The wizard between Hermes and Hermeto

The wizard between Hermes and Hermeto.

On September 13, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro, the world lost Hermeto Pascoal — Brazil’s music genius, born June 22, 1936, in Arapiraca. This made me reflect on the privilege of having known him as an artist and as a person: one of the most original and sensitive I've ever known.

I met Hermeto and his band while drawing them at Sines’ FMM Festival in 2005. How can I forget that night when he made a rhythm on a broken keyboard with some flip-flops, turning chaos into music? Or that memorable lunch where he played an empty bubble-gum blister like a bird and stopped the whole restaurant? There he was, a force of nature — fierce and sweet at once! 

At his place, he showed me his collection of toy instruments and drawings. After seeing mine, he asked me to teach him — I almost fainted! My portrait of him became his website cover for years and was also shared on his social media. 

Few of his drawings are public, but his 2019 Latin Grammy-winning album, Hermeto Pascoal e sua Visão Original do Forró's cover, is.  He made this one for me.

Hermeto had a curious, generous, childlike spirit. A life of learning made him a great master. His name comes from Hermes, Greek god of communication, interpretation, magic, and music. It's the fastest planet and symbolizes the mind, expression, feminine and masculine. Hermes ruled hands, played lyre and flute, and wore winged sandals. Like him, Hermeto — rooted in nature — blended worlds, connected sounds, genres, and ideas with cosmic fluidity.

Miles said Hermeto was one of the most important musicians on the planet and that he’d want to be Hermeto if reborn. Hermeto and his group won three Latin Grammys (2018, 2019, 2024), the last with Pra Você, Ilza, dedicated to his first wife and mother of his six children — a final ode to love supreme.

This wizard taught us to stay open, to question the established, trust our intuition, and find links and music everywhere: in lakes, with kettles or at Montreux Jazz Festival! Hermes had wings, Hermeto created his Universal Music — a magic gift I’ll forever be grateful for.

This is my English version of the Portuguese original article, published at Jazz.pt.

Mick Trovoada

Pensavam que a série Nos Rikeza, acerca do concerto dos Fogo Fogo no B.leza estava concluída? Nada disso, ainda tenho mais coisas para partilhar!

Então, ficam a saber que mesmo no fim do concerto, o percussionista Mick Trovoada (aqui retratado) saltou para o palco e tocou ferro em duas músicas com os Fogo Fogo. Por essa hora, já o B.leza explodia e eu só não dançava ao som do colorido fogo de artifício porque o desenhar, ao mesmo tempo, não mo permitia. Mas vontade não me faltou!

O Mick só esteve no palco uns minutos (que foi o tempo que este retrato demorou a fazer) mas a energia e presença dele impressionaram-me tanto, que o desenho saiu na hora. Compreendo a espontaneidade do acto, mas tive pena da brevidade da sua participação. Queria mais! 

A forma do tracejado/hifen revela algo que está oculto (como na geometria), permite passagem (como nas estradas) e liga palavras (como nalgumas línguas). Tudo coisas que senti nele. A inclinação dos tracejados foi inspirada no ângulo em que ele estava a tocar (e como se toca) ferro. O tracejado, intencionalmente, não é geométrico mas é orgânico e espontâneo, como a sua participação neste concerto. O material aqui escolhido é pastel de óleo, pois queria que este trabalho também incluísse elementos plásticos.

E, tal como ele pulou do público para o palco, assim as cores da sua camisa saltaram para o meu desenho! Sendo que, eu escolho incluir determinados elementos porque vejo neles significados específicos e apropriados aos conceitos que quero veicular. Neste caso, as cores em causa são as mesmas que constituem um dos sistemas de cor mais importantes do planeta: RGB (Red Green Blue) que - entre outras considerações gráficas que não vêm agora aqui a propósito mencionar - é o sistema usado na visão, pelos olhos humanos.

E há algo de extremamente humano no Mick. A tocar, senti nele uma alegria, uma sabedoria e uma segurança que achei comoventes. Há nele raiz, humildade e simplicidade. E, citando a minha querida Mutti, as pessoas verdadeiramente grandes, são simples. Como ele!

English translation below.

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Did you think the Nos Rikeza series about Fogo Fogo's concert at B.leza was over? Not at all, I still have more things to share!

So, know that at the very end of the concert, the percussionist Mick Trovoada (portrayed here) jumped on stage and still played Ferro (a typical Cape Verdean instrument) in two songs with Fogo Fogo. By that time, B.leza was already exploding and I just didn't dance to the sound of the colorful fireworks because drawing, at the same time, didn't allow me to. But will wasn't lacking!

Mick was only on stage for a few minutes (which was how long this portrait took to make) but his energy and presence impressed me so much that the drawing came out straight away. I understand the act's spontaneity, but I was sorry for how brief his participation was. I wanted more!

The shape of the dash/broken line/hyphen reveals something that is hidden (as in geometry), allows passage (as in roads) and connects words (as in some languages). All things that I felt in him. The inclination of the dashed lines was inspired by the angle at which he was playing (and how one plays) Ferro. The dashed lines, intentionally non-geometric, are more organic and spontaneous, like his participation in this concert. The material here chosen is oil pastel, as I wanted this work to also include plastic elements.

And, just as he jumped from the audience on stage, so did the colors on his shirt bounced into my drawing! Being that, I choose to include certain elements because I find specific meanings in them that are appropriate to the concepts I want to convey. 

In this case, the colors in question are the same ones that constitute one of the most important color systems on the planet: RGB (Red Green Blue) which - among other graphic considerations that aren't apropos to be mentioned here now - is the system used in vision, by human eyes.

And there's something extremely human about Mick. While Playing, I felt in him a joy, a wisdom and a safety that I found moving. There's a lot of root, humility and simplicity in him. And, quoting my dear Mutti, truly great people, are simple. Like him!

João Gomes

Este é o meu retrato de João Gomes, teclista da banda Fogo Fogo. 

Feito dandy Lucky Luke, João traz consigo uma "valise vitale" que pesa chumbo e vale ouro (dourado)! Nela, estão colaborações como por exemplo com Ana Moura, Cais do Sodré Funk Connection, Cool Hipnoise, Da Weasel, Fogo Fogo, General D, Orelha Negra, Paulo Flores, Peste & Sida, Rui Veloso, Sam the Kid, Sara Tavares, Terrakota, entre outros! 

Topa-se a léguas o seu sentido estético materializado no seu olhar, no que ele compõe e toca e na maneira como se veste. O conceito deste desenho partiu do anel que o João usou, com a forma de um piano! A razão pela qual este anel foi inspiração para este retrato, prendeu-se, com a sua forma e com o facto de ser um anel para dois dedos. Que graça, quando o João me disse que este anel só dava para tocar certos tipos de música (devido à amplitude dos dedos)! Um figurino selecto e musical, portanto! Adorei!

