The sound of Binau

This is a live drawing of Bernardo Moreira (aka Binau).

Jazz begun in Portugal with a small group of people that were interested in the genre.

Back in the days, we lived dictatorship and jazz was not only different from what was heard around here, but a liberating type of music.

The Sangareau brothers's house was the stage for meetings with Ivo and Augusto Mayer, Gérard de Castelo Lopes, Manuel Menano, Helena and Luís Villas Boas. This group constituted the first main core who informally gathered to share records and play. In 1945, they've made the first Portuguese jam session ever.
Over time, the word spread and the group enlarged. Binau, joined them afterwords along with a group of people that studied with him in Coimbra and some others.
All of them made part of the constitution of the Hot Club de Portugal and actively contributed to promote Jazz.

Working as a Civil Engineer, Binau has never quit his passion for music, and was an active double bass player for 30 years. As he says, he was "not the best Portuguese Double Bass player", but for a long time, he was "the only one".

You can see him playing in the Portuguese landmark film, Belarmino, a film from Fernando Lopes about a Boxer - Belarmino Fragoso - where you can see the Lisbon of the 60's and the old Hot Club, where some scenes where filmed, with Binau playing with Jean Pierre Gebler, a famous Belgium baritone saxophone player. Simply mythical.

Luís Villas Boas Jazz School was created in 1979 by Zé Eduardo (whom I've also drawn, here) , was the first jazz school in Portugal and opened up paths to new forms of music here. Many popular Portuguese musicians who are not jazz related, studied here too.
When Villas Boas died, Binau was later directing the Luís Villas Boas Jazz School for 19 years, where he also taught History of Jazz.

Three of his four sons are active jazz musicians - Bernardo Moreira (double bass), Pedro Moreira (saxophone) and João Moreira (trumpet).

On this night he was playing with Just in Time, the project that launched the first Hot Club label edition CD/ LP.

I had never seen him playing before, and this formation of musicians + guests was unique. It was just beautiful to see him back on stage. He shone.

B-i-n-a-u, I also have to say I love the sound of this name.

The club was completely packed and it was hard to find a space to make this drawing. It was made in one of the Hot Club program flyers back, a recurrent canvas for my drawings over the last 15 years.

Inspiring as it gets, his name could be a mantra. Binau, Be now. Thank you!

Ukraine Shot

Following the news about Ukraine, I was thinking for some time I wanted to do some interpretative painting about it.

It is my Ukraine Shot. 

A story of two twins that crossed my life and represented each a different color of Ukraine (that, by the way, means border) and its nowadays duality.

I am specifically talking about the Ukrainian artists and models, Anna and Sonia Kuprienko (The Bloom Twins) whom I had seen live last year, and have drawn them too. Since then, I have been following their work with attention.

Last February, The Bloom Twins shared on their official Facebook page, a Cover they've done from Bob Marley/Peter Tosh's song "Get Up Stand Up". The lyrics are moving and so their interpretation. To remember:

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight! 

Preacher man, don't tell me, 

Heaven is under the earth. 

I know you don't know 

What life is really worth. 

It's not all that glitters is gold; 

'Alf the story has never been told: 

So now you see the light, eh! 

Stand up for your rights. come on! 

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight! 

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight! 

Most people think, 

Great god will come from the skies, 

Take away everything 

And make everybody feel high. 

But if you know what life is worth, 

You will look for yours on earth: 

And now you see the light, 

You stand up for your rights. jah! 

Get up, stand up! (jah, jah! ) 

Stand up for your rights! (oh-hoo! ) 

Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! ) 

Don't give up the fight! (life is your right! ) 

Get up, stand up! (so we can't give up the fight! ) 

Stand up for your rights! (lord, lord! ) 

Get up, stand up! (keep on struggling on! ) 

Don't give up the fight! (yeah! ) 

We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game - 

Dyin' 'n' goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, lord. 

We know when we understand: 

Almighty god is a living man. 

You can fool some people sometimes, 

But you can't fool all the people all the time. 

So now we see the light (what you gonna do?), 

We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah! ) 

So you better: 

Get up, stand up! (in the morning! git it up! ) 

Stand up for your rights! (stand up for our rights! ) 

Get up, stand up! 

Don't give up the fight! (don't give it up, don't give it up! ) 

Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! ) 

Stand up for your rights! (get up, stand up! ) 

Get up, stand up! (... ) 

Don't give up the fight! (get up, stand up! ) 

Get up, stand up! (... ) 

Stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up! 

Don't give up the fight!

Their choice of doing this cover after all the public happenings stirred emotions on me. 

Not just following the news that arrived here, I started searching a bit more about both sides of the conflict and about the country too. I read and saw some pictures about it too to get inspired and then decided this interpretative visual work of mine should go back to basics: the visual imaginary roots and symbol of the country - its flag.

Ukraine is a big wheat producer; the yellow in the flag revolves to that, and the blue to the sky. One could even relate the symbolic communist meaning of wheat - food, provision and work - the basis. Above that, is a magnanimous blue sky. How poetic is that?

I wonder how millions of Ukrainians around the world must feel about their relatives and friends there and how the ones rebelling in the country must be. No matter the will and the interests between Ukraine and Russia and the international community, it strikes me down people were violently killed and wounded because one day they willed to be free to express themselves. 

