Strings and Soccer

Kiko Loureiro

2010-06-03T16:17:00.012-03:00

Creativity and technique. These are the first two words that come to mind to describe Kiko Loureiro's music. He was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1973, and began his studies at age eleven learning classical guitar. At thirteen he got his first electric guitar, he studied with Mozart Mello and played with various local groups in his hometown.

In 1992 he was invited to join the newly formed heavy metal band Angra. After this, he started a meteoric carrer recording numerous studio and live alguns with Angra. Alongside with his solo career, he has worked with albuns, institutional videos and workshops. In March 2007 Kiko Loureiro was voted “Best Guitarist” by the respected Japanese music magazine Burrn.

In 2009 Kiko released his acclaimed third solo album. Distributed around the world, “Fullblast” features Mike Terrana on drums, and Felipe Andreoli on bass. During the same time Angra and Sepultura went on a Brazilian Metal celebration tour in many different Brazilian cities.

Download CD here. Liked the CD? Leave good reviews and buy it here.

Today, Kiko Loureiro is hoisted to the position of well respected, well-known, and influencial wordwide as a musician and as a composer.

The Abreu Duo

2010-02-18T22:09:00.018-02:00

Sérgio Abreu and his brother Eduardo, formed a amazing guitar duo during the 60's and the early 70's. They were born into a family of guitarists (their father and their grandfather were guitarists), and had classes with Adolfina Tavora, a famous Argentine guitarist, disciple of Segovia.

The Abreu brothers' international career began after Sergio won International Competition in Paris in 1967. In 1968 Eduardo finish in second place in the same contest. From there, they were invited to play in the most prestigious music venues around the world. They also began recording for CBS, Columbia and Decca labels.

The Abreu Duo was sublime in their composition, and really outstanding in their performance. They demonstrated perfect technique, their repertoire carefully chosen, animpressive disciplined preparation, and an almost obsessive perfectionism that made them unique. "The Guitars of Sergio and Eduardo Abreu," released in 1971, shows all the virtuosity of the Abreu brothers.

The Guitars of Sergio and Eduardo Abreu (1971). Download CD part1 and part2.

After Eduardo left a career as a professional in a concert in 1975, Sergio went solo until 1981. Sergio kept playing using a guitar Hauser manufactured in 1930, and retained the virtues of the duo. Sergio is currently a luthier in Rio de Janeiro, and his guitars are inspired by instruments made by Herman Hauser. His brother, Edward, live in the United States.

Sérgio Abreu interpreta Paganini e Sor (1981). Download CD here.

Decades passed and they still receive international recognition. They are still considered the best classical guitar ensemble ever, and it is impossible to overestimate the impact that The Abreu Duo had in the Brazilian classical guitar scene.

Baden Powell

2009-12-29T17:08:00.031-02:00

Baden Powell de Aquino (1937-2000), usually known simply as Baden Powell, was a legendary Brazilian guitarist. His father, a boy scouts enthusiast, named him after the founder of the movement, Robert Baden-Powell.

His powerful sound, personality, and technique, are unique and easy to identify. Some kind of magic leave a mark on his music, incorporating classical techniques together with many styles, including Samba, Bossa Nova, Choro, and Brazilian Folk Music.

He decided at age 19 to stop playing eletric guitar, and concentrate on the classical nylon guitar for the rest of his career (despite recorded a series of albums with a steel-string acoustic guitar).

Since the 60's, he released an extensive discography in Brazil and Europe. Five of our favourites albuns are Tristeza On Guitar, Poema On Guitar, Canto On Guitar, Images On Guitar, and Rio das Valsas.

From the album Tristeza On Guitar, released in 1966, standout tracks are a brilliant arrangement of "'Round Midnight" (Thelonious Monk), a beautiful version of the Black Orpheus' soundtrack "Manhã de Carnaval" (Luiz Bonfá) - watch video below - and his own composition "Canto de Ossanha".

Download CD here. Liked the CD? Leave good reviews and buy it here.

On the 1967 album Poema On Guitar, special note to the tracks "Samba Triste", a interesting composition in partnership with a Brazilian singer and composer Billy Blanco, and Jerome Kern's "All the Things You Are".

Download CD here. Liked the CD? Leave good reviews and buy it here.

Stands out in the album Canto On Guitar the beaultiful song "Samba em Prelúdio", which became a real hit in 70's with the lyrics written by the Brazilian diplomat and poet Vinicius de Morais.

Download CD here. Liked the CD? Leave good reviews and buy it here.

On Images On Guitar, released in 1971, "Sentimentos" is the song to note. A track that exemplify Baden Powell's unmistakable style.