Comecei logo a imaginar aquele anel como um cabo jack de duas saídas. Inspirado por altitudes celestes (azul turquesa), de um lado e num sentido, aparecia o João, pelo outro, saía música. 

Algo muito representativo do seu trabalho é o balanço entre partes (nº 2) pois ele harmoniza, na música e, os seus vários intervenientes. Sempre com um bom gosto e uma linguagem que, quando se ouve, se sabe imediatamente que é dele. Como um anel-sinete que cunha o produto final.

Aqui também está presente o início da partitura do tema "E Si Propi" ("É assim mesmo" em Crioulo Cabo-Verdiano) da banda Ferro Gaita, de que os Fogo Fogo fizeram uma versão. Escolhi esta música, por fazer a ponte entre o já feito e o novo. E este desenho é, justamente, sobre as pontes que o João estabelece e as distâncias que encurta e traduz. 

Tenho a sensação de que, musicalmente, ele sabe muito bem o que quer e que se farta de se divertir a tocar. Ao mesmo tempo, há nele maleabilidade empática, afabilidade e leveza. Com o swing e a agilidade desta lenda a tocar, deslizamos para as nuvens, numa privilegiada ligação directa a outra dimensão. Música para os nossos ouvidos! 

English translation below.

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This is my portrait of João Gomes, keyboardist of the band Fogo Fogo.

Like a dandy Lucky Luke, João brings with him a "valise vitale" that's a heavy weight and is worth gold! In it are collaborations such as with Ana Moura, Cais do Sodré Funk Connection, Cool Hipnoise, Da Weasel, Fogo Fogo, General D, Orelha Negra, Paulo Flores, Peste & Sida, Rui Veloso, Sam the Kid, Sara Tavares, Terrakota, among others!

One can tell a mile away about his aesthetic sense materialized in his gaze, in what he composes and plays and in the way he dresses. The concept of this drawing came from the ring that João wore, with the shape of a piano! The reason why this ring was the inspiration for this portrait, was due to its form and the fact that it's a ring for two fingers. How funny, when João told me that this ring was only suitable for playing certain types of music (due to the width of the fingers)! A selective and musical look, therefore! Loved it! 

I began right away to imagine that ring as a two-way jack cable. Inspired by celestial altitudes (turquoise blue), from one side and in one direction, João appeared, from the other, music came out. 

Something very representative of his work is the balance between parts (nº 2) as he harmonizes, in the music and, its different players. Always with a good taste and a language that, when one hears it, one immediately know it's his. Like a signet ring that coins the final product.

Here's also present the beginning of the score of the theme "E Si Propi" ("It's like that" in Cape Verdean Creole) by the band Ferro Gaita, of which Fogo Fogo made a version. I chose this song because it bridges the gap between what's already been done and what's new. And this drawing is precisely about the bridges that João establishes and the distances that he shortens and translates.

I have the feeling that, musically, he knows very well what he wants and that he has a blast playing. At the same time, there's empathic malleability, affability and lightness in him. This legend's swing and agility playing, teleport us to the clouds, in a privileged direct connection to another dimension. Music to our ears!

Pull the strings | Márcio Silva aka Edu Mundo

Pull the Strings © Rita Draper Frazão

Pull the strings entitula o meu retrato de Márcio Silva (aka Edu Mundo), o baterista da banda Fogo Fogo.

Ainda este desenho não estava concluído, e já eu sabia o seu título. A expressão Inglesa "pull the strings" (qualquer coisa como mexer os cordelinhos) brinca com o seu poder de iniciativa e capacidade de pressionar acontecimentos.

Usei ecolines, que é uma tinta translúcida (ser-se sem filtros) e fluente, como o Márcio.

Baseada no que senti nele, escolhi este conjunto de cores contrastantes, pensando num âmbito de coisas para as quais cada uma aponta. Escolhi o verde para simbolizar o seu idealismo, filosofia e generosidade. O trabalho e a ambição de chegar ao topo da montanha para ver a paisagem em grande plano. O amarelo preconiza o seu espírito genial, a sua enorme capacidade mental. Flexões de futuro luminoso e orelhudo. A velocidade do ar. O encarnado personifica a sua enorme energia vital, a acção. As ganas a tocar e a urgência de ser ouvido. O azul representa a noite, a poesia e os sonhos. A experiência de se ser diferente e solitário no meio da multidão. O peso do escuro e do fundo das coisas.

É que Márcio é intensa voragem, do mundo e de marte. Olhos com avidez em cima do campeonato do conhecimento. Muitos que é, muitas coisas que busca. Batendo tempos, qual ginástica rítmica (as fitas de cores). O empurrão de quem elevou o conteúdo, frente aos factos, em busca da raiz, de uma verdade já, crua, inesperada, desafiante, mas sempre enriquecedora. Testando os limites, os compassos e as regras com jovialidade e humor caustico. O circular e muscular exercício da r-evolução. Flexões do infinito pessoal.

Aqui não há corpo, chão, nem linha do horizonte, porque estas fitas são tanto direccionamento, sustentabilidade e sustento como a falta de tudo isto: coisas que moldam a personalidade e originam novos caminhos de vida.

Diferentes direcções (orientações e cores das fitas) que o provocam e o suportam com a pressa de um vento obsessivo e obstinado.

Das entranhas, cá dentro, até lá acima, no alto, ouvimos a sua alegria e isso muda-nos o dia.

English translation below.

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Pull the strings entitles my portrait of Márcio Silva aka Edu Mundo, the drummer of the band Fogo Fogo. Edu Mundo's a word pun that means something like Ed from the world.

This drawing wasn't finished yet, and I already knew its title. The English expression "pull the strings" plays with Márcio's power of initiative and ability to pressure events.

I used ecolines, which is a translucent (being without filters) and fluent paint, like Márcio.

Based on what I felt about it, I chose this set of contrasting colors, thinking about a range of things that each one points to. I chose green to symbolize his idealism, philosophy and generosity. The work and ambition of reaching the top of the mountain to see the landscape in close-up. Yellow advocates for his genius spirit, and huge mental capacity. Luminous and eared future inflections. The speed of the air. The red personifies his enormous vital energy, and action. The vigorous will to play and the urgency to be heard. The blue represents the night, poetry and dreams. The experience of being different and lonely amongst the crowd. The weight of the dark and the depth of things.

