Brazzil Before he became the music mogul he is today, Almir Chediak was a teacher of guitar and
harmony. First he taught a generation of singers and instrumentalists such as Gal Costa,
Nara Lećo, Tim Maia, Carlos Lyra, Elba Ramalho, Cazuza, Ricardo Silveira, and Moraes
Moreira. Then he took on the musical education of their children: Moreno Veloso, Pedro
Gil, and Davi Moraes are some musicians' sons who passed through Chediak's hands. Being
also an avid collector of MPB (mśsica popular brasileira) discs, Chediak was bound
to hit upon the idea of musical education for the multitudes. The dream began to take shape in 1984, with a dictionary of guitar chords. "There
was a paucity of educational material for popular music," says Chediak, "Until
then, only classic harmony was studied, and it was full of rules. The musician came out
educated, but with no basis for playing in night spots." By 1987, with Lumiar already
in business, Chediak published a book on harmony and improvisation that continues to be a
success among beginning musicians. Along the way, Chediak conceived the idea of the songbook, a collection of song scores
including lyrics, melody, and harmony that would give guitar professionals and amateurs
alike ready access to the works of Brazil's best songwriters. That was eleven years ago.
The Veloso connection yielded the first Lumiar songbook in 1988, with 135 of Caetano's
songs collected in two volumes. Lumiar prides itself on publishing accurate sheet music
and lyrics, and each composer it publishes—if still alive—actively participates
in finalizing the scores. Working with Caetano, Chediak says, he learned to differentiate
between real rhythmic division and what is merely interpretation. In his turn, Caetano,
whose lyrics were for years erroneously printed even in his own albums' notes, finally got
a correct edition of his major works. In addition to songs, the Caetano Veloso songbook contained photos, a
biographical text, and an interview with the songwriter, as well as his discography as a
performer. This format set the mold for future Lumiar publications, and the concept took
off to such an extent that Chediak copyrighted the word Songbook, not to everyone's
pleasure. He hasn't stopped since. Songbook Caetano Veloso was followed by Bossa
Nova (with 312 songs in five volumes); Antonio Carlos Jobim (in three volumes);
Cazuza and Rita Lee (in two volumes each). In 1991, a new component was introduced into the formula. In tandem with the three
books of Songbook Noel Rosa, Lumiar launched its first CD. It was a revelation.
Noel's sambas, all composed in the 1920s and '30s (the composer died in 1937), were
displayed in sparkling new settings. On the very first track, Antonio Carlos Jobim and his
band turned "Trźs Apitos," Noel's declaration of longing for a factory worker,
into a Jobinian tour de force. Songbook Noel Rosa showcased stars on the order of
Djavan, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Joćo Bosco, Maria Bethānia, Caetano Veloso, and Chico
Buarque in 22 of Noel's best-known sambas. The booklet provided printed lyrics—often
regarded as an unnecessary luxury in Brazilian discs. In short, it was a winning
combination that Lumiar has since repeated again and again. In 1992 came Gilberto Gil, with two books and three discs. In 1993, Vinicius
de Moraes (three books, three CDs) and Dorival Caymmi (80+ songs in two books
and four CDs—practically the entire output of the Bahian composer). Carlos Lyra
(a book and a CD) and Edu Lobo (a book and two CDs) appeared in 1994. Then Lumiar's
production began to assume larger proportions. In 1995 we got Songbook Ary Barroso
(two books, three CDs) and the two discs of Antonio Carlos Jobim Instrumental.
Jobim's vocal compositions were released on five discs in 1996, followed in 1997 by Songbook
Djavan in two books and three CDs, which was followed by Songbook Marcos Valle
(a book and two CDs) in 1998. This year's first songbook package, Joćo Donato, consists of a book and three
CDs (see review). The second, released just before Christmas, is the eagerly awaited
mammoth Songbook Chico Buarque, comprising four books and eight CDs (the reviews
are mixed). Songbook Joćo Bosco and another one of choro are in the works.
