Notes on Brazilliance
Okay, first of all, let’s set the record straight. I am not Brazilian. I am a white guy from Vermont who grew up in New Jersey. I did travel to Brazil for two months in 1987 with my wife, Marjorie Pivar and stepson Jovi (who [+]Notes on Brazilliance
Okay, first of all, let’s set the record straight. I am not Brazilian. I am a white guy from Vermont who grew up in New Jersey. I did travel to Brazil for two months in 1987 with my wife, Marjorie Pivar and stepson Jovi (who is half-Brazilian by Margie’s first husband, Herculano Federici). That year in Salvador, Bahia I experienced the joyous anarchy of Carnaval in all of its overwhelming splendor. A life-changing experience to be sure and one that I highly recommend to anyone who has the burning desire to witness a huge, nearly out of control and totally outrageous party.
Long before that trip and for many years I have been listening to and loving Brazilian composers, particularly Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Milton Nascimento (originally on Wayne Shorter’s “Native Dancer”) and Chico Buarque. Later I came to appreciate many others including Djavan, Ary Barroso and Egberto Gismonte as well as great singers like Elis Regina, Simone and Gao Costa. One of my earliest memories of Brazilian influenced music was probably the soundtrack to the French film “A Man And A Woman” by Francis Lai, which my father played incessantly in the late 60’s.
So who am I, a white guy from Vermont to say that this is Brazilian music? What gives me the right? It is simply this: it’s my opinion that if you love something - really and truly love it, then it becomes yours. I deeply love Brazilian music and so I have made it my own by writing these songs and compositions over the span of 27 years (1976-2003). There are probably a few Brazilians out there who would object to me calling these songs Brazilian. In truth, they would be right. These songs are American because I’m an American. It is not my intention to offend these Brazilian traditionalists. My goal is only to praise and to attempt to reflect the beauty, elegance and artfulness of Brazilian music with my own creations. This double CD has been a way for me to bring all of this material together under one roof and recording it has taken over two and a half years.
Brazilliance - 26 original songs - 16 with lyrics and 10 instrumentals - composed by Derrik Jordan (with the assistance of a few fabulous co-writers!) is a collection of songs written in the classic Brazilian styles of samba
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