Francisco Mário

1948 - 1988 / FRANCISCO MÁRIO (BY NIVIA SOUZA*)Composer and guitarist Francisco Mário was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, on August 22nd, 1948. He was the son of Henrique José de Souza and Maria da Conceição, who later became known as “Dona Maria”, as that was how she was referred to in her son Henfil’s letters, which were published in Pasquim and Isto É. He had seven siblings: Betinho, Henfil, Glorinha, Filó, Wanda, Tanda and Ziláh. Chico Mário, as he was affectionately known, had guitar lessons, went to the School of Economics and got his post-graduate degree in Systems Engineering from COPPE. He was also a journalist for Estado de São Paulo and a music critic for the magazine Realidade. He was interested in music from the age of five, and played the bongo, the atabaque and the acoustic guitar. This interest was always encouraged by his brother, Betinho, who used to get together with his friends to listen to Bach, Tchaikovsky and Chopin. As he was a hemophiliac, and was forced to lie down for hours on end, he used that time to play the guitar. His hemophilia therefore contributed to his musical training. It was his uncle Geraldo, from Bocaiúva, in the north of the state of Minas Gerais, who taught Chico Mário how to play the viola (Brazilian 12-string folk guitar). One day, a fantastic guitarist called Bernard turned up to teach Chico Mário, but he passed away on the day that he was scheduled to start teaching him, leaving the young guitarist with a great desire to learn and a challenge in the air. In 1965, he took part in the Juventude Estudantil Católica (JEC – Catholic Students Youth Movement) in Belo Horizonte, as a member of the regional board. During the youth meetings, “Chiquinho’s guitar” could often be heard during meditation breaks as well as during the Dominican Friars Gregorian Mass. By 1966, Chico Mário was already living in São Paulo, and had joined the Secondary School Student’s Movement (União Brasileira dos Estudantes). It was a time of writing graffiti on the walls of Consolação Street, and of running from the bullets of repression; and he often managed to run to Maria Antonia Street during such occasions, and find refuge in the USP (University of São Paulo) after having scaled a few walls. Later, he supported the on-strike workers in the ABC region. He said he used to forget that he was a hemophiliac when he was fighting for change in his country. By 1967, at the tender age of 19, he was already married and was still living in São Paulo. He used to make ends meet by working as a teacher while studying Economics and Computer Science at the same time. He had guitar lessons with Professor Henrique Pinto and created a method of teaching music through the use of colors, and the application of drama techniques and Brazilian folk music. This method was adopted by several schools in São Paulo and by courses for teachers. He wrote several stories for the children’s magazine Recreio, published by Editora Abril, such as “Tonho, o elefante” (Tonho, the Elephant), “O gigante da lagoa preta” (The Giant of the Black Lagoon), “O leão fominha” (The Penny-pinching Lion) and “A pulga do realejo” (The Flea of the Fortune Telling Music Box). He was also a consultant for the Communication and Arts School of the University of Sao Paulo, along with Professor Oswaldo Sangiorgi. He attended Professor Lauro de Oliveira Lima’s Group Dynamics Course and adapted it to his own guitar course. In 1978, Chico Mário moved to Rio de Janeiro, where the chances of having a career in music were much better at the time. He soon got involved in the Rio music scene, and stood out as a result of his talent. At that time, he studied arrangement and theory with Professor Roberto Gnattali, who was also responsible for the arrangements of his first concert, “Ouro Preto”, which took place at Parque Laje and at UFRJ (The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) with the participation of Marcos Ariel (flute), Henrique Drach (cello), Alberto Gabeira (bass), Maria Antônia (flute), Marcos Dantas (percussion), among other musicians. Keen, brave and idealistic, he recorded his first album, “Terra”, in 1979 – a work with a strong flavor of Minas Gerais, that talks about the mountains of that region. It was also released in Mexico and praised by Carlos Drummond de Andrade. The cover was designed by Noguchi, and the album included the participation of Joyce, Quarteto em Cy, Antonio Adolfo, Airton Barbosa, Chiquinho do Acordeon, among others. In May that same year, as vice-president of APID (Independent Records Producers Association), he took