Chediak's most ambitious project to date (will it be realized?) is meant to encompass ten
books containing the most representative 600 Brazilian songs of the 20th century. Each Lumiar songbook comes with its own tale. Working with Tom Jobim meant six months'
worth of fax exchanges between Rio and New York. The melodic richness of Dorival Caymmi's
songs suggested more elaborate guitar chords than those played by the composer. When
Chediak proposed new harmonies, Caymmi said, "This is how I would have wanted to do
it but wouldn't have been able to." With Djavan, the case was reversed. "Djavan
has highly complicated divisions that I couldn't smooth out. His music is interpretation.
No matter how many times I asked, he always repeated it exactly the same way. His book
ended up being a rhythmic reading," explains Chediak. Songbook Djavan took
seven years to produce. Along the way, Chediak branched out into non-songbook publications, although Lumiar's
entire output continues to be MPB-related. The catalog offers numerous how-to books for
singers and instrumentalists, as well as reference works and non-technical books. Among
the latter are the works of music critic and historian Sérgio Cabral, who chronicled the
life and work of musical giants Pixinguinha, Ary Barroso, Elizeth Cardoso, and Antonio
Carlos Jobim and wrote the history of Rio de Janeiro's escolas de samba. In the disc realm, Lumiar launched the mini-series Letra & Mśsica, paying
tribute to the work of four great songwriters who demonstrated excellence in both music
and lyrics. These were given expert interpretations by pairs of seasoned performers. The Ary
Barroso disc was recorded by Rosa Passos & Lula Galvćo (guitar); Chico Buarque
by Joćo Nogueira & Marinho Boffa (piano); Noel Rosa by Johnny Alf &
Leandro Braga (piano); and Tom Jobim by Leny Andrade & Cristovćo Bastos
(piano). In recent years, Lumiar has also become home to first-rate musicians who might not
otherwise find a quality label in the commercially oriented Brazilian music market. The
label's steady roster includes Joćo Donato; bossanovista Rosa Passos, who just
released her third Lumiar disc, Morada do Samba (see review); crack pianist and
arranger Cristovćo Bastos, who finally got a chance to release his own solo CD, Avenida
Brasil; and talented young singer Carol Saboya, the first artist to be launched
outright by Lumiar, and whose second disc, Janelas Abertas, is reviewed here. Carol
Saboya is the daughter of pianist/composer Antonio Adolfo. "I'm a fan of
Carol's," says Chediak, "When she was a year-and-a-half old, she already sang,
and I accompanied her on the guitar. Whenever I changed the tonality, she quickly
followed." Chediak's greatest pleasure, he claims, is in being able to help new
generations of budding musicians like the 14-year old that appeared one day with his
mother in Lumiar's office. "He said that he'd learned to play by himself, using only
the songbooks. I asked him to play "Beatriz" (by Edu Lobo & Chico Buarque),
which isn't easy, and he acquitted himself very well," concludes the proud publisher.
