K. Y. M.
The Solipsistic
Consciousness’Reality
Through its
Manifisting Dialectic
"I never kept sheep,
But it's as if I'd done so.
My soul is like a shepherd.
It knows wind and sun
Walking hand in hand with the Seasons
Observing, and following along."
(Fernando Pessoa)
"Kublai Kahn
seeks greater consciousness. Even from the first line, “The Emperor of the Tartars does continue listening to the young Venetian with greater attention and curiosity than he shows any other messenger or explorer of his,
Kublai Kahn
isolates Marco Polo because he is external from the Kingdom. The Kahn is Kahn of his Kingdom and thereby exists as the manifestation of his empire because his empire is only what he perceives. It is not that he sees what he wants, per se, but that he knows he can only see what he knows. Once we internalize a feeling or emotion we can then use it to qualify not only the things will encounter but to qualify our memory. Therefore he pays close attention to Marco Polo because Polo is a completely external reality unaffected by the Kahn. Polo becomes the catalyst for Kahn to explore a new level of exploration. The Kahn realizes what Polo represents while Polo is there. All of his revelations about cities and consciousness come as a result of the external force of Polo. Kublai Kahn, however, seems foolish. Polo is an opportunity to expand his options for qualifying and interpreting future and past ideas, objects, feelings or emotions. If it were true that we can only know what we already know then we would be born with an essence, a pre-programmed consciousness. Not so. We develop consciousness through interaction with external realities. We then add these to our ammunition to interpret more realities. Thus, Calvino suggests the past qualifies the future. We cannot be conscious and live from moment to moment, e.g., Meursault. He lacks definitive awareness because he lacks accurate interpretation and perception. Each city exists as a separate, dynamic reality. Similarly, individual people have their own internal, individual, dynamic realities. If we think we know that there exists a difference between those other realities or cities or les autres, then we can call ourselves conscious. The cities explain Kahn’s quest for knowledge. The chapters parallel the progression of communication between the Kahn and Polo. In order to be aware of self we must remember ourselves in a previous state. Calvino suggests there is no self that is not dynamic. We must also desire to be self aware. We could have many feelings and emotions but consciousness only accompanies the desire to become aware of our emotions and feelings. Calvino proposes that we are self aware because we want to be. Going back to other, external realities, we then have the desire to communicate not only our feelings and emotions but what we feel we have gained by them. Calvino submits that we think other people want to hear our perception of the external reality. Perhaps we cannot comprehend the essence of another’s interpretation since we can only learn through what we already know. When we choose to communicate we must interpret our perception of reality into signs (sometimes these signs are language) and then the interpreter must translate that into their qualification system. Thus signs become thin or narrow. The interpreter has a very thin or narrow perception of my original feeling emotion or idea. Realizing this terrible irony, the Kahn and Polo decide to trade: “From now on I shall describe the cities and you will tell me if they exist and are as I conceive them. Because they recognize the utter futility of communication, they trade. What a consciousness sees or perceives with their senses and wishes to communicate must be translated into names. These names do not describe the object, idea, emotion, or feeling of the namer or of the interpreter, but the names are a common, imperfect medium for communication. Thus, the middle, or the external realities becomes “dead”. It ceases to matter because it does not exist in anyone’s consciousness except the “sky”. Chair: I perceive it, you perceive it, but it does not perceive itself. Even if it did have a consciousness of its own existence, it would be different from its true essence. Calvino affirms that essence is meaningless because of interpretation. The Kahn and Polo sit and have complete and total freedom of interpretation because perception becomes the only reality. Because our realities are constantly changing, that is, we continually perceive new things that we can use to qualify still more things, then our perception of reality not only becomes dynamic, but “continuous”. Everything I do or think affects my perception of reality, my consciousness. Thus, my, interpretation is hidden from every other individual reality. You cannot know my consciousness because it would be impossible for you to fully comprehend it. My dynamic, continuous reality not only transcends time and space, but is unique to me, it is mine."
(Paul M. Willenberg,
Senior Honors English).
I´ve been talking about
Otacílio Melgaço
and his Music
all the time!
InvisibleCities/SoundsOfSilence, siamese phenomenon.