Download CD here. Liked the CD? Leave good reviews and buy it here

Rio das Valsas (1988), also released in 1993 under the name Seresta Brasileira, is an album with typical Brazilian waltzes, and his own compositions with the same style. Highlights are the version of "Rosa" (Pixinguinha) and "Chão de Estrelas" (Silvio Caldas).

Download CD here. Liked the CD? Leave good reviews and buy it here.

In the first video, recorded in 1990, Baden Powell plays a pout-porri, wich include his amazing composition "Berimbau". In the second one, he played "Manhã de Carnaval".

Grupo D'Alma

2009-09-29T13:51:00.011-03:00

Influenced by jazz, blues, classical, and rock n' roll, Grupo D'Alma was a trio of virtuosic acoustic guitarists from Brazil, formed in the late 70's, which, playing its own repertoire, with strong Brazilian characteristics, charmed audiences from around the world.

The formation changed, but at different times included the musicians André Geraissaiti, Ulisses Rocha, Rui Saleme, Mozart Melo and Cândido Penteado.

The Grupo D'Alma released instrumental albums independently or by small record labels and always were admired by their technique and the beauty of their compositions.

The first album's title (A Quem Interessar Possa), released in 1979, could express their inner feelings about the art of composing with disregard for the commercial side of the trade. Special note to the tracks: "Song for my Friends", a Candido Penteado's beatiful composition, and "Blues para Charlie Mingus", another Candido Penteado's composition with an amazing solo in the pentatonic scale filled with blues notes.

Grupo D'Alma. A Quem Interessar Possa (1979). Download CD here.

In the second album, D'Alma, released in 1981, the jazz influence was more present than ever. Standout tracks are "Beije-me Garota" (Rui Saleme), "Tudo Certo" (Ulisses Rocha) and "Karate", composition from the great Brazilian guitarist and composer Egberto Gismonti.

Grupo D'Alma. D'Alma (1981). Download CD here.

The Grupo D'Alma opened way for the International Jazz Festival of São Paulo (1982). The trio also performed in the Free Jazz Festival in 1986, and recorded their last album before the dissolution. All critics agree that all members could have pursued solo careers if they wanted at this point.

The Grupo D'Alma had a short life, but became considerably influential in Brazilian jazz and instrumental music.

Villa-Lobos

2009-09-15T14:26:00.024-03:00

Villa-Lobos was born in 1887 and as a teenager began playing "choro" mainly in Rio de Janeiro. In his youth he played guitar and cello. Until his death, in 1959, he composed a number of songs in various styles, from sacred music to symphonies.

For guitar, the work of Villa-Lobos is a mandatory part of the repertory of any classical guitarist. The work is composed of "Choros", 5 Preludes and 12 Studies. The preludes and studies were composed in Paris, especially to be played by Andres Segovia, in the 20s. His work is a landmark of the aesthetics of the 20th century for classical music composed for the guitar.

Villa-Lobos was a lover of the guitar, had an irreverent personality and liked to invent tales about his life. For example, he used to say that he survived an attack by cannibals.

One of the biggest controversies of his guitar work is the possible existence of a sixth prelude, said to have been confirmed by Segovia. As some unpublished manuscripts have been found recently, we can only hope to find the sixth prelude.

In these videos, Andres Segovia, Julian Bream, David Russell and Ana Vidovic play four Villa-Lobos pieces in a great performance.

Among Brazilians, two standout interpreters of the work of Villa-Lobos are guitarists Turibio Santos and Fabio Zanon.

Turibio Santos - Villa Violão (Heitor Villa-Lobos Obra Completa para Violão Solo). Download CD here. Liked the CD? Leave good reviews and buy it here.

Fabio Zanon - The Complete Solo Guitar Music (Heitor Villa-Lobos). Download CD part 1 and part 2. Liked the CD? Leave good reviews and buy it here.

Yamandu

2009-09-02T11:35:00.023-03:00

Welcome to Strings and Soccer Blog! Our first post is about the great guitarist Yamandu Costa. There are several qualities that are unique to him and his art, his technique, sensitibility and an incredible talent for improvisation. But what makes him really unique is the ability to interact with his audience. Wherever he plays is impossible to remain indifferent, the silence takes over the theater and the volume of the sound of his acoustic guitar seems to be stronger than any other sound.

Another great Brazilian guitarist, Fabio Zanon, has said that the way Yamandu interacts with the guitar look like it is fused as one, almost like a centaur, part man, part instrument.

In these videos Yamandu plays two Brazilian songs: Carinhoso (Pixinguinha and João de Barro) and Brejeiro (Ernesto Nazareth). They are good exemples of the response he gets from his audience.

Carinhoso (Pixinguinha and João de Barro)

Brejeiro (Ernesto Nazareth)

"Yamandu" is the first Yamandu Costa's record. Download CD here. Liked the CD? Leave good reviews and buy it here.