‘BRAZILIAN IN ANOTHER LIFE’
Ottawa singer immerses in Jobim
For Ottawa singer Rachel Beausoleil, Portuguese is the last of the six languages that she’s learned to speak, picking it up just five years ago. And yet, she finds singing the bossa novas and sambas of Brazil in their original Portuguese couldn’t be more natural or satisfying.
Next Wednesday at noon, with her group that includes guitarist Garry Elliott, Beausoleil will present a concert at Southminster United Church focused on the music of Brazil’s most beloved composer, Antonio Carlos (“Tom”) Jobim.
Beausoleil explains how immersive studies in São Paulo has allowed her to dive deep into Brazilian music.
Q What are the six languages that you speak?
A French, English, Spanish, Russian, Italian and Portuguese.
Q Why do you speak Russian?
A It had to do with a guy!
Q When did you become interested in Brazilian music? What is it about that music that appeals to you?
A I started playing a little bit of Brazilian music with my group Caoba way back in the late ’90s. I’ve always had an affinity with Latin American musics. And then I met Brazilian guitarist Evandro Gracelli, who was here in Ottawa in 2009. We started performing together and writing songs until we built up a repertoire that was our own. We founded the group Sol da capital together.
When he moved back to Brazil in 2011, I had an invitation to go there. So I travelled on my own dime to perform and teach in São Paulo in 2012. Then the University of São Paulo funded the Panamérica Canção (Panamerican Song) project in 2013, which was a cultural exchange between Brazil and Canada.
I produced several events here in Ottawa for eight musicians and one producer from São Paulo, and they invited me back there to tour with them and give some sessions on French Canadian music at USP. By then I had decided to focus my PhD research on Brazilian music and everything came together.
This music is interesting to sing because everything about it is deep — the harmony, the melody, the poetry, the rhythm, the dynamics. It requires a lot of study and interpretation. I think I might have been Brazilian in another life, because this music fits my voice like a glove. I feel like I come alive when I’m singing it. And Garry really gets it, so this is such a pleasure!
Q Were you singing Brazilian songs in English before, or in Portuguese, but phonetically, without knowing exactly what was meant?
A I have sung English translations of these songs, but I prefer the Portuguese. Even when I did not speak Portuguese, though, I always made it my business to know what every word of a song meant. Word-for-word translation is the only way to deliver a lyric with conviction if you don’t speak the language. You have to know what you’re singing, or else the audience won’t get the message. And it’s my job to deliver that message.
Q How did you learn Portuguese?
A The first time I went to Brazil, I decided the minute I got off the plane I would try not to speak any English. I just fumbled until I got it. I spent mornings looking up words so that I could present my shows in Portuguese. My grammar was obviously not there yet, so I only spoke in the present tense ... But after two weeks of this, I could have a simple conversation. And my knowledge of Spanish, French and Italian helped a great deal. Often, I would just start a word with the Latin root, and some kind soul would provide the right ending. I have been teaching myself the language ever since, just reading, listening to video interviews and using online language training. And singing a language helps one learn it.
Q How does knowing Portuguese affect your interpretations of Brazilian music?
A Learning the language has made my interpretations a lot more forthright. And it means I can actually do my phrasing and interpretation in a more natural way. And the poetry is much clearer to me now. Word-forword translations don’t help with idiomatic expressions and cultural nuances. So now I understand what I am singing much better.
Q Why does the music of Tom Jobim appeal to you?
A My research contacts in Brazil always talk about “music of quality,” and I have been digging to find out what they mean by that. Now I know, because I’m performing it! Jobim is so melodically rich and requires a great deal of vocal control and a good ear for chromaticism. How the text and music come together is absolutely sumptuous. It is subtle and complex at the same time. And there is a sensuousness to it that just feels like silk to me. phum@postmedia.com twitter.com/peterhum
I might have been Brazilian in another life, because this music fits my voice like a glove.