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Brazilian guitarist: ‘I don’t do things to please audiences’
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Acclaimed Brazilian classical guitarist Marco Pereira is dedicated to bringing all kinds of Brazilian music to an international audience.
The 57-year-old guitarist and composer presented a trio concert in Shanghai on Tuesday, along with accordionist Bebe Kramer and bass player Guto Wirtti. He has played the guitar since he was 14 and studied with renowned Uruguayan guitarist Isaias Savio, who brought Spanish guitarist Miguel Llobet’s techniques to Brazil. Pereira studied at the Sorbonne.
Though he is a classical guitarist and composer, Pereira infuses his own compositions with varied musical elements from Brazil.
“I was attracted to many different music styles. When I had to decide on my own style, I just couldn’t abandon anything,” says Pereira. “So I just kept them all.”
Pereira’s own musical tastes are wide ranging, and he finds messages in Mahler, Vivaldi, Puccini as well as in pop and hip-hop artists.
“I don’t care much about the boundaries between different kings of music. “To me, there are only two types of music, good and bad.”
He talked with local media.
Q: Please describe your concert.
A: Brazil is a country rich in rhythms, with influence from Europe and Africa, as well as indigenous Indian tribal music. We showcase and combine different styles from different regions, inspiring different musical expression. Of course, there’s samba and choro.
Q: Why the guitar?
A: In Brazil, every other person is a guitarist. It’s like a national musical instrument. It’s easy to carry and not so expensive. The combination of voice and guitar is very popular. You don’t have to learn guitar from established schools. Many people just teach themselves and learn from the streets. When they see and hear people playing interesting music, they learn to do it themselves.
There is very different music and rhythm in different parts of the country. Each guitarist plays differently and it’s a challenge to try everything. In Brazil there’s always something to see, to learn and to hear. Sometimes I travel and do research. Sometimes I just run into people with interesting music and then I stay with him or her for hours, learning things that are new and fresh.
Q: How did you begin your career?
A: I am proud that I am the first musician in my whole family, but I started very casually. I had my first guitar at 14, which is probably very late in most people’s opinion. At first I learned and practiced just by hearing and copying. It was not until I was 17 that I started standard music education in music school. I studied guitar with David Zwarg Isaisa Savio. Baden Powell, a great guitarist and composer, was a great influence on me. He is an innovator and I first learned to perform by imitating him.
Q: How do you keep your music popular?
A: I do not do things to please audiences. I think it is dangerous if you start just doing something to please the audiences. For me, I just do things that I like and believe in deeply. I remember Sting’s remarks on his musical success. He said he was lucky when he started music because he chose to do something that also pleased a lot of people. That works for me, too.
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