© Rita Draper Frazão

Inner Tour is a blog about People, Arts and Traveling by Rita Draper Frazão.
If you want to use my work, presented here, please send me a message.

5.27.2017

A few more of these, please



This year, May was a full month, around here. Why? 

Regarding Portugal, I can't fail to mention, three important events that happened, all at the same time. 

The Pope Francis visited Portugal (in the centenary of the Fatima apparitions), the Portuguese song, Amar pelos dois (sang by Salvador Sobral and written by Luísa Sobral) won the Eurovision contest, plus, the MIA Festival (in Atouguia da Baleia) happened. I had the privilege to be drawing there, and this year, that wasn't the only task I had.

Curious to know more, and find out about the stuff that inspired me the most in this year's edition? Take a look below!


Warming up


This year, my inspiration started with a beautiful car trip with the guitar player Nuno Ribeiro, on our way to the festival. 
He was driving, and decided not to go on the main highway, so we could enjoy the imposing landscape - rocks, trees, mountains, and our amazing sea shore. It was my first present of the weekend.


The first drawing I did in MIA Festival, was during Carlo Mascolo's and Fernando Simões's performance. 

The beauty in MIA is that we never know what's going to happen and the chances are that, even if you are not a musician, somehow you will have to improvise as well.

Arriving at the St. Joseph's Church, where this gig took place, I was struck by the seat's disposition. They weren't aligned, and were placed in all possible directions - not towards the stage, how we usually see. So the public was invited to "improvise in space" as we chose our seats. I actually changed seats during the performance too.

From the very start, in its own structure, the whole device was creative and inspired right away - as soon as I entered - the idea of seeing the musicians and us, the audience, as being part of a Tetris game - the concert. 

Also, from one point to the other, both Carlo Mascolo's (M) and Fernando Simões's (S) (two trombone players I have drawn before. See their portraits here and here) wandered in the church, exploring sight and sound possibilities. All of that were triggers for this drawing.


Nicola Guazzaloca

Here's my portrait of the Italian pianist Nicola Guazzaloca, very graphic and loose.
Every note of his, sounded like a brushstroke.


André Hencleeday

This is my André Hencleeday work in progress. 
I mentioned, that it's a work in progress, because I feel like it's an image of a moment, an ephemeral passage, or just a slice of his cake.

His search, intensity and contrast, playing drums were the things I wanted to convey the most, while drawing him.

He plays piano too and participates in projects like Crua or VGO.
Besides our musical interest, André and I, share anglophone family roots.



Tryouts



Mestre André playing doublebass

I loved the fact that the double-bassist Bernardo Álvares and the saxophonist Mestre André swapped instruments (they don't play) in the middle of MIA.

Thumbs up, for these two musicians, for having the guts to step out of their comfort zone and trying out new stuff!

In fact, I can understand that, regarding artists, MIA festival might be the perfect laboratory for new experiences, and that's just one of the reasons why it is so exciting to be there. 

You can see and read more about Mestre André in the other portrait I did from him, further below.


About Space

About space is a drawing I did, taking into account, experimental music.
It was done during Fanfarra Bizzara's concert at the Gothic font (also called Our Lady of Conception Font).

It's about the self, the group, listening and talking, and in this case, about a musical conversation.
But that could take the form of any other type of relation with at least two elements involved. Reflected, one can read what I wrote: about my space, about our space. The space to be and explore other possibilities.

The musicians that played in this concert were: António Alexandre Pinto, António Manuel Ramos, Felice FuriosoFernando Simões, José Lencastre, Mauro Medda, Miquel Jorda, and Pedro Castello Lopes. Thank's for inspiring me!



Life zest



Life in Guy Stralle

In fact, if that was possible in my sketch book, the pianist Guy Strale would deserve a drawing with living plants. As I couldn't make that happen yet, I drew them!

His playing and his look transmitted me such life and sensibility. No other color besides chlorophyl*, could I chose to portray him, exchanging vibes with the incredible nature of life. 

*Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green pigment, and is also what allows them to absorb energy from the light, consequently giving them life.


The Indian River

This is my portrait of the Italian singer Pat Lugo.

Maybe it's got to do with her long black hair, the outline of her nose or her almond shaped eyes, but something in her, reminds me of India.

I imagined Pat, being a river, flowing, being an ever-changing vehicle of communication and emotions as she is!