As Márcio's an abyss, from the world and from Mars. Eager eyes on top of the game of knowledge. Many he is, many things he seeks. Beating beats, like rhythmic gymnastics (the colorful ribbons). The push of those who elevated the content, in the face of facts, in search of the root, of a truth now, raw, unexpected, challenging, but always enriching. Testing limits, music bars and rules with joviality and caustic humor. The circular and muscular exercise of r-evolution. Inflections of the personal infinity.

Here there is no body, ground, or horizon line, because these ribbons are as much routing, sustainability and sustenance as they are the lack of all of these: things that shape a personality and give rise to new paths of life.

Different directions (orientations and colors of the ribbons) that provoke and support him with the rush of an obsessive and obstinate wind.

From the depths, inside, up until high in the sky, we hear his joy and that changes our day.

Francisco Rebelo

Aqui está o meu retrato do Francisco (aka Chico) Rebelo, baixista da banda Fogo Fogo.

O desenho é a base das artes visuais, e neste trabalho, isso foi algo que tive em conta, já que o Chico é estrutura basilar em toda a música de que faz parte.

E têm sido muitas e bem conhecidas do grande público, as bandas e os discos em que colaborou e que fizeram história na música em Portugal. Colaborou, por exemplo, com Mind Da Gap, Radio Macau, Hipnótica e Sam the Kid e faz parte de bandas como os Cool Hipnoise, Micro Audio Waves, Cacique 97, Cais do Sodré Funk Connection, Orelha Negra, e claro, Fogo Fogo. Tanto balanço e groove que nos tem dado!

É também um profundo conhecedor na área técnica do som. No dia do concerto, testemunhei o cuidado com que estava a ensinar o seu filho Benjamim, que está a começar a ingressar nestas andanças.

Com toda a sua experiência e sendo discreto, o Francisco tem a rara característica num artista, de se destacar sem ter que ser espalhafatoso. É o que acontece quando se trata de um músico com a notável solidez e segurança dele.

A cor distrai, mas o Chico é extremamente observador. Esse foi um dos motivos pelas quais, propositadamente, não quis carregar na policromia, aqui.

A representação do baixo é estilizada e livre de ruído visual pois a maneira do Chico tocar é limpa e inequívoca. Também pensei no seu tocar incisivo como um passaporte ou uma via aberta para viagens (reparem como o braço do baixo e a alça que o sustem formam um ângulo aberto). O Chico adora viajar, o que me leva a fazer um paralelo relativo à sua enorme amplitude musical. Tiro-lhe o chapéu!

E por falar em chapéu, este que vêm no retrato, foi um trabalho personalizado feito pela Sofia Carlos, do Avo Atelier. A Sofia conta histórias pessoais através do seu trabalho. Nesta peça, incorporou elementos referentes ao gosto do Chico por viagens, nomeadamente a tira do chapéu que é feita com bilhetes de comboio bordô. Aludindo a este adereço e ao seu gosto por viagens (aqui representados pelos tais bilhetes), a cor do contorno do baixo estava escolhida!

English translation below.

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Here's my portrait of Francisco (aka Chico) Rebelo, bassist of the band Fogo Fogo.

Drawing is the basis of visual arts, and in this work, this was something I took into consideration, since Chico is a structural base in all the music he's part of.

And there have been many, and well-known to the general public, the bands and albums in which he collaborated and in which they made history in the music scene in Portugal. He collaborated, for example, with Mind Da Gap, Radio Macau, Hipnótica and Sam the Kid and is part of bands such as Cool Hipnoise, Micro Audio Waves, Cacique 97, Cais do Sodré Funk Connection, Orelha Negra, and of course, Fogo Fogo. So much balance and groove has he given us!

He's also deeply knowledgeable in the technical area of ​​sound. On the day of the concert, I witnessed the care with which he was teaching his son Benjamin, who's beginning to embark on these journeys.

With all his experience and being discreet, Francisco has the rare characteristic in an artist of standing out without having to be loud. That's what happens when we're talking about a musician with his remarkable solidity and confidence.

Color is distracting, but Chico is extremely observant. This was one of the reasons why, on purpose, I didn't want to overload polychromy here.

The representation of the bass is stylized and free from visual noise because Chico's playing is clean and unambiguous. I also thought of its incisive playing as a passport or an open road for travel (notice how the bass neck and the strap that supports it form an open angle). Chico loves to travel, which leads me to make a parallel regarding his enormous musical range. Hats off to you!

And speaking of hat, the one in the portrait was tailor-made by Sofia Carlos, from Atelier Avo. Sofia tells personal stories through her work. In this piece, she incorporated elements relating to Chico's love for travel, namely the hat strap made from burgundy train tickets. Alluding to this accessory and his taste for travel (here represented by these tickets), the color of the bass outline was chosen!

Danilo Lopes

 

Este é o meu retrato de Danilo Lopes, um dos vocalistas e guitarristas da banda Fogo Fogo.

Deveria dar para ver por aqui, pela cara dele, como o Danilo sente muito. 

Ele deu-me complexidade. Isso levou-me a criar o mais trabalhoso fundo de retrato desta série. Posso dizer-vos que não foram horas, mas vários dias de trabalho para o concluir!

A roupa que usou no concerto tinha muitos padrões, cores e desenhos que me inspiraram e serviram de metáfora para o que eu queria expressar sobre ele. Seguidamente, partilho as analogias relativas às cores, formas, estética e materiais deste desenho.

Este retrato tem uma componente plástica (expressa através das tintas, pintura, e cores), pois há nele algo de divertido, que brinca e ri.

Penso nas línguas e culturas de Danilo. Requer capacidade de adaptação e regeneração. Nesse sentido, ao criar um sinuoso percurso da malha deste fundo, pensei na transmutável pele e percurso ondeante de uma serpente. 

A primeira camada do fundo, com as múltiplas cores a lápis de cera, visa o ser intuitivo e aberto ao mundo que ele é.

As riscas nas suas meias e o ter-me feito sentir em casa, influenciaram as escolhas para a segunda camada de riscas feita com tinta de parede branca usada em casas.

A terceira camada, com a grelha a caneta preta, foi inspirada nas gregas do seu colete preto e pisca o olho a algo de esquemático nele. Esquema, leva-me logo para padrões, jogos de xadrez e geometria, como entendimento do que nos rodeia. Além disso, o uso do preto, aqui, também simboliza a energia bruta(l) do carvão, um rouco cabedal, e o rock a rasgar que senti nele. 

Além disso, o Danilo é doce. Por isso, a quarta camada com as flores e folhas a tinta dourada foi baseada nisso, no seu colete, nas bolas de sabão, no mel e nas flores que dele recebi.

Inspirado no brilho dele e nas costas em cetim do seu colete, surgiu a quinta camada, em verniz brilhante.

