Jenny Scheinman and Peter Scherererererererererererererererererererererererererererererer and keyboards by Peter Schererererererererererererererererererererererererererer and keyboard by Peter Scher. Cantuaria’s rendition of ‘Airto Moreira” is a touching tribute to his countryman. It is also a reminder of the fact that Cantuaria spent most of his life as a drummer/percussionist. He was part of O Terco, the original rock band he formed in the 1970s, and in the backing group for Caetano Verloso, Cantuaria’s main gig for the past ten years. He continues to play percussion with the multi-instrumentalists of The Intercontinentals, and he has great empathy with fellow drummers. Arto Linday’s Jazz Cafe gig, 2000, saw the leader use his guitar to create sheets of freeform noises over a gentle bossa. Cantuaria, playing acoustic rhythm guitar, kept eye contact with him, continuing the groove that would eventually end. Cantuaria considers his New York studio an ‘atelier’. It is where he can practice every day. He might record a song or go back to old tapes. Or, he might spend hours playing with alternate chords for The Girl From Ipanema’. This song is the most well-known and loved by his idol Antonio Carlos Jobim. Cantuaria says that he can feel the song in many different ways. He emphasizes the importance of the acoustic instrument as an element of his craft. Every song was originally written and arranged on the acoustic, although he may use an electric instrument for the final orchestration. His modest appearance might not reflect his commercial success. Fabio Jr.’s version of Cantuaria’s song “So Voce” sold over two million copies in Brazil a few years back. “Lua E Estrella”, the song Cantuaria composed for Caetano Verloso in 1981 was their biggest hit. Veloso appears on Vinicius (Transparent), 2001, for the delicate song “Agua Rasa”. Cantuaria released several solo albums in the 80s and 1990s before moving to New York in 1995. He also recorded the song ‘Agua Rasa’. Cantuaria’s definition of contemporary music is very popular when you ask him. He speaks about the timeless freshness of British pop music, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. “Contemporary music to me is something like Jobim or Eno. The synthesizers make music from the 1980s sound old if you listen to it, such as Duran Duran and Tears for Fears. “Satisfaction” still sounds great. He says, “It’s like buying a pair of black traditional shoes that will last you ten year.” Cantuaria’s songs should be viewed in this way? Music is like shoes, made in the traditional way, well-stitched, weatherproof, comfortable, and getting better with age. Cantuaria says, “I want to do beautiful music, and to play in small clubs.” That word is again: “beautiful”. He isn’t a pop star, but he doesn’t speak like one. “I try to remind people of Miles Davis or Chet Baker – their music and harmonies were so sweet. This is my Fab Four: Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Tom Jobim and Chet Baker.’ John L. Walters 2003 from http://www.vinicius.com
