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਍ഀ LIVE ਍ഀ REPORT
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਍ഀ Ivan Lins and João Bosco
਍ഀ 8 May 2003 - 2nd Stage at Blue Note Tokyo at Blue ਍ഀ Note Tokyo
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਍ഀ The best ਍ഀ of Brasilian popular musicians pack the night with heat and passion
਍ഀ - Two of the central figures of contemporary Brasilian music scene share the ਍ഀ stage ofBlue Note Tokyo.
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਍ഀ When I found out about this special opportunity to ਍ഀ attend a show by two of the leading composers/performers of today's Brasilian ਍ഀ popular music scene, I simply couldn't let it pass by. A night of live performance ਍ഀ by Ivan Lins and João Bosco.

Ivan Lins's name must be familiar to those who followed Lee ਍ഀ Ritnour and Dave Grusin back in the 80's. In fact that's how I found out about ਍ഀ him, from the video "Live from the Record Plant" and the studio album ਍ഀ "Harlequin". Later I was stunned by the wealth of his solo material, ਍ഀ which continues to capture the hearts and minds of discerning audience of jazz-fusion ਍ഀ with ethnic rhythms, or those who just want to hear good music that stands repeated ਍ഀ listening.

João Bosco is known as the foremost of Afro-Brazillian singer-songwriter ਍ഀ and has a very sophisticated samba sound of his own mixed with classical guitar ਍ഀ passages ala Villa-Lobos and well-crafted rhythmic structure reminding of Nana ਍ഀ Vasconcelos.

Now I must face this difficult task of describing what is ineffable. ਍ഀ When a sheer beauty and mesmerizing fun fills the mind, how can words play? ਍ഀ I might just say the show was absolutely beautiful and rest this show review, ਍ഀ but that does not seem to do justice, so I go on.

When João Bosco walked up to the stage, with his classical guitar ਍ഀ in his left hand, it was as if a fresh breeze came over from sunny Copacabana. ਍ഀ Bosco sang in deep voice, keeping rhythm on the lower strings of the guitar ਍ഀ while adding ever moving chords that do not stay on for a bar. From time to ਍ഀ time, guitarists and pianists argue which one is better called the one-piece ਍ഀ orchestra, and this time the guitarst has an obvious win. Bosco enticed the ਍ഀ audience with his magic of voice and the strings all by himself for the first ਍ഀ three songs, then brought to the stage the second guitarist Nelson Faria and ਍ഀ the bassist Nel Conceicao.

The two backing musicians were superb. Taking solos in turn, ਍ഀ that sounded very much musically neccessitated, rather than just to prove their ਍ഀ technique, the two went on and around the one-man orchestra of Bosco in a best ਍ഀ way to enhance the overall musical experience.

The show featured an epic tune which was led by tasty classical ਍ഀ guitar solo ala Villa-Lobos and intricate passages with all three instruments ਍ഀ and thevocal performning as what would usually take a 10 piece band to play. ਍ഀ For the last song Bosco invited Ivan Lins on keyboards, percussion and vocals. ਍ഀ Lins' mouth trombone was quite amusing and in fact made a great impression of ਍ഀ him as a superb arranger/composer as well as being a fantastic performer.

After Bosco and his band left the stage, Lins brought his band ਍ഀ on stage while playing introduction to the next song on the keyboards. When ਍ഀ the last musician stepped on the stage, the full fun of Brazilian contemporary ਍ഀ music was already there: the distinctive vocal harmonies and the rhythm of samba, ਍ഀ complex dynamics and pleasantly flowing melodies.

A part reminding of Eumir Deodato and parts presenting the air ਍ഀ of Antonio Carlos Jobim, the show was nothing short of being fantastic. As the ਍ഀ music continued, the audience was taken to the bustling streets of Rio de Janeiro ਍ഀ or the shining beaches of Copacabana.

Lins' music has universal appeal. While his material often refers ਍ഀ to his love of his country or the native city, the songs were received with ਍ഀ such enthusiasm that as if the audience of the Blue Note Tokyo were Japanese ਍ഀ Brazilians visiting home.

The band featured two guitarists, Ze Carlos on accoustic and ਍ഀ Leonardo Amuedo on electric. Ze Carlos also played Cavaquinho which is a small ਍ഀ size 8-string guitar about the size of bluegrass mandolin and has sound
਍ഀ characteristic not unlike Charango but brighter. Ze played it beautifully on ਍ഀ several numbers. Leonardo had GK-2 attached on his guitar and emulated semiacoustic ਍ഀ sound that Pat Metheny would be most certainly impressed.

For the last number the stage was filled with two bands of Lins ਍ഀ and Bosco for a spectacular show of hands and voices. All in all, the shows ਍ഀ were nothing short of being amazing.

Lins expressed his love of Japan and its culture and people, ਍ഀ and said if he were asked to live in Japan he would gladly do so, and would ਍ഀ like to have his own radio show. His passion for the radio media seems to characterize ਍ഀ a man who was brought up to the music played on the radio, and wanted to have ਍ഀ his own songs aired. Now as a man as he is, Ivan Lins should by all means own ਍ഀ his own radio show, if not a whole station, and I for one would be just happy ਍ഀ to be tuning in.
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Musicians:
Ivan ਍ഀ Lins (Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion, Guitar)
Teo Lima (Drums)
Leonardo Amuedo ਍ഀ (Electric Guitar)
Marco Brito (Keyboards)
Nema Antunes (Bass)
Zé Carlos ਍ഀ (Accoustic Guitars, Cavaquinho)

Joao Bosco (Vocals, Guitar)
਍ഀ Nelson Faria (Guitars)
਍ഀ Nel Conceição (Bass)
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SET LIST:
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਍ഀ João Bosco
਍ഀ 1. Nação
਍ഀ 2. Terreiro de Jesus
਍ഀ 3. Coisa Feita
਍ഀ 4. Desenho de Giz
਍ഀ 5. Senhoras Do Amazonas
਍ഀ 6. Moral da História
਍ഀ 7. Quilombo / Tiro de Misericórdia / Escadas da Penha
਍ഀ 8. Chege de Saudade (Session with Ivan Lins)

Ivan Lins:
਍ഀ 9. Depois Dos Temporais
਍ഀ 10. Meu País
਍ഀ 11. Lua do Arpoador
਍ഀ 12. Samba do Aviao
਍ഀ 13. Ex-Amor
਍ഀ 14. É de Deus
਍ഀ 15. Vivo Sonhando / Triste

João Bosco & Ivan Lins
਍ഀ 16. Milagre (Session)
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Report by Tatsuro Ueda
਍ഀ Edit by Asako Matsuzaka
਍ഀ Many thanks to Blue Note Tokyo
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Copyright (C) 2003 Global Artist Network. All ਍ഀ rights reserved.