Resumindo, o Danilo é uma força da natureza para vários gostos: é dia de sol, mar profundo, carvão, poço, escorrega e plasticina, tudo ao mesmo tempo!

English translation below.

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This is my portrait of Danilo Lopes, one of the vocalists and guitarists of the band Fogo Fogo.

One should be able to tell here, by his face, how Danilo feels deeply.

He gave me complexity. That led me to create the most labor-intensive portrait background in this series. I can tell you that it took me, not hours, but several days of work to finish it!

The clothes he wore in the show had many prints, colors and designs that inspired me and served as a metaphor for what I wanted to express about him. Next, I share analogies regarding the colors, shapes, aesthetics and materials of this drawing.

This portrait has a plastic component (expressed through paints, painting, and colors), as there is something fun about him, that plays and laughs.

I think about Danilo's languages ​​and cultures. It requires the ability to adapt and regenerate. Regarding this, when creating a sinuous path from the mesh of this background, I thought about the transmutable skin and undulating path of a snake.

The first layer of the background, with multiple colors in crayons, aims the intuitive being open to the world that he is.

The stripes on his socks and making me feel at home influenced the choices for the second layer of stripes made with white wall paint used in houses.

The third layer, with the black pen grid, was inspired by the greeks in his black vest and winks at something schematic about him. Scheme immediately takes me to patterns, chess games and geometry, as an understanding of what surrounds us. Furthermore, the use of black here, also symbolizes the brut(al) energy of coal, a hoarse leather, and the ripped rock I felt in him.

Plus, Danilo is sweet. Therefore, the fourth layer with the flowers and leaves in gold paint was based on that, his vest, the soap bubbles, the honey and the flowers I received from him.

Inspired by his shine and the satin back of his vest, the fifth layer emerged, in glossy varnish.

In short, Danilo is a force of nature for many tastes: he's a sunny day, deep sea, coal, well, slide and plasticine, all at the same time!

David Pessoa: De Chelas para o Planeta | From Chelas to the Planet

David Pessoa: De Chelas para o Planeta © Rita Draper Frazão 2024

Eis o meu retrato de David Estevas Pessoa, vocalista e guitarrista da banda Fogo Fogo.

É de Chelas, e para além da música, a arquitectura também fez parte da vida do David. Eu que cresci com Arquitectos perto, vejo esta arte como uma maneira de pensar o espaço e o movimento - das culturas, de uma época, das luzes e das sombras. As artes visuais dedicam-se ao espaço, a música ocupa-se do tempo. O David reune as duas.

Há qualquer coisa nele que me remete para o viajante, o antropólogo ou explorador. A curiosidade com o mundo, o que é exótico, a tradição, as raízes, o que é inato, o que é nativo. Penso na busca de beleza e de experiências na viagem da vida.

Como fazer um pote de terracota. Com um rolinho de barro tipo cobra (cuja forma é parecida com o que vêm no desenho), só depois se afina a forma. Isto remete-me à matéria, à terra, à construção e, novamente, à arquitectura das coisas.

Reparo nas suas pulseiras. Tribais anéis de Saturno. Pressinto o
espírito cigano e o arejamento mental (daí o cabelo para o ar, para o céu) de outros lugares e épocas. Penso nos torques e braceletes do Museu de Arqueologia (MA) em Lisboa. Se não conhecem, recomendo!

Tudo isto para vos dizer que o "corpo de torques" do David é uma mistura de muitas (ou todas estas) coisas diferentes. E, como dizia o José Mário Branco na sua Inquietação, "Essa coisa é que é linda".

O torque dourado foi inspirado na bracelete do compósito de Cantonha, Guimarães (MA). O do leopardo simboliza África, o exótico, o selvagem, o ar livre. O que é castanho remete para as raízes, para a cor da terra e do barro.
No azul eu queria pôr uma referência a Chelas, às viagens e à
arquitectura. Pensei logo num mapa, mas o traçado das ruas tinha que caber naquele torque e os nomes tinham que fazer sentido. Acreditem ou não, dei com estes nomes de ruas reais: Rua de Cima de Chelas, Azinhaga do Planeta e Rua da Quinta dos Ourives.

Nem era preciso mais nada. O conceito deste trabalho, o David e eu já tínhamos ali encontro marcado, qual ponto de partida para esta viagem conjunta: De Chelas para o Planeta (que é o título desta peça).

English translation below.

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Here's my portrait of David Pessoa, vocalist and guitarist of the band Fogo Fogo.

He's from Chelas and besides music, architecture was also part of David's life. I grew up with Architects nearby, and I see this art as a way to think space and movement - of cultures, of a time, of lights and shadows. The visual arts are dedicated to space, music concerns time. David brings the two together.

There's something about him that reminds me of a traveler,
anthropologist or explorer. Curiosity about the world, what's exotic, tradition, roots, what's innate, what's native. I think about the search for beauty and experiences in the journey of life.

It's like making a terracotta pot. With a snake-like clay roll (whose
form's similar to the one shown in the drawing), only then is the
shape refined. This brings me to the matter, to the earth, to
construction and, again, to the architecture of things.

I notice his bracelets. Tribal rings of Saturn. I scent the gypsy
spirit and the mental airing (hence the hair in the air, towards the
sky) of other places and times. I think about the torques and
bracelets at the Archeology Museum (AM) in Lisbon. If you don't know it, I recommend it!

All this, to tell you that David's "torque body" is a mixture of many
(or all of these) different things. And, as Zé Mário Branco said in
his song Inquietação, That thing's what's beautiful.

The golden torque was inspired by the bracelet from
Cantonha's Composite, Guimarães (AM). The leopard symbolizes Africa, the exotic, the wild, the outdoors. The brown one refers to the roots, the color of the earth and clay.
In the blue one, I wanted to put a reference to Chelas, travel and
architecture. I immediately thought of a map, but the streets layout had to fit that torque and the names had to make sense. Believe it or not, I came across with these real street names (translated): Upper Chelas' Street, Planet's Lane and Silversmith's Farm Street.

Nothing else was needed. The concept of this work, David and I already had an appointment there, as a starting point for this joint journey: From Chelas to the Planet (which is the title of this piece).

Giz Ela Livre!

Giz Ela, Livre! © Rita Draper Frazão 2024

Passados bem presentes, intensamente agora, para amanhã ver mais além. Saber de onde e quem. A mistura da tradição e do vento geram outros alcances, outros temperos, outras temperaturas. Paragens do tempo, re-paragens* na viagem, paisagens em movimento. Como brincadeira de criança. Animal felino em fuga-cidade*.

