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// Wilson Das Neves 
Listen to Wilson Das Neves's albums
Click on the album cover to listen to all sample tracks
© Domenico
Samba source
“Samba is my gift. And in samba I want to die, with my drumsticks in my hands, because no-one in samba will forget my name”. If any other Brazilian musician had written a song with these lyrics, they may have been called egocentric. But when Wilson das Neves, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1936, sang these words, listeners could only agree whole-heartedly. The album featuring this song, O Som Sagrado de Wilson das Neves, was his first solo LP, released when he was 61 years old. But having worked as a drummer for several decades, Wilson was already an important figure in Brazilian music.
His rhythm is a crucial part of the DNA of almost all Brazil’s music legends. With a career spanning more than half a century, Wilson has performed and recorded drums with over 600 artists. From samba legends - Cartola, João Nogueira, Beth Carvalho, Nelson Cavaquinho, Clara Nunes – to bossa nova gurus such as Tom Jobim, and other giants like Roberto Carlos, Elza Soares, Chico Buarque and Caetano Veloso. He has also accompanied international names such as Michel Legrand and Sarah Vaughan.
Wilson cites Art Blakey and Melvin Jones as major influences, but he insists that he has absorbed elements from everything he has ever heard: “Everybody taught me something: how to carry myself, character, dignity, respect”. Maybe that’s why, after decades in the background, Wilson das Neves has reached the zenith of his career at the age of 74. He has just released two albums: Pra Gente Fazer Mais Um Samba (Totolo), his third solo album, and Que Beleza (Far Out) as Os Ipanemas. And what’s more, the Brazilian director Cristiano Abud is making a documentary about his life - O samba é meu dom (Samba Is My Gift).
Wilson das Neves – clip from forthcoming documentary Samba Is My Gift
On his solo album, Pra Gente Fazer Mais Um Samba, Wilson wanted to bring his skill as a composer to the fore, with 13 new songs. The album combines samba roots with a jazzy feel. Wilson’s voice, which was first recorded on his 1970 album Samba Tropi, sounds fresh and sparkly. And it has a deeply familiar air to it, as if he had been a singer all along. “I never planned to be a singer, it just happened”, he says. Que Beleza by Os Ipanemas is more melancholic, with spiritual tones. And a touch of sadness, perhaps owing to the death of his friend Neco in 2009 (the guitarist in the original 1964 line-up). This album features three generations of musicians, from singer Andrea Martins to the trombone player Vitor Santos. “We wanted to stay close to the essence of Os Ipanemas in the 1970s”, says Wilson. When you ask Wilson about his connections to the Afro-Brazilian candomblé religion, a strong presence on Que Beleza, he answers that he is the great-great-grandson of Africans, and that everything began long before his birth.“ Drums were the first instruments human beings used to communicate with the gods. That is why they are sacred” he explains.
And what does Wilson think about the new interpretations of samba? “For me, samba-jazz, samba-reggae, samba-funk, roots samba is all samba. Everyone plays the samba they feel”. Wilson confesses that he doesn’t relate much to rock, what he does love is black American music and funk. “The 1970s, when samba fused with soul was a fantastic time, long live funk!”
The other project which keeps Wilson das Neves busy is Rio’s Orquestra Imperial, the popular 20 piece dream team formed by Kassin with Moreno Veloso and Domenico which plays vintage gafieira samba in a big band style reminiscent of the 40s and 50s. Wilson is part of the all-star line-up featuring young musicians from all sorts of musical scenes (including singers Thalma de Freitas, Nina Becker and Los Hermanos’ Rodrigo Amarante), playing a cocktail of samba, mambo and boleros with a modern twist. The other members may be 40 years his junior, but as Domenico comments, “Wilson is the one who has the youngest spirit out of all of us”. “Playing with Orquestra Imperial makes my spirit fly”, agrees Wilson, “I’m always open to new things and these guys have taught me a lot. I’m always learning”. Wise words from a charming veteran.
Pra Gente Fazer Mais Um Samba – Wilson Das Neves
is out now on Totolo
Que Beleza – Os Ipanemas
is out now on Far Out
Bernardo Gutierrez
// ALSO
- Wilson das Neves
- Rio's retro samba band Orquestra Imperial play KOKO 12 July
- Tudo Azul
- Seu Jorge & Almaz
- Brazilian singer Maria Rita returns to London on 18 May 2010
- Art Melody's futuristic African hip hop
- Oliver Mtukudzi, Oliver Mtukudzi - African Soul Rebel
- Gilles Peterson, Gilles Peterson - Works in progress
- Khaled, Liberté
// ALL WILSON DAS NEVES'S INTERVIEWS
Samba source
28/07/2010
// LINKS
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