This article and drawing are dedicated to all of those whose integrity was corrupted. 

Who knows if one day they can become "translators", builders of communication, of a bridge to come between East and West. 

I wish the poetic I found in the flag - once shot by this sad situation - can be reestablished. May the Phoenix myth take place and let the ashes become beauty. 

Thank you Anna and Sonia, who inspired me and helped me having material about your country.

The invisible cities of Dead J and Dora.S

This image above is the drawing I have made live from Dead J and is the reason why I am writing about that lucky February night, where I had the chance to see live both Chinese, Dead J and VJ Dora.S. 

Dead J aka Shao Yanpeng is an electronic musician and producer from Beijing and VJ Dora.S aka Wang Meng is a visual artist from Tianjin.

 Presentations made, I have to say the music just smashed me. It was that type of music that fills every minimum black hole of dust. Invaded with dreams with a future living that is universal, not just Chinese. It filled the room with something you could not touch, but that one could deeply feel and relate to. The word in mind is goosebumps.

The VJ'ing was absolutely overwhelming too. With a black and white geometric language, the visual connections Dora.S made to the music were always purposeful and opened other possibilities to the sound. Shown the root of things to be built, it reminded all of us the fascination of geometry, without ever being boring or repetitive. It was the road to follow dreams. 

The duo was so present and powerful, I just couldn't take my eyes from them one single minute. Dead J and Dora.S made me fly over cities I had never seen before. Who knows if it could be a continuation of an Invisible City of Italo Calvino. They fully caught my attention.

A new Chinese art scene is going on, and these guys definitely have interesting things to say and a role to play. Actually, if Modern China is too complicated they made it a breezy flight with many things to learn. 

May it widen the perspectives of electronic music and art scene in China and abroad. All that talent is needed to shape the sound of a better world. 

See a video of them, performing live in Beijing here.

This concert was held in Music Box and was organized it the ambit of This is my City. 

Thank you Clara, Manuel and Nuno for inviting me and making this happen. It was beautiful. 

Tindersticks

As wine, some drawings need time to age better. Very often I need more time and space to finish drawings because sometimes I need that distance from the paper that allows me to see things I didn't before. This was one of those cases.

Here is a selection of my favorite live drawings made in November last year when Tindersticks played in Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon. It was a cold night with music warmed hearts :)

I imagined Stuart Staples as if only rain could color him. For me his music is all about poetry, intimacy and indoors. He had a red line in one of the coat buttons and that was my favorite part of his look. Lucky I was in the very first row to see that!

David Boulter was the first one I drew. I was enchanted from the very first moment. I imagined this composition as a stone sculpture with his beautiful blue coat over it. 

The band was fantastic, all musicians were great. I was so happy also to see Earl Harvin live. His playing quality was remarkable and explains why he was playing with guys like Air, Seal or Micatone just to name a few.

And by the way, Gina Foster don't be uncertain, you are amazing too!

Some pictures of this concert with reports (in Portuguese) here and here.

Thank you Rute for inviting me, it was unforgettable :)

Ken Vandermark, Paal Nilssen-Love and Yaw Tembe Report for Jazz.pt

It was last friday that Ken Vandermark, Paal Nilssen-Love and Yaw Tembe played in Lisbon. Bernardo Álvares was there to tell us about it, Nuno Martins to photograph and I was there to draw these amazing musicians live for Jazz.pt. 

Team work :)

See the full report, photos and all the drawings here. 

Mountain like you

Mountain like you 

Is her hair on the stings

and her mood as she swings

with time, all the things

with elegance of fine strings

raw curves are rings

and, a true palette brings

freedom with wings

it's a mountain that springs

For Érica Zíngano, a dear Brazilian poet from Fortaleza. 

Espaço APAV & Cultura Poster for Gabriel Godoi & Gonçalo Falcão Concert

This is the poster and painting I did for Espaço APAV & Cultura that is hosting this Gabriel Godoi and Gonçalo Falcão concert on the 18th of March at 19.30h.

The Brazilian guitarist Gabriel Godoi has prooved its crafts in Chorinho and Gonçalo Falcão is a Portuguese guitarist whose designer skills weren't enough to test his need to improvise. Is it that the trigger here is Experimenting Chorinho? You have to attend to find out!

I think I already mentioned Espaço APAV & Cultura is one of my favorite places in Lisbon for concerts. The space is very intimate, the walls are fool of books, and the acoustic is great. 
Also to mention the location is central and breezy with Jardim Constantino (Constantino José Marques de Sampaio e Melo was the king of the florists, back in the XIX century, also inspiring to know!) just in front. 

I made this painting thinking already to use it for this purpose. Before I started painting, I mentally saw the colors to use, how to mix them and their layer order since I wanted it to go from the lightest color to black. It was before I finished the painting that I pictured I wanted a full color poster with the letters as the only thing in white. Also I wanted to make something lively, that could represent the happy encounters provided by these initiatives in APAV. 

I'm sharing all these things because - and as someone said the other day in on LXII Conversa in our studio (Década) - I agree both the process and the result are important.

This concert was programmed by Nuno Catarino who told me he chose the musicians according to my painting!

If you want to know more about this event, please follow this link.

APAV is in Rua José Estevão, 135A (Lisbon) and the entrance for this concert is free.