Brazilian singers and musicians living in London

27 Mar, 2014

Read in English below | Leia em PortuguA?s aqui

By Shirley Nunes
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March is the month of Women and we are going to pay homage to them! According to IBGE (The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) 53.8% of the 500 thousand Brazilians living abroad are women. We are going to profile some female artists who are part of that number and live here in the UK. The majority of them are singers, others include a pianist, flautist and a percussionist too. Inspiring women in one unique space!

During the interviews, they all highlighted the need for artists to receive more support and respect. The interview focuses on three themes: art, work and London.
Read about these brilliant womenai??i??s thoughts and discover a little more about their careers outside of Brazil.

Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai??Ai??Ai?? In conversation with the singer Rebeca Vallim

Rebecca Vallim, Brazilian singer from Rio.

A singer from the age of 12, she makes a living from music. She tells us that the greatest challenge of living in London is being far from the support of her family. I ask her about how she sees Brazilian music reaching non-Brazilians. Rebecca says

ai???I believe they like it and what enchants them the most is its rhythm. Now, in terms of reaching non-Brazilians, the language barrier creates limitations. Itai??i??s always difficult to live off your art. Perhaps, the most difficult aspect is the fact thereai??i??s a crisis here in the UK.ai??i??

The Rio native tells us that, ai???This March marks my 9 years in England. I came to try and a build a better future for myself. I feel very different but I love England. I love the cultural diversity, the mix of languages and the respect for differenced. Definitely that respect for difference is something that doesnai??i??t exist in Brazil, where people are judged by how they dress.ai??i??
She brings the chat to an end by affirming that England opened doors for her to share her music. ai???Even though my music isnai??i??t always understood, I am grateful to England for all that it has given me, for all the places I never imagined I would go and all the paths I am yet to take. I hope all the female warriors who follow their dreams are filled with strength.ai??i??Ai??Read more about Rebeca Vallim: www.mafuadeyaya.wordpress.com

Playing to the beat with percussionist Tuca Millan.

by Bruna Mush

Tuca is a little different from all of the interviewed female artists. She believes that ai???I has been wonderful working creativelyai??i?? but confesses ai???No, I donai??i??t live exclusively from my art here in the UKai??i??. Millan has played instruments since she was 15 years old and says she senses no difference between Brazil and the UK in terms of living as a musician.

ai???I think that how you are treated starts with how you areai??i??.

She explains that non-Brazilians actually like and admire her work ai???Brazilian music is one of the most respected forms of music in the worldai??i??. I ask about her biggest obstacle getting to where she is. Unlike the others, she says ai???The language wasnai??i??t the most difficult thing, it was the climate. I have been living here for 6 years and I donai??i??t have any doubts, I like it here and the differences are naturally, cultural ones. I didnai??i??t have any specific shocks, I already knew what to expectai??i??.

When I ask about her rights she replies ai???Iai??i??m not part of the Musicianai??i??s Union. Depending on the associationai??i??s real objective I do think they should exist. And, ever positive, she draws the chat to an end by saying ai???Believe in yourself and your art, you cannot go wrongai??i??.Ai??Find out more: www.tucapositive.blogspot.com

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To the tune of the flute: Lucia Viola

Lucia Viola, told us that initially she was merely passing through London and would only be here for a month.Ai?? London left its mark on her. ai???I was going to Italy but I loved the cultural life in the city and decided to continue my studies here (undergraduate and postgraduate). I like living in London and from the start I have felt at home here. There are lots of similarities between Sao Paulo and London. I also like that there are rural areas and when I have the time to visit new places I try to learn more about the history of the country etc. In the beginning I didnai??i??t speak English very well and made things difficult but also quite interesting. I remember getting to know people from various counties and thinking it was a rich and important experience.ai??i??

I asked about her art and the challenges of making a living from music:Ai??ai???Music is my job. Music is how I live. Performing, writing, recording, rehearsing in music schools and colleges. Working as a performing artists, or as any type of artist is a challenge anywhere in the world. It takes a lot of dedication, many years of training and nothing guaranteed. I was already playing Brazil, I started quite early and I also worked with music in Sao Paulo. I had great luck with my teachers and amazing colleagues in the field of pop and classical music (amongst them the flautist Antonio Dias Carrasqueira and jazz pianist Ziara). I see thereai??i??s an interest in Brazilian music and jazz but there need to be more spaces for these types of music’.

Lucia also speaks about her two albums ai???Sundialai??i?? and ai???Impressionsai??i?? and she is preparing a show to launch her next record.
See more of Lucia and buy the cd here: www.luciaviola.com
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The great pianist Clelia Iruzun.