Lumiar's website (English & Portuguese): This has been the year of the Jobim Tribute. What with heavyweights like Joćo Donato, Gal Costa, Toninho Horta, and Quarteto
Jobim-Morelenbaum among those releasing Tudo Tom albums (and subject to polemics as
to the necessity for an nth version of "Chega de Saudade") it would have been
embarrassing if not foolhardy to bring out yet another new Jobim tribute were it not for
the high quality of the offering. The latest contribution, Janelas Abertas, comes from a label that has become a
veritable Jobim factory. Having already released similar discs by Leny Andrade &
Cristovćo Bastos, Rosa Passos, and Joćo Donato, not to mention five vocal and two
instrumental Songbook Antonio Carlos Jobim CDs and Minha Alma Canta—Jobim's
own recordings from Lumiar's other songbooks—Chediak now gives us singer Carol Saboya
and guitarist Nelson Faria's interpretations. The good news is that Janelas Abertas is free of clichés. No "Chega de
Saudade" here. Nor will you find "Desafinado" or "Corcovado" or
"Garota de Ipanema" or "Įguas de Marēo." The repertoire was chosen
with care, and the songs (see tracklist) are given an intimate setting where they blossom
quietly into subtle beauty. Carol Saboya made her recording debut last year with the accomplished disc Danēa da
Voz, for which she won the prestigious Sharp Award as Female Singer Revelation of
1998. In Janelas Abertas she is given the opportunity to demonstrate again her
lovely voice, technical ability, musicality, and sensitivity to the material. The voice,
accompanied by Nelson Faria's guitar in low-key and highly appropriate arrangements, never
overwhelms the compositions. It is the songs that are given the spotlight in this
intelligent production. The result is a disc that should please not only Jobim fans but
all who appreciate the art of the song. Janelas Abertas Carol Saboya & Nelson Faria Interpretam Canēões de Antonio Carlos Jobim Lumiar Discos LD41-02/99; 1999 01. Meninos, eu vi (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Chico Buarque) 02. Ana Luiza (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 03. Estrada do sol (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Dolores Duran) 04. Chansong (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 05. Canēćo em modo menor (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius de Moraes) 06. Caminhos cruzados (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Newton Mendonēa) 07. Fotografia (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Chico Buarue) 08. Estrada branca (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius de Moraes) 09. Foi a noite (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Newton Mendonēa) 10. Bonita (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Ray Gilbert) 11. Sem vocź (Antonio Carlos Jobim/ Vinicius de Moraes) 12. Janelas abertas (Antonio Carlos Jobim/ Vinicius de Moraes) 13. Espelho das įguas (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 14. Chora coraēćo (Antonio Carlos Jobim/ Vinicius de Moraes) After a protracted period of anticipation, Songbook Joćo Donato is finally out
in both book and disc form. We've been rewarded with a package well worth the wait. Despite his innovative
contributions to bossa nova and Latin jazz, Donato has remained a well-kept secret
throughout his almost 50-year career. A cult idol regarded as a musician's musician, he
hasn't received the widespread acclaim due an artist of his magnitude. This songbook
package begins to redress a long-standing injustice. The book In addition to gathering 52 of Donato's songs (melodies, lyrics, and harmony chords for
acoustic and electric guitar) in a single volume, the bilingual (Portuguese and English) Songbook
Joćo Donato provides a preface by Lumiar's publisher/editor Almir Chediak; an
overview of Donato's career by the music critic Tįrik de Souza; an interview between
Chediak and Donato edited by Sérgio Cabral; and a partial discography of Donato
(including disc-cover reproductions). There's also a collection of interesting photos from Donato's life, ranging from
childhood pictures to portraits of Donato's muses—among them his great love,
singer/songwriter Dolores Duran, and immortal singer Aracy de Almeida. The artist's career
can be traced from its beginnings: the 16-year old Donato playing accordion at the Monte
Carlo nightclub; the 19-year old Donato, still on the accordion, at Rįdio Guanabara in
the company of, among others, legendary Época de Ouro guitarist César Faria (who's
Paulinho da Viola's father) and equally legendary flutist Altamiro Carrilho; a rare 1957
shot taken in downtown Rio, where Donato is shown striding alongside his alter ego, the
yet unknown Joćo Gilberto, who's wearing black-framed glasses ą la Federico Fellini. The
pair are also portrayed performing together in Viareggio, Italy in 1963, although the
caption dates the photo from 1962. The discs There are three discs in the Songbook Joćo Donato set, and they're among the
best that Lumiar has produced thus far. As usual with Lumiar's productions, the brightest
stars, both vocalists and instrumentalists, have been summoned to perform the songs.