part in a meeting on alternative cultural production of independent records in Curitiba, where he noticed that, although they were the first batch of producers, they were still a minority group, as Brazilian country music records outnumbered MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) by five to one. The albums of the pioneers of the independent production, such as Antonio Adolfo, Danilo Caymmi, Luli & Lucinda and Francisco Mário, that were displayed there, were like banners for musicians, composers and singers who couldn’t break into the marketplace. In July of that year, he played at the 12th Winter Festival of Ouro Preto. In 1980, Francisco Mário entered a studio to record “Revolta dos Palhaços”, with the support of 200 people who bought the album before it was even released. Chico used to say, “With this album, I denounce the illusion which was set up in order to show our Third World country’s underdeveloped reality, and which could even shock people who were dreaming and didn’t want to wake up, who would rather believe the false reality, recreated each and every day.” The sleeve, a drawing by cartoonist Nani, depicted a large circus tent, in which co-producers subscribed to, bought and supported the idea of the independent record. He co-authored songs with poets such as Aldir Blanc and Paulo Emílio, Fernando Rios, journalist Tárik de Souza and actor Guarnieri, and enjoyed the special participation of Ivan Lins, MPB4, Lucinha Lins, Boca Livre, Mauro Senise, Luiz Claudio Ramos, Danilo Caymmi, Djalma Correa and others. The cover was designed by his brother Henfil. In 1981, he was invited to take part in the 5th Festival de Oposición in Mexico. For the first time ever, Chico left Brazil to perform his music internationally; and as a result, his first album, “Terra”, was released in Mexico by the record company Fóton. After the festival, he spent two weeks in Miami; and when the hotel owner found out that Brazilian musicians were staying there, he asked them play until six in the morning and refused to let them pay for their stay. During the festival, which included musicians from all over the world and had an audience of 15.000 people, Francisco Mário, Djalma Correa and Henrique Drach got such an impressive standing ovation, accompanied by such frenetic stamping of the feet, that they had to go back on-stage seven times to play again and again. During that same year, he recorded “Versos e Viola” with Francisco Julião, who had just returned from exile. The album was banned by the censors at the time. Impressed by how the Mexicans had welcomed the chorinho and baião tunes they had played when they kept going back on-stage for more, Chico, upon his arrival in Brazil, decided to record his first instrumental album, called “Conversa de Cordas, Palhetas e Metais”. It was elected one of the best instrumental music albums in 1983, and received the Chiquinha Gonzaga Award. The book of poems “Painel Brasileiro” (Brazilian Scene) was launched together with the record. With its cover designed by Elifas Andreato, photography by Fernando Carvalho, and the participation of authorities such as Rafael Rabelo, Nivaldo Ornelas, Zeca Assumpção, Antonio Adolfo and Afonso Machado, the record represented one more effort to stand out in the marketplace and to open up space for Brazilian instrumental music in its place of origin, since it had already been unconditionally accepted abroad. In the same year, he started studying theory with Professor Adamo, who was recommended by the great Ian Guest. In 1984, “São Paulo”, an original piece, won 1st prize at the Ouro Preto Festival, and in 1986, it won the Best Arrangement Award at the Minas Gerais Festival of Festivals. Intending to form a partnership with the magazine Cadernos do Terceiro Mundo, Chico and his wife, Nívia, started an independent production project with the best Brazilian musicians. The first and only album of this project was Radamés Gnattalli’s “Retratos”, a piano solo. Facing all sorts of obstacles, Chico managed to release yet another instrumental album in 1985, “Pijama de Seda”, also the title of a tune dedicated to Pixinguinha. “Ressurreição”, considered one of the most beautiful tunes in the album, was a tribute to his brother, Henfil. The eight guitars were played by Chico. All the tunes, arrangements, pan flute and even superimposed guitars are credited to Francisco Mário. With its cover designed by Noguchi, the record was launched at the Cecília Meireles Room (Sala Cecília Meireles) on September 30th, 1985. In 1986, he released the album “Retratos”, in which he turned to Brazilian sources to look