Bossa Nova: The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World by Castro Ruy

Author:Castro, Ruy [Castro, Ruy]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3, epub
Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
Published: 2012-03-31T21:00:00+00:00

12

Colorful Harmonies

At the famous apartment: Nara Leão, Roberto Menescal (guitar), Bebeto (flute), Dori Caymmi, and, in profile, Chico Feitosa

Collection of Roberto Menescal

João Gilberto had no time to take part in those student entertainments. He was on the road, looking after his career. Really. At the time when one of those shows was held, for example, he had gone to do two performances in Belo Horizonte, at the invitation of his friend Pacífico Mascarenhas. Both went off almost without a hitch. At the first, at the local Automóvel Clube (Automobile Club), he had already been introduced on stage by Pacífico and was receiving a big hand when he suddenly saw something wrong with his guitar and wouldn’t allow the curtains to be opened. Pacífico, unaware of what was going on, introduced him again. More clapping and still no singer. When Pacífico peeked behind the curtains to see what was going on, he discovered that João wanted him to tune his guitar. The show started somewhat late, but finished on time, and was only moderately successful. Belo Horizonte was still not all that enthusiastic for bossa nova, as they said in those parts.

The following night, João Gilberto locked himself in the bathroom at the Hotel Normandie two hours before the show at the Yacht Club and wouldn’t come out. Pacífico thought about breaking down the door, but this was very much against his nature—not to mention his name. He preferred to talk João Gilberto into coming out, as you do with someone who threatens to throw himself out of a window. Right when the show was due to begin, João sheepishly opened the bathroom door, went to the club, and delighted the three hundred people who were in the audience.

In those days in Belo Horizonte, he was capable of many other personal niceties. A local blind musician went to look for him at his hotel, and the two of them played the guitar together for several hours. On leaving, the young man praised João’s guitar. Without hesitation, the latter said, “It’s yours. Keep it.”

The opaque eyes of the young man appeared to shine with a beautiful and unparalleled luminosity. He did not want to take the guitar, but João Gilberto said, “I insist. Take it as a souvenir.”

The young man thanked him a thousand times, and left, very happy, with the guitar. In fact, the guitar did not belong to João Gilberto but to Pacífico Mascarenhas, who witnessed the entire exchange with disbelief—and who, of course, had no intention of intervening in João’s generous gesture.

The trip to Belo Horizonte had another positive aspect. Pacífico took João to the home of the pianist Talita Fonseca, where he met another member of Samba-Cana, the student Roberto Guimarães. Roberto sang “Amor certinho” (Sure-Fire Love) for him, and for João, it was love at first sight upon hearing the song. But obviously not at first hearing, because he made Roberto sing the entire song at least fifty times that night, until he could be sure that he had learned it.

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