The pianist Clelia Iruzun, has lived in London for 30 years and began her career very early, taking part in, and winning, piano contests across Brazil. This was how she got the opportunity to study abroad with grants. ai???I came to London at the beginning of the 80s when I was still a teenager and I decided to study at the Royal Academy of Music. I took part in contest in Europe and won some prizes. I then started playing in England and other countries.ai??i??

When asked about the differences between England and Brazil she replied ai???I think that the biggest obstacle faced by Brazilian artist who go abroad is the initial communication challenges and understanding a different society. Itai??i??s important to understand their values and try to integrate yourself. Europeans are very proud of their cultural and they value it; therefore itai??i??s difficult for foreigners to make a space for themselves. The important thing is integration and looking for opportunities to show your art in order to be accepted in the creative field.ai??i?? I ask her about building an artistic life outside of Brazil. She reaffirms what other artists have told me about life being difficult for artists everywhere. ai???In Europe, for example, the market has shrunk because of economic problems while in Brazil the opposite is happening. The artistic market is growing, mainly for the middle class.ai??i??Ai??

Clelia speaks with pride about Brazilian music ai???I get great joy from being able to carry out my Brazilian music projects, for instance a festival I funded recently called ai???Brazil: Three Countries of Music. We have already done three events in London and all have had great publicity and response from critics. Brazil has a very rich musical heritage, which needs to be recognised. Brazilai??i??s composers need to be viewed along with their famous European contemporaries.ai??i?? She closes the interview by highlighting that she wants to introduce Brazilian composers who are almost totally unknown outside of Brazil bring them together with great Brazilian and English artists.Ai??Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Ai?? Read more about Clelia: www. cleliairuzun.com

Aline Stoffell, The new MPB (the Popular Brazilian Music movement)

Originally from Rio Grande do Sul, this singer has lived in London for 3 years and is now returning to Brazil. She says was first attracted to the cityai??i??s culture. She is young, just 24 years old, and doesnai??i??t live off her music. She does some voice over work and another full-time job. She says she doesnai??i??t see many difficulties in the creative field. ai???Working with music, in my case, was always a positive experience but like any profession, there are innumerable obstacles. I have always been treated respectfully at my gigs and I have people who support me. I believe that, as incredible as it may seem, the most difficult this is getting on with other Brazilian musicians abroad.ai??i??

I ask about her experience singing to non-Brazilians and she replied ai???I always try to bring a little bit of my Brazil to the audience, as way of mixing my culture with theirs. I love giving English songs a Brazilian swing. This always gets a brilliant reception because it involves all the audience. I also sing in Portuguese and the feedback is always positive.ai??i?? She adds that singing here in the UK makes a difference in Brazil: ai???Before leaving Brazil, I sang there but not professionally. I had the opportunity to return to the country as a singer, and the fact that I had ai???been abroadai??i?? helped me get great jobs and gain respectai??i??. Find out more about her work: http://www.alinestoffel.com

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Classical singer, Gabriela Di Laccio
After meeting this singer and the pianist Clelia Iruzun, we can see that diversity goes from one extreme to another. This Rio Grande do Sul native, has lived in London since 2001. She told us that she came to London because she received a university grant, ai???it was to study for two years at the Royal College of Musicai??i??. I asked her about the differences between cultures she has noticed after living in London for so many years, she replied ai???It is impossible not pick up on differences between the UK and Brazil. We are almost polar opposites. I love the cultural richness of living in London. Knowing that you are always a few bus stops away from a huge number of free museums, concerts, musicals, shows, etc..and thatai??i??s something, which for me, is absolutely priceless. And she tells us, giggling, about something that happened to her when she first arrived here, ai???Like all Rio Grande do Sul girls, Iai??i??m used to giving people three kisses when I first meet them. I did this the first time I met my lecturer in our first 17^th century music class. Needless to say, I was the only person in the class who did that.ai??i??

She also tells us proudly, that she lives from her music, not only singing but also from giving voice lessons. She is very grateful to the people who support her: ai???I believe that if the artist is close to the audience during their performance, they are always going to get a warmer reception. That is so important to me: feeling like I am creating a ai???bridgeai??i?? between the stage and public.ai??i??

As an experienced London resident she says ai???I think the English are quite open to receiving new things. The fact London is so cosmopolitan supports this. The comments that make me happiest are from people who have never listened to classical Brazilian music and after the concert come to thank me with huge smiles.ai??i?? She brings the conversation to an end saying ai???There is a quote from Oscar Wilde which I really love, because it encompasses what I believe we must strive to be as artists “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”.Ai??See more of her work on the site: www.gabrieladilaccio.com

I would like to clarify that the singers Adma Newport, Alba Cabral, Leandra Varanda were unable to take part in the interview because they are currently in Brazil and have not had time to respond to us. Jandira Silva could not take part for personal reasons and Monica Vasconcelos has not responded to us. I hope you have all enjoyed finding out about the work of these Brazilian artists.