However, the Donato songbook is the only one in which the composer takes an active part as
pianist and support vocalist in some of the recordings, in addition to having arranged a
number of the songs (he participates in a total of 13 tracks). This should be of
particular interest to Donato sticklers, who would be glad to know that Donato's
compelling compositions receive here proper Donatian arrangements that embellish his songs
without interfering with their simplicity. I was hard-put to single out any outstanding song or performance, owing to the
uniformly high quality of the offerings. Vol. 1 is off to a roaring start with Gal Costa
lending her incomparable voice to "Simples Carinho" and Chico Buarque giving
"Brisa do Mar" all the intimacy it deserves. They are followed by Edu Lobo in
"Nua Idéia"; J.T. Meirelles & Ed Motta in a rollicking rendition of
"Bananeira"; Joćo Bosco letting loose unexpected harmonies in
"Mentiras"; and so it goes. Donato accompanies Luiz Melodia in a fine rendition
of "Coisas Distantes," one of the songs he co-authored with Joćo Gilberto. The
composer also does the honors as pianist in the chachachį "Nasci Para Bailar,"
sung here by Wanda Sį. The disc concludes with the early and memorable composition
"Muito ą Vontade," uniting Donato on piano with Ivan Lins on vocals. Nana Caymmi expertly opens Vol. 2 in "Até Quem Sabe," followed by Caetano
Veloso & Donato in "O Fundo" and Daniela Mercury & Guinga in "A
Rć." The composer makes four more appearances on this disc. He accompanies Arnaldo
Antunes in "A Bruxa de Mentira" and Joćo Bosco in "Nossas Śltimas
Viagens." The final track is "Doralinda," sung by Donato Jr., with his
father providing the syncopated piano accompaniment. The curiosity in Vol. 2 is "Os
Caminhos," sung by the veteran radio queen Emilinha Borba, with Donato on piano.
Donato is such an outstanding composer that it's hard to accuse him of plagiarism. Yet
"Os Caminhos" is almost a dead ringer for the Mexican bolero "La
Mentira" (aka "Se te olvida"), composed in 1965 by the late great Alvaro
Carrillo. "La Mentira" is the same composition that influenced Joćo Bosco's
"Latin Lover," so it may be possible that Donato's version is more of an
unconscious borrowing than an outright theft (or perhaps Joćo Bosco was influenced by
"Os Caminhos" rather than by "La Mentira"). Lumiar's songbooks don't
include dates for published compositions, thus it's not easy to determine the age of
"Os Caminhos" or the true origin of this melody. Gilberto Gil leads off Vol. 3 with a charming voice & guitar interpretation of
"Minha Saudade"—by far the best I've heard of this song, co-authored with
Joćo Gilberto, who failed to appear on these discs despite past promises. Donato can also
be heard with Djavan in "Depois do Natal"; with Rosa Passos in a wonderful
recording of "A Paz"; with Ed Motta in "Everyday"; with Os Cariocas in
"Lua Dourada"; and with Tita in "O Escafandrista." The Donato tracks
alone would be reason enough to acquire this excellent set, but we're fortunate in getting
much more in the bargain. Songbook Joćo Donato Volume 1 Lumiar Discos LD 43-04/99; 1999 01. Simples carinho (Joćo Donato/Abel Silva)—Gal Costa 02. Brisa do mar (Joćo Donato/Abel Silva)—Chico Buarque 03. Nua idéia( Joćo Donato/Caetano Veloso)—Edu Lobo 04. Bananeira (Joćo Donato/Gilberto Gil)—J.T. Meirelles & Ed Motta 05. Mentiras (Joćo Donato/Lysias Enio)—Joćo Bosco 06. Maria Surpresa (Joćo Donato/Caetano Veloso)—Adriana Calcanhoto 07. Coisas distantes (Joćo Donato/Joćo Gilberto/Lysias Enio)—Luiz Melodia 08. Emoriō (Joćo Donato/Gilberto Gil)—Sandra de Sį 09. Nasci para bailar (Joćo Donato/Paulo André Barata)—Wanda Sį 10. Os verbos do amor (Joćo Donato/Abel Silva)—Emķlio Santiago 11. Sambou, sambou (Joćo Donato/Joćo Mello)—Joyce 12. Fim de sonho (Joćo Donato/Joćo Carlos Pįdua)—Rosa Passos 13. Cadź vocź? (Joćo Donato/Chico Buarque)—Angela Rō Rō & Antōnio Adolfo