Crivo das cigarras rumo aos silêncios. A cada hábito, um gesto, a cada gesto, uma observação, o olhar quotidiano profundo de quem vê para além do óbvio, a quem não mais tem amplitude para o aborrecimento daquela cena do costume, qual formiga trabalhadora que se chega à frente.

A graça, engraça, o canto, o encanto, a proibição do espalha-fato*, a tentação abismal da largueza.

Alquímica transmutação do chumbo. Entre corriqueira costura de drapeados e cicatrizes. Como se fosse fácil. Que deste ventre urge parir-se liberdade, sem medo, sem preconceitos. Ao som do vento, só, a ferro e fogo, nas profundezas de uma mina, cujo conhecimento é atributo dos audazes e de quem pergunta na busca de uma verdade velada, ao comum dos mortais.

Como o mistério da saudade, cujo som reverbera por antigos e eternos segundos. Que nem pancada no alvo* mármore, num sagrado panteão. Casa* (de) todos os Deuses. Casa* (dos) marcos. Vidas de outras vidas. Vidas que foram. Vidas que são. Vidas que somos. Vidas que acolhemos em nós. A nossa casa, o nosso corpo. O corpo às balas.

Marcha inaugural, gestantes palavras, palavras do ventre, palavras ao vento, sons das entranhas, branco e negro.
Como nas cores de um texto num livro ou numa partitura.

Tantas coisas aprendemos na escola.

Mas, mas, mas.

Tanto por fazer. Oportunidades para ser. As sete vidas dos gatos, á-gata. Diamante negro.

Que falta faria quem escrevesse no quadro, em alto contraste, vibrando as cordas sem amarras.
Pelas agruras, pelos extremos, pelos tabus, pelos inconformados, pelos excluídos, pelos injustiçados, pelas mulheres.
Trepidação dos nervos, auscultação de estalactites, sonhos em velocidade por um mundo melhor para nós.

As mulheres. As mulheres. As mulheres. O amor. O amor. O amor.
O batom e a cor das rosas, cor de rosa. Os saltos* da Gisela, o fado da gazela. Copo de vinho meio cheio. Festa crua. Coro* na arté-ria*. Sapos e trapos. Doces e Mel. Diz lá se és crente, se és carente.

Canto a rasgar veludo negro e rouco. Exorcizado grafito* descalço. Pirâmides de Gisé-lá* atrás. Vanguarda ancestral que balança com perfume na rua do mundo como com fresh-cor* no bairro da vida.

Por-tento*, palavras e palavrões. A fala de muitos que, qual bola, ela atira e diz altooooooo nas alturas, enquanto escreve na ardósia em tom de grito:

Giz Ela Livre!

Texto e desenho © Rita Draper Frazão 2024

Retrato de Gisela João feito ao vivo no seu último concerto em Lisboa no Convento da Graça, no âmbito do Festival Colina das Artes, a 14 de Setembro de 2024. 1974-2024: 50 anos do 25 de Abril. 

Texto escrito a partir do desenho.

[*Este texto foi pensado para ser lido e entendido com os múltiplos significados, associações e sonoridades das palavras que escolhi ou que inventei maioritariamente em Português. Não é, por isso, fácil de traduzir para Inglês ou outras línguas. Mas o texto em baixo em Inglês tem conteúdo sobre isto que o texto Português não tem.]

-

This text regards the portrait I've made of the person and the singer Gisela João. The text in Portuguese above was thought to be read and understood with its multiple word meanings, associations and sounds I chose or invented mostly in that language. Therefore, it's not easy to translate this to any other language, sorry!

But, you guys know I am all for including everyone, so in my defense and in defense of those who don't speak Portuguese, I will say in English what I didn't in Portuguese, so both versions have unique contents.

The core message of this drawing and text, both titled "Giz Ela Livre!", regards poetry, sounds, lots of word puns in Portuguese language and many references of things I felt when I made this drawing. 

Yes, it's a portrait of Gisela João, but symbolically speaking, one could say, it's also a portrait of myself (as all portraits I do or did so far), and of many other women.

For those who don't know her, she started of as a Fado singer and has over time, been exploring new musical territories. She is a force of nature and an advocate for strong causes: women's rights, lgbtqia+, and I believe many others. Her voice is as hoarse as deep. She is heard. And is drop dead gorgeous too! 

That night, I used graphite (Black and white, the highest color contrast possible. A raw and natural material) and my own pink lipstick (a possible feminine universe) to make "Giz Ela, Livre!" The word livre means free in Portuguese, and was placed over her belly area in analogy to women (nutrition, feeding, womb, roots, motherhood, sisterhood, homeland) and freedom (give birth to something, not necessarily a baby, but an opinion, an idea, etc). 

It was pretty windy during the concert (I guess one could figure that one out, by the drawing too) but, as she was holding a mic, she never made that arms' move she's in the drawing. I imagined her so, in a free and open gesture. (Ahhhh the arts' wings that lead to freedom)

The clothes were in fact what she wore, and indeed one could see her tummy: a central point in my whole concept for drawing and texts.

All this relates to what she sang, to the Portuguese carnation revolution 50 years' celebration (the end of dictatorship in Portugal), to what she said in the concert and to what she, in my vision, conveys.

In Portuguese, Giz means chalk, and Ela means her so, the title of this work, itself, is a word pun between her name, her personality, her work, the current phase, and what I wanted this work to be about. Both Gis (Taken from Gisela. It isn't a real word) and Giz sound alike Diz, which means say. Giz/Chalk automatically takes me back to a school realm, learning and expressing skills. Livre you already know what it means. In short, thoughts about drawing, writing and saying freedom out loud for the future to come.

And, I couldn't end this without mentioning that there was no way I would post this, other than tonight, when a lunar eclipse in Pisces is taking place in GMT. Evolution in the works.

Enjoy!

Paulo Curado's images of freedom

Paulo Curado © Rita Draper Frazão 2014

The news of Paulo Curado's passing (1960-2024), yesterday, were a slap in the face. A big hug to his family, friends and the music community in Portugal, which got poorer.

What a great musician and a wonderful person he was!

The sensitivity, sense of observation and the enigma that distinguished him, turned special the music he's done and the human relationships he had. I had the feeling that Paulo lived in limbo between a fragile height and a strong depth. And now that I think about it, I believe that all the drawings I made of him convey, in a certain way, that tone.

He expressed himself musically through the saxophone, flute, composition, sound design and improvisation. Besides music itself, he's worked in the film, animation, television, theater, dance and visual art areas. In this scope, we both had long conversations about the relationship between image and sound.

There was a poetry in Paulo that made me dream and fly whenever I heard him play.

Luckily, I had the chance to draw him several times. Here's one of my portraits that Paulo really liked: it was his profile picture on his Facebook page for many years. Here, he was playing saxophone at the Mia Festival in 2014. You can see more about this here.

