Vinicius De Moraes - interview and songs with Baden Powell

PK off comment: "Vinicius de Moraes is a great poet. During spring 1966 he was working in Auro Preto, in the mountains. I went to visit him, as intimidated as a country side man going to Paris for the first time to meet with a Jacques Prevert, who would also be Raymond Queneau, Apollinaire, Georges Brassens and Guy Beart. He is the guardian god of brasilian music. He is writing the lyrics for dozens of songs from musicians he appreciates. Diplomat, writer, amateur and connoisseur of whisky and cachaça, successively husband of always gorgeous women, here he is, sitting on the stairs of Carmao church."

PK: "we are dealing today with the birth of a totally autonomous brasilian culture, in the cinema, architecture, music and art. Can you tell me more about that or tell me whether I'm wrong?"

VDM: "I think you are totally right Pierre. This culture is organising in an 'organic' manner. It is the fruit of the agitated developpment of the country...(smile)"

PK: "Agitated..(smile). That's what makes the charm of it, no?"

VDM: "Yes it is very rich, it is virgin. Everything is still to be done."

PK: "The feeling is that it is totally released from european and north american influence."

VDM: "Yes I think we start to figure out our own culture."

PK: "I really have the feeling that Brasil, which is the most important latin american country with 80 million of people speaking a latin language, has its future ahead. That is to say that things are about to happen here, while in occidental countries, future is somhow behind us."

VDM: "Yes but these are secular cultures. We are in a young country who has benefited a lot from all that. What I find wonderful in Brasil is that we've created a culture which is released from influences, even portuguese. We are devicing our own language."

PK: "Even the language has changed?"

VDM: "Yes it has. We have also been gifted with an element I find wonderful: the afro, the black. What the black has brought to us, especially from a rythmic point of view, is wonderful: old condomble from Bahia, black rites, black magic..."

PK: "I think that it should be put off the mind of euopean people that these are only a series of magical and divinatory practises for day to day purposes."

VDM: "You know there is a long aged background for condomble and black magic in Bahia, which is still strongly related to Africa."

PK: "How was Bossa Nova born? We've got some troule in europe to figure out precisely what happened. how is Bossa Nova related to Samba, which is the traditional and popular song?"

VDM: "It is a samba which has listened to jazz a little, which has travelled a little, which has matured, but without any loss of national specifity."

PK: "How could we translate 'Bossa Nova'?"

VDM: "'Bossa Nova' is huh... It the new... 'Bossa Nova' you know is a new specific manner to do something."

PK: "I've got the feeling we are facing something very curious: we see how all your music and lyrics are loaded with a certain amount of protest. This is something which seems quite universal to me. It makes me think of Boris Vian somehow, and also of Bob Dylan in the US or Bobby McGuire for example, which to use a song, and this kind of music to strongly protest against established order."

VDM: "Yes absolutely. There is this political tendancy. It is very natural in a country at this stage of developpment like Brasil, frequently tortured by its governments... (laugh). Fortunately young guys are protesting..."

PK off comment: "Luckily that day, Vinicius had welcome the great guitar player Baden Powell. Then began my trip to the young brasilian music in the most beautiful way. I won't say 'close yours eyes, open your ears' but for a moment the important thing is the pleasure of this wonderful and magical world of music, born from individual lyrism and popular traditional music which came with black slaves from far Africa."

We thank Ben for his translation and his support.