14. Muito ą vontade (Joćo Donato/Lysias Enio)—Ivan Lins & Joćo Donato Songbook Joćo Donato Volume 2 Lumiar Discos LD 44-05/99; 1999 01. Até quem sabe (Joćo Donato/Lysias Enio)—Nana Caymmi 02. O fundo (Joćo Donato/Caetano Veloso)—Caetano Veloso & Joćo Donato 03. A rć (Joćo Donato/ Caetano Veloso)—Daniela Mercury & Guinga 04. A bruxa de mentira (Joćo Donato/Gilberto Gil)—Arnaldo Antunes & Joćo
Donato 05. Café com pćo (Joćo Donato/Lysias Enio)—Marcos Valle 06. Terremoto (Joćo Donato/Paulo César Pinheiro)—Elba Ramalho 07. É proibido afinar o piano (Joćo Donato/Nilo Batista)—Eduardo Dusek 08. Chorou, chorou (Joćo Donato/Paulo César Pinheiro)—Miścha 09.Nossas śltimas viagens (Joćo Donato/Joćo Bosco/Aldir Blanc)—Joćo Bosco
& Joćo Donato 10. Amor perfeito (Joćo Donato/Moraes Moreira)—Moraes Moreira 11. Sambolero (Joćo Donato/Carmen Costa)—Carmen Costa 12. Os caminhos (Joćo Donato/Abel Silva)—Emilinha Borba 13. Quem diz que sabe (Joćo Donato/Paulo Sérgio Valle)—Johnny Alf 14. Doralinda (Joćo Donato/Cazuza)—Donato Jr. Songbook Joćo Donato Volume 3 Lumiar Discos LD 45-06/99; 1999 01. Minha saudade (Joćo Donato/Joćo Gilberto)—Gilberto Gil 02. Depois do Natal (Joćo Donato/Lysias Enio/Joćo Mello)—Djavan & Joćo
Donato 03. A paz (Joćo Donato/Gilberto Gil)—Rosa Passos 04. Naturalmente (Joćo Donato/Caetano Veloso)—Zélia Duncan & Lenine 05. Everyday [A Little Love] (Joćo Donato/Norman Gimbel)—Ed Motta & Joćo
Donato 06. Gaiolas abertas (Joćo Donato/Martinho da Vila)—Leila Pinheiro 07. Daquele amor, nem me fale (Joćo Donato/Martinho da Vila)—Joćo Nogueira 08. Amazonas (Joćo Donato/Lysias Enio)—Verōnica Sabino & Leandro Braga 09. Flor de maracujį (Joćo Donato/Lysias Enio)—Dominguinhos 10. Entre um sim e um nćo (Joćo Donato/Abel Silva)—Zé Renato 11. Lua dourada (Joćo Donato/Fausto Nilo)—Os Cariocas & Joćo Donato 12. Lugar comum (Joćo Donato/Gilberto Gil)—Leny Andrade 13. Fonte da saudade (Joćo Donato/Lysias Enio)—Elza Soares 14. O escafandrista (Joćo Donato/Tita/Edson Lobo)—Tita After a three-year absence, we have Rosa Passos again. Not that she was gone—she
released an Ary Barroso disc in 1997 and a Tom Jobim/Joćo Gilberto tribute in 1998. But
fans of Rosa Passos the songwriter have been deprived of her compositions since 1996, when
she released her last Velas album, Pano Pra Manga. It's an auspicious return. The Bahian singer/guitarist, who's been called `Joćo
Gilberto in skirts,' is probably the foremost female bossanovista in the world
today, celebrated for her intimist vocals, superb ability with rhythmic division, and the
not inconsiderable feat of having given bossa nova a fresh new sound. Now she returns with a polished jewel, Morada do Samba, in which eight of the
songs were composed by her. Collaborating with guitarist and arranger Lula
Galvćo—her recording partner for a number of years—and with musicians of the
first line like pianist Gilson Peranzzetta, bassist Jorge Helder, drummer Erivelton Silva,
and a host of distinguished instrumentalists, Rosa submerges us in a balmy pool of
sophistication, good taste, mellow swing, and well-being. Rosa sings of new passion, of small everyday scenes, of nature, of Bahia, and of
music—topics that are very much at home within the musical confines of her songs.