Another drawing from him available online, is the one I've made of him in 2015, at ZDB. You can see it and read more about that subject here.

Besides liking music and visual arts, we had other things in common. Regarding the fact that, way back, I studied flute, Paulo told me how starting to play this instrument, had been a lucky strike in his life, in a day he'd found a forgotten flute, picked it up and started to learn how to play it. 

At one point we were neighbors. It wasn't Paulo's style to brag himself, but one day, slipping through the cracks at my place, he told me about the times he played with his cousin, José Peixoto, with Janita Salomé, José Mário Branco or Carlos Paredes. Legends of Portuguese music from whom we have a lot to learn from. As we do from him too.

Eclipse for Paulo Curado © Rita Draper Frazão 2015

I liked Paulo so much that, at one point, I offered him this original drawing that I've especially made for him. The image was the cover of an article published at Jazz.pt and here on my blog Innertour. Yet only now I'm sharing with you the dedication I wrote on its back and its purpose: to thank him for everything he'd given me. Due to the respect I had towards him, I'm kind of embarrassed to say this, but Paulo told me he was a fan of mine. Which explains what I wrote in the dedication, on the back of the drawing:

Eclipse backwards for Paulo Curado © Rita Draper Frazão 2015

"26th of September, 2015

Dear Paulo,

This world is a more beautiful, colorful and certainly more inspiring place with musicians like you. Thank you very much for all the images of freedom and of rare beauty you have given me. I wish you all the colors in the world. It's not just you, I'm your fan too!

A kiss from your friend,

<3 Rita #"

How lucky was I to be his friend and to have been inspired by Paulo, so many times in my work and, above all, in life.

You can see some of the drawings and texts I wrote about him, here in my blog. One of the portraits was never published and is well stored to be published in other flights. Fortunately, I managed to show them all while he was still alive.

Being in Europe (in a country closer to me), yesterday a childhood friend of mine - who is Lebanese and lives in Beirut - wrote me because he remembered myself. Considering that this conversation took place on the day I received the sad news of Paulo's passing, this message was a symbolic reminder of how life goes by fast and how important it is to take care of each other and value friendship, sometimes with a simple message as this one. شكرا صلاح!

In today's world, where we're pulled in a thousand directions by social media, internet, apps, podcasts, publicity, press, artificial intelligence, etc, it remains in me the rare example of master Paulo: that in order to be heard, loved and remembered, one can also be, at the same time, reservedly remarkable.

And I'll never forget you, my dear friend. May you follow the light.

Gualdino Barros, the master of ceremonies

 

Gualdino Barros ® Rita Draper Frazão 2004

My latest article about the drummer Gualdino Barros, that recently passed away, has just been published in Jazz.pt magazine. 

For those who don't speak Portuguese, here is my English adaptation of it:

Gualdino Barros, the master of ceremonies

The drummer Gualdino Barros passed away on November the 21st. My heartfelt condolences to his family, all his friends and the many fans I know he had out there.

I have to confess that something broke inside of me when I heard about the news. Nito, Gualdin or Gualdinex as he was called by many, was 85 years old.

I don't know exactly when I met Gualdino, but I was a teenager and he was almost 50 years older than me. It might, even, sound strange to make friendships under such circumstances, but not is this case. Gualdino was a magnet for the younger generations. Regardless of his physical age, he must've been the most youthful spirit I have ever met. Those who liked music, learning and having fun, had an open door to his universe. Therefore, it was easy to like him.

In a context in which in Portugal, in his generation, there was still no official and organized education specifically aimed at jazz, Gualdino was a self-taught drummer. Through his curious and entrepreneurial spirit, restless soul and desire to learn, he listened and saw his musical idols play and, thus, learned to play. The drummer Luís Sangareau (who I still had the pleasure to meet) was one of those who, in Portugal, greatly inspired him.

The self-taught drummer, who was a Portugal's history of jazz milestone, had a very unique “sound of his own” (the cymbals and solos!) and a sense of style that never faded. Small in stature, anyone who might think he had ever gone unnoticed, would be mistaken. Chatty, Gualdino was the life of the party, loved eccentric clothes, wore rings and had a huge collection of hats, caps and berets, that became his iconic trade mark.

This musician was an old-school type of gentleman. He always treated me with the utmost deference and politeness. I also recognize a certain candidness in him. He had an enormous spontaneity, liked to take risks, was sharp as a tack and had an enviable ability to get away with things and improvise, both in life and in music.

Those characteristics made him feel touched and promote what was new and beautiful. He was proud to have launched a bunch of new Portuguese talents. Jorge Palma, Bernardo Sassetti, the Moreira brothers, Francisco Rebelo, Filipe Melo, Joana Espadinha, Rita Maria... all of them played with him at the beginning of their professional lives.

I can't help to mention the fascination he had with singers. Whenever we met Gualdino, his enthusiastic conversation, invariably, started with the new vocal talent he had just discovered with whom he was playing with. Regardless of the art we dedicated ourselves to (which contradicts the idea that he's only helped musicians and I am living proof of that), during a certain phase, when one was starting to enter the jazz scene in Lisbon, it was almost an initiatory ritual to the activity, to work with him. And what a master of ceremonies he was for us all.

I took and developed this photo of him in 2004, when we were on tour out there. By his invitation, I drew and photographed, he played the drums and managed it all. His degree of generosity went to the point he'd gave up his own cachet in favor of other artists, something I know he did to other people and that he also did to me. He had an unwavering faith in us and didn't abdicate our presence.

On this tour I took several photographs, one of which was published in the magazine “Grande Reportagem (see here)”. The photograph that goes along with this text, is another one and was special to him. According to what he told me, it would be the only portrait he had, in this position with the drums. His musical instrument of choice was a symbol of his complicity with music and the means by which he expressed the love of his life: jazz.

We are left with Gualdino's teachings, his sense of humor, his enormous generosity but... how not to  mention the gigantic repertoire of stories he had to tell? Besides being a drummer, he was Portuguese with roots in Angola where he lived, as well as in Germany, France and, of course, Portugal. He was a sacristan, played for Sporting de Braga Football Club, worked on construction sites, spoke several languages, was a good friend, brother (of percussionist Quim M'Jojo), uncle, engineer and so many other things...

His incredible life experiences deservedly inspired at least three cinematographic works: Inner Urge by Isabel Cardeira (2003) (in which I also participated), Um Mundo Catita by Filipe Melo (2007) and The ninth life of Gualdino by Filipe Araújo (2014). The last two movies were shown on Portuguese television, on RTP 2.