The Growing Tree - Paulo Curado

The flute and saxophone player, Paulo Curado is someone I have already drawn several times (See other portraits of him herehere and this one drawing I've made for him, here). 
Nevertheless, he seems to step it up every time I see him, delivering a new look on things, which I find pretty refreshing. Hence, this time I pictured him as a growing tree with a golden flute - a metaphor for transformation and evolution. 


Miquel Jorda

Miquel Jorda is a Spanish saxophone player. 
This drawing is about the space, the individual and the light in this musician. 

I was intrigued with his physiognomy, the peculiar shapes of his face, and his complexion. I think this last one gave me the clue for the golden shade I ended up using here. I kind of had a voice-off in the back of my mind, telling me how his skin carried sun with it!

I didn't draw any seat for him, and with that, I wanted to underline his strong sense of identity and independency: someone  - firmly ready to go - with no crutches needed. 


Mutant instants


Bruno Gonçalves

I Feel like the guitarist Bruno Gonçalves is in a completely different phase now, and so is this portrait of him - that's so far away from the one I did from him, two years ago.

Bruno has something very graphic, very pop about him. Of course his t-shirts set the tone, but it's not just that!

This year, the festival lightning was kind of a mess, and I struggled in many concerts to see the musicians. This one of Bruno wasn't done looking at him, but, actually, looking to his shadow in the wall (super graphic!). 

It's about liquids, immersion, soap and air. Things that make you daydream, slip or shake, but also things that allow you to see other colors, reflections and directions in music and in life. Or, in other words, my version of Bruno now.

Sternenstaub - Edith Steyer

Sternenstaub (or Stardust) is my portrait of Edith Steyer.

About this German clarinet & alto saxophone player, I felt a strong and mutant energy, and several images crossed my mind while doing her portrait.  

 I wanted to convey in this drawing, a grungy feeling, also by the way I stirred the brown pencil and golden color pen, to paint it. So, I guess, that gesture, and the stardust fall movement in her, is also implicit here. 

Some of the things I pictured were, sludge (and therefore this specific type of pale brown), grunge music, Édith Piaf, a wild and bohemian spirit and, somehow, holes, that allowed the shine to enter in her, and, ultimately, become her - Sternenstaub (Stardust).

Most of all, this drawing is about her creative ability to soak and transform with glow.


The eye

The eye is the portrait of Fernanda Lopes. She plays percussion, drums and also sings.
This was made in one of the first Jam Sessions, while she was singing.

This drawing is about everyone's - and particularly her - ability to be happy, transforming one's tears into bright colors and generosity. 



Revelation time


Rural Tableau - Marialuisa Capurso

Rural Tableau is one of the projects of the Italian singer and performer, Marialuisa Capurso. It's no secret she's inspired me over the past few years in my work. But this concert, where I did this drawing, reached other heights.

Rural Tableau started out with a video performance, field recordings, a graphical score, and of course music. But, in a snap, all of that sounded too little, and even quite theoretical, for the voracity this performance was. 

This was about people, space, sound and their relations. 
Marialuisa started saying some beautiful poetry oh hers, in the middle of the audience and, as the concert went on, she outlined, as a snake, all the seats, and steps, in a real gravity defying dance, until she arrived to the stage.

My drawing caught her when she was in the steps, almost reaching the stage. Rather than her figure, this was about the space fractionating her body into different sections, each with a different texture, a different color, a different emotion, a different sound. 
Well, and I guess all of this was possible because of her curiosity towards the unknown, her inner travel bug, her restless nature. But, hey, she did it with such grace and generosity. 
It was my favorite concert of the festival.


Sofia Borges

Sofia Borges is a Portuguese percussionist, currently based in Berlin.
She was a revelation! I loved her confident playing.
The colors I chose to her portrait relate to that - all are strong and contrasting shades.
The yellow is originally fluorescent and, unfortunately, not easily reproducible here.


Andreas Fulgosi

This was one of the drawings I did with very very few light. I mean, I could barely see, literally!

 Regardless, I could see one of the most important things about the guitar player Andreas Fulgosi: his open spirit and high level of emotiveness, summarized here in his heart shaped ring and in the movement of this drawing.

Only much afterwards the concert, when I showed Andreas this drawing, I could realize the ring was not a heart, but a lovely iguana! Nevertheless, the outline of the ring could be perceived as a heart.

Sometimes we have no idea how inspiring we can be with a little something that, in other's eyes, can turn into the beauty I saw in him.



Casting a spell 


The drum wizard
The Drum Wizard is my portrait of Steve Hubback.
Steve's a musician originally from the UK, but he has lived in many other places too. He is also a visual artist, considering that he forges his own instruments, which, to me, are not less than sound sculptures.