Ever so gently, she draws us into her world—a magical bubble that filters out all
dissonance and stress, leaving us full of pure joy. Rosa Passos: Morada do Samba Lumiar Discos LD 42-03/99; 1999 01. Beiral (Djavan) 02. Esmeraldas (Rosa Passos/Fernando de Oliveira) 03. Pequena mśsica noturna (Rosa Passos/Fernando de Oliveira) 04. Roseira (Rosa Passos/Fernando de Oliveira) 05. Primavera (Rosa Passos/Walmir Palma) 06. Morada do samba (Rosa Passos/Walmir Palma) 07. Alma de blues (Rosa Passos/Fernando de Oliveira) 08. Marco (Rosa Passos/Sérgio Natureza) 09. Lį vem a baiana (Dorival Caymmi) 10. Nada igual (Rosa Passos/Sérgio Natureza) 11. Calmaria (Walmir Palma) 12. Saudade da Bahia (Dorival Caymmi) 13. Retiro (Paulinho da Viola) The following partial list was extracted from Donato's complete discography on the
Sombras.com website, which also includes label and format information, participations in
other musicians' discs and in collections, and album covers: http://www.sombras.com.br/joaodonato/joaod.htm#discografia
Altamiro Carrilho e Seu Regional (1949) Donato e Seu Conjunto (1953) Os Namorados (1953) Os Namorados (1953) Os Namorados (1954) Donato e Seu Conjunto (1955) Chį Danēante—Donato e seu Conjunto (1956) Muito ą Vontade [Sambou Sambou] (1962) A Bossa Muito Moderna de Donato e Seu Trio (1963) Bud Shank/Donato/Rosinha de Valenēa [Bud Shank & His Brazilian Friends] (1965) Piano of Joćo Donato—The New Sound of Brasil (1965) Donato/Deodato [Joćo Donato] (1969) A Bad Donato (1970) Quem É Quem (1973) Lugar Comum (1975) Leiliadas—Joćo Donato Ao Vivo no People (1986) Coisas Tćo Simples (EMI; 1996) Café com Pćo—Joćo Donato & Eloir de Moraes (Lumiar; 1997) Donatom—Só Danēo Samba (Lumiar; 1999) Songbook Joćo Donato (Lumiar; 1999) Recriaēćo (Chantecler; 1978) Amorosa (1988) Curare (Velas; 1991) Festa (Velas; 1993) Pano Pra Manga (Velas; 1996) Letra & Mśsica Ary Barroso (Lumiar; 1997) 40 Anos de Bossa Nova—Rosa Passos Canta Antonio Carlos Jobim (Lumiar; 1998) Morada do Samba (Lumiar; 1999) Danēa da Voz (Lumiar; 1998) Janelas Abertas—Carol Saboya & Nelson Faria Interpretam Canēões de Antonio
Carlos Jobim (Lumiar; 1998) The writer publishes the online magazine of Brazilian music and culture Daniella Thompson on Brazil and the website Musica Brasiliensis, where she can be contacted.
December 1999
Music Let there
be Lumiar How a guitar teacher turned a fledgling publishing
firm into the
cultural powerhouse known
as Lumiar Discos & Editora. Daniella Thompson
www.lumiar.com.br
New Lumiar Releases
Carol Saboya & Nelson Faria's Jobim Tribute—Focusing on the Uncommon
Songbook Joćo Donato, an Exercise in Brilliance
Rosa Passos Sings Rosa Passos
Joćo Donato's Discography
Rosa Passos' Discography
Carol Saboya's Discography