No more Polo, Kahn or Italian man of letters Italo Calvino meanwhile I could cite João Gilberto´s fans definitive words: Otacílio Melgaço developed his style - singing quietly without vibrato to create his own tempo in relation to his "violão" or acoustic guitar (and "viola caipira", sax, scaletta, piano, sitar, electric guitar, kalimba, bass and so forth), focusing on a cool, soft, and intimate style of singing.
(Historical Parenthesis)
The name Brazil comes from the Celtic word ‘bress’, which means the blessed land. There is no doubt that Brazil is a blessed land whose inhabitants are known to be the most musical people in the world, and where anything and everything makes samba. This has been so since the 16th century, although up to the late 1800’s blacks and mulatto’s, the progenitors of the genre, were still being persecuted by the police for playing it. Samba was confined to the backyards then, and only played and enjoyed by the lower classes. Samba culture had its beginnings in Bahia, Brazil’s first capital. It was brought there by African slaves that the Portuguese colonizers mercilessly exported to their newly found land. It was developed in Rio de Janiero following the abolition of slavery in 1888. In 1917, "Pelo Telefone" ("by Phone") became a carnival hit of huge success and was first registered under a copyright by its author, Donga. From then on samba became the Brazilian musical genre par excellence. From slum kids producing its rhythms on tins and match boxes to the sophistication of the clubs of Rio where in the forties Carmen Miranda enthralled the crowds with her Banda da Lua (Bunch from the Moon) band, samba crossed all frontiers. It went to Hollywood and, on its developing path, produced the most ingenious composers from all backgrounds. During the hardest times of the military dictatorship in the 1960’s, some of the most illustrious representatives of Brazilian music lent their contribution to a country which had lost its freedom of speech but not their unique ability to deal with its misfortunes. They included Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and Gal Costa. These artists, whose musical work was seen as a threat to the military, were exiled by the hardliners. They had to compose under pseudonyms and were of paramount importance as conveyors of messages to a whole nation - protest songs, words of command. Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil became the ever political speakers of the masses. The period of Bossa Nova began in the middle 20th century, also leaning on the existing Brazilian styles. This music was strongly supported by Ary Barroso, one of the greatest samba composers and played by Luiz Bonfá, Dorival Caymmi and others. But the best known name and probably the greatest Brazilian composers of all times, considered often as the inventor of this music was Antonio Carlos Jobim. Still Antonio would not have been what he is today if there were no Joao Gilberto, the greatest Bossa player ever. Antonio was strongly influenced by American jazz music, which is probably the reason why his music is often called Jazz Samba. The second most important musician from that time is surely Baden Powell, composer and extraordinary guitar player. Still, to get the whole picture, one must mention the greatest poet, Vincius de Moraes, the author of the words for the majority of the greatest songs written by Jobim, Powell, Lyra and others. International popularity for this music came after French director Marcel Camus received the Grand Prix in Cannes in 1959 for the film Orfeo Negro (Black Orpheus) that was filmed in Brazil and also another equally important event - the first American recording of Antonio’s, Ary’s and Baden’s songs by jazz stars Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz in 1962. Getz had by the end of his life been devoted to Bossa Nova and is by now probably best known by his bossa interpretations that he did with Jobim, Bonfa, Gilberto and his wife Astrud. During the late 60’s a new generation of musicians arose, lead by Chico Buarque de Hollanda, a man equally good in poetry and music. Collaborating with Jobim and Vincius, his songs have been played often by Caetano Veloso, the man with the exquisite voice who, together with his sister Maria Bethania and friend musicians Gilberto Gil and Gal Costa, founded the famous Tropicalismo movement, a reflection of 1968 and the hippy generation from other parts of the world. Still, the picture of Brazil of all times wouldn’t be complete without the women with a thousand voices, the master of all female singers, the fabulous Elis Regina. Together with other musicians, such as Edu Lobo, Toquinho, Jorge Ben, Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, Djavan and many other, she created an image of Brazilian music that is known today. This music is equally influenced by traditional Brazilian and other Latin American styles, old European and African roots, American jazz and rock music.