But regarding Steve, it's not just about the original instruments he plays with, but how he does it too.
He caught my attention, with his intense presence (and to mention that, as far as I remember, he played just once in the whole festival!) and, specially, with the vibe I got from him. His sound felt to me like a spell coming from the woods, where bats, witches and mushrooms all get along, in a perfect symbiosis.

The watercolors I chose to paint it afterwards, were purple (the spirit), dark blue (the night) and dark green (the forest) in a subtle color gradient.

A different stain in the paper (close to his chin) appeared, when I finished painting. I couldn't see it before. Not editing it in Photoshop was a conscious option, since I felt, the act of bringing to the surface invisible things is also the artistry of this individual.


The pirate

I've made this portrait of André Pinto (best know as Mestre André) while he was playing with the Baphomet ship.

Here, in this drawing, he was piloting the electronics (and later on, the tenor saxophone too) in a position of total energy discharge, intensity and commitment with the high frequencies of the music in question. Whenever required, a real pirate, ready to draw a sound out of the situation!


Baphomet visual score 

At some point, the scarce lightning forced me leave the first row and jump closer to the stage, so I could actually see better. 

In this case, hadn't I had earplugs and it would not have been possible to draw this concert that close, because this music was meant to be played out loud.

Baphomet, is the type of music that fills up a room - it is strong, visceral and, ultimately, a purge of all the evil and the good or, who know if not also about the brutal changes in this crazy world we are living in.

In this project participate: Mestre André, Guilherme CarmeloJorge NunoMonsieur Trinité and Pedro Santo. In this concert Paulo Leal Duarte was playing instead of Jorge Nuno.

This drawing was made to their sound, and having in mind the movements and noise they were making (and how). 
It was done without looking to the paper, I just looked at the colors I was using.

I saw it as a city, a fever, a trance, a ritual, a dance. That's one whole possible reading of this drawing. Another one is what, singly made me feel that way. And the whole and the parts are not the same thing, as already the Gestalt psychologist, Kurt Koffka, said

 The black stands for the Santo's drum rhythms, like coal pounding, the light blue for the André's saxophone that, felt to me like as if it was permanently boiling out in the surface, the light brown stands for the martial art of Trinité, or his dust metal cleaning (I chose a copper shade, the conducting metal), and the orange stands for the guitars, abrasive as the color chosen.

I heard their new album too (after this concert) and felt that, live they were even more present and galloping. A true statement. Well done guys!



Flowers blooming




You, soft and only

The image above is my portrait of the New Zealander violinist, Sarah Claman.
You, soft and only is the title of her drawing, and is also a quote from The Cure's song Just like heaven.

Sure thing, redheads never never go unnoticed, but besides that natural spark, it was in Sarah's playing that I noticed her fast reactions and vivacity, with a warm and curious attitude, at the same time. Pretty unique.

I remembered that song of Cure, because I link it to a princess-alike girl, just like Sarah is.


Carlo Mezzino

If it wasn't for Carlo Mezzino's collaboration, this portrait would've never been finished. 
At a certain point, this drawing was almost done, but his sweatshirt wasn't finished yet. I shared that fact with him, and he, very kindly, agreed to wear the same outfit again, even though I know that was not his will. So, thank's in advance for that!

The importance of this sweatshirt was simple: its color. I tried to edit it in the scan, the best I could,  since that was not a minor detail, in my approach. 

This blue has shades of lavender and light grey. And this is not just some random blue. It has the perfume of flowers (lavender), the color of stones (light grey), and the serenity of a placid night (that blue). Sometimes I feel the need to explain the composition of the colors I use, because they have a meaning! In Carlo's case, I wanted the colors, in his drawing, to be soft and poetic, to match the gentleness I saw in him.



This drawing was made during the concert of Camerata Mia, at St. Leonard's church.
These are Helena Espvall's hands.

The beauty and delicacy of the hands of this Swedish-American cellist, seemed to me the perfect metaphor for her lexicon: hypnotic, sensitive, peculiar and magic.
Somehow, Victor Fleming's Wizard of Oz (and the ruby slippers) crossed my mind while drawing her and writing this text. Both, have a certain candor and profess the power of believing in your dreams. (And the white in the drawing can be whatever you imagine it is.)

Some years ago I have done another portrait of Helena Espvall. It was one of the never published drawings I showed during one of the concerts in MIA. But we didn't meet in person on that occasion. We did it now.

It was moving to know, afterwards this concert, that both of us followed each other's work. It was another present from the Universe this festival brought.