I was part of this huge class of friends of which Gualdino was the master. We stopped to listen to him, when he told us about his personal and artistic experiences with people like Nina Simone, Chet Baker, Max Roach, Bud Powell, Mickey Rooney, Amália Rodrigues, Jorge Palma, Fernando Girão or Duo Ouro Negro.

Here I remember one night, when the Hot Clube of Portugal (Jazz Club) had already closed its doors to the public and only a small group of regulars remained, who Fernando Mendes, affectionately, put up with behind closed doors, until late hours. We were all partying hard in jam session mode, when Gualdino jumped on stage, not straight to the drums, but to the microphone. 

Solemn moment. 

To everyone's surprise, he started singing “Autumn Leaves” in French. Who was also there and remembers this?

His life had great ups and downs. Between cold-blooded tonsil surgeries in Africa, sleeping under the bridge Neuf in Paris, severe burns on the hand, alligator attacks in the USA, overthrown addictions, strokes and countless challenges that he overcame from childhood until the end of his life, I believe that all these experiences made him the exceptional individual he was.

Powder and Shadow ® Rita Draper Frazão 2005

In his twilight years, when he was already very ill, his friends' mobilization to help him was massive and moving. Above is one of the drawings I made on tour with him that documents his great friendship with the pianist Rui Caetano. It was drawn with my left and right hands. I chose to do so, not only because of the ambidextrous nature of those who play piano and drums, but also due the complementarity of the two musicians. Like shadow to light and powders to magic. Therefore, it is titled “Powder and Shadow”.

After 2016 Euro's Portuguese football team's victory and the football player Eder having shared the importance that his mental coach had had in this process, a greater public awareness began to raise in Portugal, of the importance that such a tool could have in someone's life, in the evolution of a team or in the history of a country. But twenty or thirty years ago, nobody spoke about coaching in Portugal. Gualdino was an absolute visionary in this and was the best coach that an entire generation of artists here could've ever asked for. I think it's safe to say he left his mark in all of us.

In his own way, Gualdino was a philosophical and spiritual person. Without being something he talked much about, he confessed me that he was a Catholic and showed me the crucifix he wore under his clothes. Religions aside, I have no doubt that his faith in life was the biggest lesson he gave me. An example to never forget. A person from forever to forever.

Thank you for everything!

Interview for Bica Magazine

It's in the light of the last full moon of the year that I bring you my latest news. I was interviewed by the journalist Rafael Vieira about my work with musicians. It was now published in the latest edition of Revista Bica.

The portraits of Márcio Gibson, Hamid Drake, Marialuisa Capurso, Rodrigo Pinheiro and Erlend Øye were published with it. The original article was written in Portuguese and I have translated it, so that you can read it here, too. 

To learn more on the mentioned drawings, please click on the links. And to read the original article, go here.

Draw by ear

The inner tour of Rita Draper Frazão

By Rafael Vieira

Rita Draper Frazão is an artist who follows musicians in concert and improvises their portrait while they play. In this meeting of wills, will she be strumming with the musicians or will the musicians be drawing with her?

I saw Rita drawing at MIA, the Improvised Music gathering of Atouguia da Baleia (baleia means whale in Portuguese), an atypical event in the music scene, made by musicians for musicians. The lay people are there in transit and in minority.

In a small auditorium, to the sound of an orchestra of virtuous musicians, and in a medieval church (the one with the bone that gives the village its name), while Carlos Zíngaro sounded from great heights, a person came up in front of him. Either on stage or in the first chairs, watching the musician in close proximity, paying attention and drawing. Leaning over the musician and a sheet of paper, pointing out movements while her own body seemed to portray the sound that emerged in the space coming from countless instruments. I myself, the non-musician, a castaway in an archipelago of musicians and music, was surprised. I'd been told it was Rita Draper Frazão, drawing the musicians while they play.

There are different spatial perspectives and the difference in the support: the musicians weave their music in ether, the artist draws their portraits on a paper basis. In both, there's a sound frame. The gestures follow, many of them improvised, leading to an inner tour from an external interaction, relating the look and conducting the muscle. Rita applies variations in registration, material and technique, elements that appear during her creative process, catalyzing it. As in a musical progression. She comments: «I have little interest in making a portrait of what's there in front of me, a factual portrait of the person, of the musician. I am much more interested in adding things that I felt [during the concert], which are symbolic and metaphorical of that person's energy and attitude. »

But her testimony doesn't deplete with improvisation and jazz, as shown in each edition of the MIA. Rita comments: «I have drawings with very different visual expressions, but also of musicians ranging the most diverse musical expressions. That group includes people like Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Peter Murphy (Bauhaus), Toumani Diabaté, Seun Kuti, Nina Miranda (Smoke City), Irene Lima (Portuguese Symphony Orchestra), Erlend Øye (Kings of Convenience) and so many others, who have ​​other languages than jazz and improvisation.»

Her works are a composition, an inseparable and united part of the music released by the musician at the time of the concert and reveal an artist who embarks in the moment, in gesture and in musical taste.

in: Revista Bica, December 2020

Rafael Vieira is a cultural journalist and an architect, from Coimbra. Simultaneously, he's someone in whom I felt literature and writing rooted in his bones. Very observant and sensitive. Only a person with such features could've understood my work the way he's expressed.

At the end of the day, I feel so fortunate to improvise in drawing and get in touch with such talented people. Making these drawings feels like flying on a magic cloud, or sailing in an island of hope.

And it's with that sense of luck, a puff in a colorful and creative cloud, that I set sail and I wish that art may lift your spirit in such times. A new journey is about to begin, and I wish everybody a happy, compassionate and healthy new year!

Days are not days and times are a-changin'

I guess this big change the world and us are in, requires new approaches on life.

Accordingly, I've been thinking a lot, in doing different things here, in my blog. In fact, I feel the need to do so. I have tons of unpublished material and several ideas. This article might just be the beginning of one of them. Wait and see!

Days are not days

Some days ago, the Swedish guitar player, Samuel Hällkvist shared on his Instagram account the album Days are not days is now available on streaming platforms like Spotify or Bandcamp.

For some reason, when this album was released, back in 2016, I didn't share it here and in any of my my social media, although it is mentioned in my Selected CV section, here at Inner Tour, ever since.

The little did I know, that the best thing to do would be not to do it at that period. Somethings need time to grow, to evolve, and the present context gave me the perfect timing to share with you, a little more about the story of this album, in which I was involved in, too.

 I also feel I have so much more to say about it now, than I would've had, back then. 

 Moreover, art in general, plays a very important role, these days. And as prophetic as it might seem, the title and the content of this project - Days are not days - are just spot on... 

