Vinicius Cantuária - Horse And Fish (May 11, 2004)
Vinicius Cantuária came to Bar/None as an established star in his native Brazil, a leading figure in the worlds of bossa nova and jazz. Leader of the rock band O Terco, he released six albums in Brazil in the 80's and with his album Sol na Cara (Grammavision), was a pioneer of the neo-Brazilian music in 1996.The multi-talented singer, composer, guitarist, and percussionist came to New York in the mid-90's and immersed himself in the city's avant-garde underground, collaborating with artists like Arto Lindsay, David Byrne, Brian Eno, and Laurie Anderson. In 2004, he teamed with Bar/None for Horse And Fish, his 11th studio album. "Since the earliest days of bossa nova in the 1950's, Brazilian singers and musicians have competed with each other to be the most understated, subtle practitioners of the form," wrote Chris Moss for the BBC. "Vinicius Cantuária is arguably the current master of the subliminally sensual." JazzTimes opined, "Even as Cantuária aims toward modernism, he interprets canonical Brazilian themes like 'O Barquinho' and Jobim's 'Ligia,' his voice taking on a strikingly intimate, vulnerable quality on the latter." These days, Vinicius owns a studio in New York City and still travels frequently to Brazil, where he continues to create and produce.
Q: You came to America with an international reputation in jazz and bossa nova, but when you came to New York, you worked with many artists in the avant-rock world like Arto Lindsay, Laurie Anderson, and David Byrne. How did these collaborations change the course of your career, and what influence from these people have you brought into your current work?
Vinicius: When I started to work with that group of musicians I felt I had found a sound that entered well in my music and my aesthetic. It was a rich give and take of possibilities. I was influenced and in turn influenced these artists and together we made some fantastic music. Of course this all took my music to another level and my work still reflects this time in New York
Q: Many Americans (including myself) were introduced to bossa nova by Frank Sinatra's collaborations with Jobim. How do you think Jobim's legacy and artistry has survived 40 years later? Is he still influencing the music in Brazil and elsewhere?
Vinicius: Jobim is one of the biggest musical influences of the past century and his music is still alive and current, continuing to influence musicians across the world. And one of the reasons why his music is still current is that his harmonies and melodies, in addition to their Brazilian touch, create a bridge between jazz and classical music - something that makes it universal, seductive and appreciated by musicians and listeners
Q: What would you tell the American listener who is not familiar with bossa nova to get them to give it a try? What about this music is universal and timeless and appeals to so many different tastes?
Vinicius: I think everyone has heard one way or another a song by Jobim, so in that way everyone has heard Bossa Nova, but for someone starting out I would recommend listening to the classic album with Stan Getz playing the classic "The Girl from Ipanema" From there you can discover many other recordings with the interplanetary music of Jobim and other bossa nova artists.
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