In Brazil, the dance is called samba too. The samba, to the purist, since it is the original word in Congo and Zambezi. Here also, like Blues, the samba is an "invention" from black African prisoners interned in the huge South American plantations, the famous latifundias. But if the Blues is sad like a cotton field, samba is cheerful, furious, and sunny. The Hispanic environment and a less fierce form of slavery then promoted a completely different Negro-American expression, resulting from the same reasons but in completely different conditions. The samba grew, of course, in the most colonised regions, first, in Rio de Janeiro, but also in São Paulo and Bahia. Closer to the Blues is the Saudade, a more nostalgic than sad song. Europe took an interest in samba from 1920. Darius Milhaud included Saudade and samba within some of his compositions. In fact, Villa-Lobos also wrote a classical samba at the beginning of the 50's. However, it seems that the predominance of rhythmical figures and their accentuation have not been adopted easily by the academic culture except on the occasion of exotic quotations - among others, by Milhaud in his Scaramouche. No, the most brilliant offspring of samba was the bossa nova. The paternity is granted to Antônio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto, at the beginning of the 50's, when Brazil initiated a cultural and economic revolution which was worth a new name: the New Wave - Nova Bossa. The movie Orpheo Negro - palme d'Or of the Festival de Cannes - and the jazz saxophonist Stan Getz popularised bossa nova beyond its wildest dreams. "My contemporaries and I learned a lot from the Brazilian composers who came before us. People like Pixinguinha, Ary Barroso and Dorival Caymmi left a rastro, a track of beauty for us to follow. When Bossa Nova first appeared in Brazil, though, it had so many adversaries, so many puristas full of animosity. Yet the U.S. loved us. We received so many no's in Brazil, and so many yes's in the States. With hindsight, I can see that the more the U.S. said yes, the more Brazil said no. Our affinity for jazz was part of the problem, and it has come to dominate many people's thinking about our music. Instead of going into history as a branch of samba, which it is, Bossa Nova is viewed by the world as a branch of jazz. Of course, anything that swings today is called jazz, the term has become so encompassing. And the only countries that really swing in their music are the U.S., Cuba and Brazil.", invulnerable to sophistic arguments or reasoning, Tom Jobim once said.
(Is sufficient.)
Bossa Nova. "For me, it's always been that cheesy music in the background at cocktail parties in Peter Sellars films from the 1960's. The popularity of The Girl from Ipanema didn't help. Because of Jobim's jazz leanings, the all pervading happy happy sound easily seeped from pop into jazz and soon we all had a rhythm to dance to." - J.F.Derry.
I respect Derry's opinion but the british (or north american) narcissism is, sometimes, suspected. Partial point of selfish view. Always suspected. Cliché. Derry's partiality is eurocentric, myopic. The Girl from Ipanema is dead now. In "real" Brazil (not "official") her frugality is over now. Is the "real" Bossa (not silly English Bossa versions) only "another happy happy music"? Is "another latin label"?
Anyway
Otacílio Melgaço´s music is complex melodically in ways that coincide with the other side of the Bossa Nova, "profound" Bossa - lyric, enigmatic, soulful. Coincide with the very important post-Bossa (hear Jobim's records "Urubu", "Matita Perê", for example). Coincide with the best writing from the 50´s to the present but his style goes ahead: unforgettable melodies are built on very challenging progressions that sound effortless, androgynous and ethereal. O.M. has a languid, caressing, quiet voice. Like Chet Baker´s singing or João Gilberto´s singing, Melgaço´s voice is weightless, its depth infinite, it is haunting, haunted, insular. He teaches us the sound of stillness. As time goes by, like smooth velvet his voice knew no bounds and needed no embellishment. His seductive vocals caressed the ear as well as the soul. Autumnal, sensual, reflective, intimate, sophisticated, elegant, summery... He´s a kind of lyrical hero today.
However, Melgaço´s elaborate harmony is unwonted, instinctive, spiritual (Otacílio plays hypnoticals songs!) - in another words: he´s also a “bossanovaman” but his music is beyond. Far beyond. Music and Folklore from mountainous Minas Gerais (for example - Zé Coco do Riachão, Ary Barroso, Ataulfo Alves, João Bosco, Djalma Correia, Milton Nascimento, "Clube da Esquina" and so on), Samba (Cartola, Nelson Cavaquinho, Paulinho da Viola...), "Chorinho", Brazilian Popular Music (Dorival Caymmi, Elomar, Edu Lobo, Caetano Veloso, "Tropicália"...), Cool Jazz (Miles Davis, Gil and Bill Evans...), Contemporary Jazz (John McLaughlin, Pharoah Sanders, Ivo Perelman, Ralph Towner, Weather Report...), World Music (Ravi Shankar, Naná Vasconcelos, Cocteau Twins, Afro-sounds...) et cetera. Syncretism? Miscegenation? Something “and” nothing! "The style is the man", said Novalis. The Melgaço´s style is “this” man: Melgaço himself.