The seed 

It had been, back in May of 2014 that I first heard and saw live Hällkvist playing. Even if, at that time, I didn't draw him at MIA Festival, where we met, I would later do it, a couple of months afterwards and when this album was in the making, one year after. These drawings were never officially published by myself, and I will share them for the first time now.

Back in 2015, Samuel Hällkvist, showed me, the fresh recordings he had just made with the Portuguese sax and flute player, Paulo Chagas (also co-mentor of MIA Festival) and the Danish guitarist Stephan Sieben.

I can vividly remember that day. I was at my studio, and you guys, I heard it once and I started writing about it, right away. Processes regarding music feel home in my brain, and my neurons apparently work faster to the point I, sometimes can't control its speedy reaction - normally in the shape of drawings and texts. This one took me minutes to do so.

Just out of curiosity, I decided to send it to Samuel. He and the rest of the band, decided my text should appear in the album. But they didn't do it conventionally. They've fractioned my text in parts and named the 6 tunes after each one of them. That was a total surprise for me!

My story of this sound

Below is the original text:

Golfinhos, mas também becos escuros. 

Um mergulho de um penhasco, e se fosse um reflexo, um vapor entre dentes, a trincar a núvem, voando na tempestade, no mau tempo, entre meteoritos.

Era um nevoeiro e um sapo, dos jogos de computador, do spectrum, dos xizes e das cruzinhas, das várias vidas por bater.

Havia pessoas nesse planeta. Era preciso sintonizar na praia e no espírito, onde havia ondas e marés.

Também era um caminho numa corda, num trapézio.

O ar enchia, em tubo, entre uma garrafa e um balão. Era uma mensagem no caminho.

And here's my alternative English translation (which is different from the version present in the CD, of which I am not the author of). The numbers correspond to the track division previously mentioned.

(1) Dolphins, but also dark alleys.

(2) A dive off a cliff, and if it were a reflection, a steam between teeth, biting the cloud, flying in the storm, in bad weather, in between meteorites. 

(3) It was a fog and a frog, computer games, the spectrum, the exes (x's) and little crosses, the various lives to beat.

(4) There were people in that planet. It was necessary to tune on the beach and in the spirit, where there were waves and tides.

(5) It was also a path in a rope, in a trapeze.

(6) The air filled, in tube, between a bottle and a balloon. It was a message on the way.

The drawings

© Rita Draper Frazão

As soon as I wrote the previous text, this was the image that came out. A progression from the darker to the light blue, the x's storm, turning into a plain blue sky. Or a polluted ocean, that through a storm, washes out all there is to clean, in a renewal process. I did it so, as a metaphor to this music, but it could so be an image used, to depict what we are going through, now. 

Samuel Hällkvist © Rita Draper Frazão

When I made this drawing, I wrote it was related to the ability to dream and be sensitive. Now I'd have something more to add.

The truth is, every single time I heard Samuel Hällkvist playing, I felt his sound as very graphic and cerebral, in the sense of having new ideas and having the ability to materialize them. Kind of like if his voice would build a color cloud from scratch into a consistent blue. 

More or less what he did here: he was the mentor behind Days are not days, and without him, none of this would've been real. Thank's!

Paulo Chagas © Rita Draper Frazão

I have portrayed Paulo Chagas several times before (see for example, here), but of all I have made, so far, this is my favorite drawing of him. Paulo is here playing flute, and in that day, he played sax too. I wanted to blend both, so I was inspired by his mother-of-pearl sax keys to fill his figure, while the silhouette itself, alludes to the flute playing.

Scans and photographs aren't sometimes the most faithful towards the original, and here's, another of many examples I have shared in this blog, whose true colors and energy, can only be accurately perceived live. 

It was made with watercolor (an earthy golden shade I specially bought, some years ago, in Berlin), pen, and acrylic ink (pearly white with shades of gold). One of the singularities of this drawing is that, according to the light, so the drawing glows. A natural response to the stimuli in the environment, like I feel he is sensitive enough to do with music and whatever landscape that surrounds him. Subtle that can only be better understood live.

Stephan Sieben © Rita Draper Frazão

This drawing has to to with Stephan Sieben's action, and fast reactions' mode. 

No doubt this guitarist is pretty ingenious in his resources: in the action (orange red) and in the concepts he puts in every note he plays. The word ingenious reminds me of the Genie lamp, and hence Stephan's coming out of one. A wish was granted!

© Rita Draper Frazão

This was actually one of the first I have done. It started out to be just the brick wall in watercolor. 

The background, for the ones who know this venue, could only be Zaratan's "manger charcoal bunker" (such an inspiring and nice place!). That's why the silhouettes of both, were painted with that same material. 

Bonus co-incidences

Other fact, relevant to the timing of this publication (you'll already understand why), is that this album was brilliantly mixed and produced by the monstrous American Guitar player, composer and producer, David Torn.

I affectionately call him monster, or better written how I meant it, monstar. I believe only such category of artists (and ultimately human beings) can keep up with giants like David Bowie, Madonna, David Sylvian, Laurie Anderson, John Legend, Tori Amos, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Steve Roach, Don Cherry, Jan Garbarek, John Zorn or Tim Berne... just to mention some of the people in the music industry he's worked with. Curious fact: he's recorded with Mary Pastorius (Jaco Pastorius' daughter) as well. 

Besides that, Torn's also participated in the music making of dozens of movies such as The Big Lebowsky, Fur, The Order, or The Departed. 

Two years afterwards listening Days are not days' music, I would later briefly meet and draw him in 2017, in Jazz em Agosto Festival. I have never published that drawing, and now, clearly, reasons aren't lacking to add it to this article. Funny, huh?

So, here it is! As free and loose as he expresses himself, the wind gave me the motto of this portrait: the sweep of the superfluous towards synthesis, the movement and being different, original. There's something very incorporeal about him and his work that I also wanted to convey here. Thinking about when materialization can be a matter of perception, of awareness...

A bit like I feel we are now... raising awareness of causes that matter. Trying to change our lives for the best due to an unpredictable and unprecedented cause. 

I have always felt music did that with me, helping me out to evolve as a human being. 

That being said, I'll end up quoting Bob Dylan's lyrics of Times are a-changin' (1964):

Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam

And admit that the waters around you have grown

And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone

If your time to you is worth savin'

Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin'

Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide, the chance won't come again

And don't speak too soon for the wheel's still in spin

And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'

For the loser now will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin'

Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call

Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall

For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled

There's a battle outside, and it is ragin'

It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin'

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land

And don't criticize what you can't understand

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command

Your old road is rapidly agin'

Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand

For the times they are a-changin'

The line, it is drawn, and the curse, it is cast

The slow one now will later be fast

As the present now will later be past

The order is rapidly fadin'

And the first one now will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'

May all this inspire you too, in these times of change.