Stars breeze bathed



It's impossible to look at Karoline Leblanc without being fulminated by the power of her blue eyes! 
I had no doubts when I had to chose which color to use in her portrait.

The clearness, beauty and healing properties in her musical speech, gave name to this drawing (Rock Crystal). 

She is like a mineral with special properties, a brilliant Canadian pianist, to pay close attention to.



A Certain lightness is my portrait of the Spanish cellist Pau Sola. Pau has a sort of elegance playing, that resembles a dance of the birds. So inspiring!

I imagined his arms moving to the sides, as wings.
Very centered, free and beautiful.



Music, Drawings & Poetry



Quinto Fabriziani

The Italian violin player, Quinto Fabriziano, had to have a portrait with a poem. That was mandatory for me due to his lyricism.

Since the day I've met him, some years ago, he's spoken about his love for poetry, literature and specifically for the Portuguese poet, Fernando Pessoa. The poem I wrote for him in Italian, includes that Poet's surname, which is simultaneously the word that means person (Pessoa) in Portuguese.

Sarebbe la "pessoa"
della scritta,
scelta di giorni stanchi,
domanda di ore di vento,
intento,
sarebbe la "pessoa"
delle cinque punti,
aggiunti,
con la delicatezza di una penna
e il ritmo della cera

~

Would it be the "pessoa"
of the writing,
choice of tired days,
demand of wind hours,
intent,
would it be the "pessoa"
of the five points,
added,
with the delicacy of a pen
and the rhythm of the wax


Thank you Pat Lugo for helping me out avoiding misspelling in Italian!

During Maresia & Co soundcheck

Paulo Chagas had asked me to do a silent film to be projected during Maresia&Co concert. And that was my other task, this year in MIA.
I wrote a poem, on purpose, for this event, to guideline the sequence of these drawings.
I called it Maresia (smell of the sea, sea breeze in Portuguese), and the remaining text was originally written in English, so that everyone there could understand.

It was very hard to chose which items to include, and I ended up sharing diverse drawings, I have been making over the past 20 years. The majority were musicians portraits (and many of the portrayed were actually there) but there were drawings of music and other stuff too.

In the meantime, I invited the American musician and poet, Elliott Levin to read and record this poem, so that I could share it with you guys, in a different way.

I have made a portrait of this saxophone and flute player, sometime ago. This portrait is in the lot of  drawings I have never published, and in the group of the few, never published drawings, I decided to show for the first time ever, in this occasion.


Levin has published several books of his own, and has worked with people like Cecil TaylorUrsula RuckerFrank Messina or Luís Lopes, just to name a few.

You can listen to him reading my poem here, in a transatlantic mode phone call.


Thank you, Elliott, for giving life to my words.



Sustainable guerrilla



The world in José Lencastre

José Maria Lencastre is a saxophone player I wanted to draw for ages, and I finally did! 
For a little while it wasn't that easy to see him perform here, since he was abroad. He's participated in the very first edition of MIA and has been active in the improvisation scene for several years. 
Last time I had seen him playing was, probably, with Cacique 97, a super band whom he still plays with.

My portrait of him, relates to his ability to observe, absorb, and, at the same time, the diversity and unity I feel in him. And, I wonder how these qualities are so required in these troubled times we are living in...

Concerning the background, I was inspired by Bob Marley's Survivor album cover, that, back then, claimed for African countries' unity. 

I carefully chose the flags I wanted to be here, but with slight a different concept. The choice had in mind the music from these countries, the provenance of some of the MIA Festival's participants this year, and countries that are or have been socially afflicted. 

Some of the flags images are a bit covered. Therefore, and following the drawing's order, the flags of the countries present in this portrait are: Italy, Israel, Spain, São Tomé and Principe, New Zealand, Canada, France, Sweden, Jamaica, Ukraine, India, Syria, Greece, Portugal, Botswana, United Kingdom, Angola, Brazil, Germany, Uruguay, Japan, Cape Verde, United States of America, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, Somalia, and East Timor.




Gianna de Toni

Gianna de Toni is an Italian double-bass player living in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores archipelago. 

Her strong ideas & convictions were visible not only in her playing (and hence the red alert in her portrait) but also in the appeal she has made in the end of the last concert of the festival. Curiously, I did this drawing before she shared with us that special message.

She informed us about the incinerator planned to be built in São Miguel Island and how, for several reasons, people there were trying to fight against it. 
To help pressing the ones in charge, she had the initiative to take a group photograph carrying a message she had previously written, against the referred incinerator. Bravo Gianna!