The beat. (Heart)beat. One more time, the master Tom Jobim confides: "I have those new harmonies coming from me only. I was always revolting against the establishment, against normal harmonies. It is a very personal thing. Sure, I heard Debussy and Ravel, but they didn't have this African beat we have here." It´s like Otacílio´s consonance if we think about ´harmonies´ but the Melgaço´s beat is the Silence! The result is an intimate atmosphere, suddenly, willingly - because the music moves us. Melgaço’s Sound is too pleasant, the seduction too irresistible, to resist reminiscing. "Less is More. Few notes, right notes." Enchantingly sweet and angelic, sways slowly to the rhythms of a place where music is a way of life. I feel Otacílio "in a silent way" because he "re-invented the silence" every time he "played it" just as basilary Miles Davis with the horn. In fact, silence was the cornerstone of his entire performance; step by step Melgaço whispered the emotion.
His Lyrics. Precisely Melgaço - like father, like son - the men of letters João Guimarães Rosa and Carlos Drummond de Andrade are from the same mysterious brazilian region (Minas Gerais); they´re from the same spiritual path, bypath, footpath. Spiritual family, ascendance. Ascension, essence. O.M.’s poetry is endless, inexhaustible, original; his poetry employs condensed figures and unorthodox syntax therefore he knows that the point of a poem is the beauty of the language. The function of poetry in his songs is to preserve moments of extreme sensation and unique impressions. It is possible to make poetry (or music) out of anything, especially out of zero, which etymologically also signifies cipher.
"And I, truly, I am the center that doesn't exist except as a convention in the geometry of the abyss; I am the nothingness around which this movement spins... It is always a mistake not to close one's eyes, whether to forgive or to look better into oneself. I write and sing in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, English... because each poem is build around a central symbol, idea, or metaphor from my particular and imprisoning Babel!" he, in high spirits, said.
The Muses
(Sappho)
"It is the Muses
who have caused me
to be honred: they
taught me their craft."
The Melgacian Art,
Solipsistic
Consciousness’Reality
Through its
Manifisting Dialectic.
A complete contemporary artist, he crosses over all musical boundaries. From Belo Horizonte city, Minas Gerais state, Brazil - the Composer, Singer, multiple Instrumentist, Arranger, Lyricist and symbolistic Poet possess an unusual depth; avant-garde tradition walking hand in hand with the Indescribable. "Observing, and following along."
“You must not injure silence, for it is sacred.”, João Gilberto once said.
Otacílio Melgaço knows very well! And he goes ahead...
Under Construction.
Visit again.
Thank you!
"One day the veil falls and we are left stranded with the body, at the body's mercy... reduced to our fear, like in 'Triptych 1973' by Francis Bacon. And if some-one was presiding invisibly over that little horror scene, it was no apparatchik, or executioner, it was a God - or an anti-God, a Demiurge, a Creator, the one who had trapped us for ever by that 'accident' of the body he cobbled together in his workshop and of which, for a while, we are forced to become the soul."
(Milan Kundera)
My site is a melgacian puzzle,
a virtual brotherhood.
Music must have colors and freedom.
Softly and dangerous whistling.
Whisperings from Melgaço´s Soul.
Around our souls.
Now, around his music circle the rest.
Around Otacílio Melgaço,"introspective, quasi-Hamlet (Hamlet has many faces, but, always, the language soars...)",
around him the circle and
a phrase of praise -
his brazilian cosmopolitan Music.
quer confraternizar admiradores do compositor, cantor, instrumentista e arranjador
OTACÍLIO MELGAÇO.
Escreva-nos!
(Foi uma grande emoção quando O.M. me relatou por e-mail ter se inspirado em K.Y.M. para criar seu
"Ciclo Mineiriano"
pelo GeoCities.
I kiss your Mind, man!)
Welcome to the K.Y.M., a website that I hope is useful for casual browsers as well as serious Melgaço aficionados. His brazilian music - highly distinctive tone, a desolate, stinging sound, floating in simplicity and haunting clarity... Comments on and corrections to this sketch are welcome. Feel free to email me.