Brazilian guitar

The brazilian Paulinho Nogueira, Bossa-nova superstar, died in august 2nd 2003 in São Paulo at the age of 73. The guitarist Jo vurchio had to meet him in Brazil. The missing rendezvous turned out to be a tribute to the regretful musician.

Toquinho and Paulinho Nogueira had given their approval: There will be a tour in France. Toninho (Toquinho's childhood friend) and I had to meet each other in São Paulo to set some details the 12th of august. Tonihno Ramos spent the morning playing and talking guitar to Paulinho. "It is important to only play with the fingers pulp of the right hand, it gives you a more natural sound. But the only way to play Brazilian music is to play with his heart, and to do so, it requires to live with his heart" it was the way this bossa-nova mentor was talking. Two days later, Toninho called me from Brazil with bad news, the master passed away. After a silent night, I called Tonhino back to keep everything as planed.

The presence of the MPB

Toninho and I had planed to perform at Minas Gerais, the brazilianred land from his childhood where he hadn't been back for 30 years (he's living in France). Regarding myself, after all these years playing brazilian guitar, I realize that I've never been in brazil. The concert is taking place paying tribute to Paulinho Nogueira, especially when I'm playing Bachianina, one of his masterpieces. The human heat, the Brazilian enthusiasm, the samba, no doubt we are in Brazil. An unforgotten show by his level of complexity. In São Paulo, we are playing in a Cabaret, The Villaggio Café, kind of a local Petit Journal where Toninho often performed with others artists from the Música Popular Brasileira (MPB). The entire upper crust of brazilian singers and musicians have come to assist to the return of the prodigal son Toninho Ramos. Solist, duestist... a glowing homage to the departed.

 By Jo Vurchio.

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