for the essence of his music, mixing rhythms once again, and in which he paid homage to several people, from João Gilberto to the Pankararé Indians. On Side A, the bucolic and fatalistic northern region can be sensed, while the progress and mischievousness of the south can be sensed on Side B. Going from urban to rural, skimming through Brazilian music, with touches from some of our good neighbors, such as in the tune “Cuba”, dedicated to Silvio Rodrigues and Pablo Milanés, the album has a beautiful cover and painting by Lobianco. Dorival Caymmi, Luiz Gonzaga, Waldir Azevedo and Baden Powell are mentioned in this work. In November of that same year, Chico Mário gave his last concert, performing his new tunes at “Suite Brasil”, a project promoted by RioArte, in the Catacumba Park, Rio de Janeiro. In the following month, when he was ill with pneumonia, Chico found out that he had AIDS, having caught the virus through a blood transfusion. After leaving hospital, at the beginning of 1987, he went to the Fazenda da Serra, Itatiaia, with his family, and composed his last three works: “Dança do Mar”, “Suite Brasil” and “Tempo”. In October 1987, Chico went to the Sonoviso studio to record his last works. “Dança do Mar” – seven movements that reflect the changes in nature and in the seasons. It’s an erudite record, in which each movement takes place at sea: Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring, Lull, Daybreak and Storm. For each track, there are two versions: the Bosísio string quartet and Chico’s guitar together with his guests. Suite Brasil is a musical overview of Brazilian history. Each movement is a historical landmark, from the discovery of Brazil to the first democratic elections. There is also the unreleased record, Tempo, which is a tribute to Charlie Chaplin, and has the track “São Paulo”, that won the Ouro Preto Winter Festival and received the Best Arrangement prize at the Minas Gerais Festival of Festivals. In December 1987, one of the most beautiful concerts ever took place in Rio de Janeiro, organized to help pay for Chico Mário’s treatment. More than 30 artists were on stage at the João Caetano Theatre, including Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Gonzaguinha, Dona Ivone Lara, Paulinho da Viola, Emilio Santiago, Joyce, Claudio Nucci, Fagner, Elton Medeiros, Aldir Blanc and Marcos Souza, his son, who played in public for the first time. In February 1988, it was the artists from Minas Gerais who gave a concert for the same purpose, at the Cabaré Mineiro Theatre, including Beto Guedes, Paulinho Pedra Azul, Gilvan de Oliveira, Tadeu Franco and Rubinho do Vale. Francisco Mário had enough new material for three more albums when he died on March 14th, 1988. After his death, his wife and producer Nívia Souza, his daughters Ana and Karina, and his oldest child, Marcos Souza, released the posthumous vinyl albums. “Dança do Mar” was launched at the Cecília Meireles Room in 1988, with the participation of Rafael Rabello, Antonio Adolfo, Mauro Senise and Rique Pantoja, David Chew, Galo Preto and a performance by Tony Ramos. “Suite Brasil” was launched in 1991, with a concert by Marcos Souza at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. In 1995, Caju Music released three CDs: “Conversa de Cordas, Couros, Palhetas e Metais”, “Pijama de Seda” and “Retratos”. The CDs were also released in the US by the Fantasy Record Company. In 1997, the albums “Terra” and “Dança do Mar” were released as CDs and at the same time there was an exhibition at the Museum of Image and Sound in Rio de Janeiro and at Crav, in Belo Horizonte, sponsored by Belotur. In 1998, the project “Francisco Mário – 50 years” took place, an event that included an exhibition, videos, plays, concerts and poetry readings. In 1999, the CD “Marionetes”, produced by Marcos Souza, was released – a tribute through the voice of singer Regina Spósito, in a compilation of the first albums “Terra” and “Revolta dos Palhaços”. In the same year, “Suite Brasil” was released as part of the Funarte, Itaú Cultural and Atração anthology. Chico wrote three books: Ressureição (Resurrection), written when he was hospitalized at the UFRJ hospital in 1987; Como fazer um disco independente (How to make an independent record), which explains all the stages in the production of a homemade album (published by Editora Vozes); and the book of poems Painel Brasileiro. Francisco Mário left a lot of music, many struggles, a lot of hope, a lot of criticism, three children (Marcos Souza, Ana and Karina), his partner and producer Nívia Souza and a great sense of humor.*FRANCISCO MÁRIO’S WIDOW