It's a pity I couldn't find any news in English about this subject, and to my surprise, even in Portuguese was hard to find!  (Read one in Portuguese, here). 
There is a public petition going on, a Facebook page, called Salvar a Ilha (Save the Island) and a site with the same name, all related to this issue. 

For further information, I suggest that you visit those links, and if you're interested in joining and helping this cause, please sign the petition here. The planet thank's you.



Those late night ends



Overnight

Overnight is a visual improvisation I have made with the French saxophone player, Benoît Crauste.
In between concerts, jams, late dinners and wonderful chats, here we were, visual improvising to the rhythm of the wind!

I chose it to be the cover of this article because I think it can fairly represent the great environment lived in this festival.
Some words that crossed my mind to describe it: share, intersection, creativity and, of course, the glorious capacity to stay awake all night!!! Just kidding!!


I have also made a portrait from Benoît. This one below:

Benuit

Benuit was made in the very last jam session of MIA. It was the hardest drawing to finish, because I had in mind a very specific ink to paint it. I had to go to four different stores until I found it! (Thank's Vera Ferreira da Costa for your great help!)


This ink is a special one. Yes, it's blue but at the same time, it has red, purple and brown shades in it too.

It is usually used to write, not to draw or paint. I loved the idea of using something literary related, in his portrait, since I got the feeling he's a story teller, through his music too.

Here are some more pictures of the same drawing, so that you can see the color variations I was talking about.


The title of the portrait is a mix of his name with nuit (night).


This drawing is about Benoît's reactivity and his idealistic imprint. This special blue could symbolize an impulse, a chemical reaction, a night dream and, above all, something (as a color) you didn't know yet, because of the place from where you looking at it. Which leads me to quote Kant, with his famous sentence: Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.



Podrida

After an intensive three day festival, this drawing matched the exact point of the night where we were all completely exhausted but happy!

While we were talking about that, I have learnt with the cellist Pau Sola, a new word to describe that feeling: Podrida (rotten in Spanish). It suited, so well, the moment, that I invited him to do a visual improvisation to illustrate that same concept. 

He first said he didn't know how to draw, but then he accepted my challenge. Actually, I believe everybody can draw and, all we needed to do was, to free ourselves and think about the sensations Podrida made us feel. The result is what you see!



A few more of these, please



Η αγάπη στην Ντίνα

In the next morning, during breakfast, I have made this last drawing with the Greek fine artist Dina Manavi. Writing something in Greek, was a first for me. I also had in mind, my relatives in Greece when I did wrote this. (Big hug to you!)

We were lucky enough to taste a special delicacy they had brought from Syrus IslandLoukoumi.
The ones we tasted were made with honey and walnuts. Eating this was a trip! Loved it to the moon and back!!!

Dina Manavi, Ayis Kelpekis and I, were all staying at the same hostel, and we've developed a beautiful friendship. 

Last year I have portrayed Ayis, and this year I could not leave without having a little bit of Dina in my sketch book! So I asked her to draw a picture with me. She drew an angel and the hearts and I drew her hand, the pink scribbles, and asked her to help me translate to Greek what I wanted to write there: The love in Dina (Η αγάπη στην Ντίνα). I feel she is such a special person, with whom I had the privilege to share visual thoughts in this drawing.

Turns out that, in the end, its concept is what this festival represented for me, this year: a place full of good people that strive and commit with their ideas, work, and with others, in a way that makes this crazy world, we are living in, a better place. I guess we're in need of a few more of these, don't you think?

It felt bittersweet that MIA was over but also that I was leaving Villa Hostel, where this year I had the honor of being their first guest in the new room they have just built!

I praise the owner's (Sofia Tavares) dedication and patience to this bunch of artists that always pack her hostel, by this time of the year. Sofia's all about pampering. From the cakes she baked, to the super sweet loquats she handpicked for me... I mean... her will to help and good energy surely don't go unnoticed.

For all the participants in the festival (musicians, all the staff, cooks...), thank you for making me feel so welcomed and for inspiring me in the smallest details.

Finally, I left Atouguia da Baleia, proud of the organizers of this event.
Paulo Chagas and Fernando Simões, both won a medal of merit of Atouguia da Baleia's Parish Council, due to their contribute for the region's development with this Festival.
The faith the curators of MIA have in this event is remarkable and I thank you guys for, against all odds, keep going with such fantastic work and for providing the time of our lives whenever this time of the year comes. I can still feel the fullness, now.

Long live MIA!


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