Biography by Alvaro Neder
Baden
Powell is a Brazilian musician with a solid international reputation. A
gifted instrumentalist and composer, he bridges the gap between
classical artistry and popular warmth and was a key figure in the bossa
nova movement.
Born in Varre-Sai in the state of Rio de Janeiro,
he was baptized after his grandfather, a musician and conductor himself,
whose father was an admirer of the Boy Scouts founder. When he was four
months old, his family moved to the hill of São Cristóvão in the city
of Rio. His father, the violonista Lino de Aquino, promoted regular
get-togethers (rodas) of chorões at his home, at which famous names of
Rio's music used to play, such as Pixinguinha, his brother China, the
sambista Donga, and so many others. At eight, his father took him to
Rádio Nacional where Powell met Meira (Jaime Florence), a famous
violonista at the time a member of Benedicto Lacerda's regional. Powell
would study violão with him for five years. Through Meira, a
broad-minded musician, he discovered classics such as Segovia and
Tarrega, along with Brazilian masters such as Garoto and Dilermando
Reis. At nine, he presented himself at Renato Murce's show Papel Carbono
on Rádio Nacional, winning first place as a guitar soloist. At 13, he
used to run from school, earning his first cachets at the neighborhood
parties. After finishing high school, he joined the cast of Rádio
Nacional as an accompanist. In that time, he traveled through Brazil
with the radio's singers. In 1955, he joined Ed Lincoln's trio, playing
jazz at the Plaza nightclub. The place was a focal point for musicians,
journalists, and aficionados interested in jazz. It should be regarded
as the second place where bossa nova was being generated (the first
being Cantina do César, after Johnny Alf's first appearances), contrary
to the common notion of bossa being born at Zona Sul (South side's)
apartments.
At that time, Powell began to compose "Deve Ser
Amor," "Encontro Com a Saudade," "Não é Bem Assim," and his first big
hit, 1956's "Samba Triste," with lyrics by Billy Blanco and which would
be recorded by Lúcio Alves in 1960. In 1962, he met his future partner,
Vinícius de Moraes, a composer, poet, singer, and diplomat. Their first
song was "Canção de Ninar Meu Bem," a great success from the beginning.
Following that, they came up with "Samba em Prelúdio" (recorded still in
1962 by Geraldo Vandré/Ana Lúcia), "Consolação" (recorded by Nara
Leão), "Samba da Bênção," "Tem Dó," "Só por Amor," "Bom Dia, Amigo,"
"Labareda," and "Samba do Astronauta" (recorded by Powell in 1964). At
this point, Powell was already a renowned musician and composer, with
good connections on the artistic scene and wide exposure in the media.
In that year, he accompanied Sílvia Telles at her famous show at the
Jirau nightclub. In 1963, he recorded his first LP, Um Violão na
Madrugada (Philips). In that year, he traveled to Paris where he
presented himself at the Olympia theater with great success, using a
repertoire of classical music and his own compositions. He also played
regularly in a season at the Bilboquet nightclub and composed the
soundtrack to the movie Le Grabuje. In 1964, he returned to Brazil and
recorded the LP À Vontade, which included a composition by Tom Jobim and
Vinícius, "Samba do Avião." He also wrote, in that year, the samba
"Berimbau" with lyrics by Vinícius. Other duo's compositions that year
were "Além do Amor," "Valsa sem Nome," "Deve ser Amor," "Canção do Amor
Ausente," "Consolação," "Deixa," "Amei Tanto," "Tempo Feliz," and "Samba
da Bênção." The latter was included in Claude Lelouch's movie Un Homme
et une Femme, under the title "Samba Saravah."
Traveling to
Bahia, Powell stayed there for six months and researched the Afro
traditions developed on Brazilian soil, especially the musical tradition
emanating from the ancient sorcery rituals of candomblé and umbanda.
The next phase of his compositional association with Vinícius would be
called by Powell as the Afro-sambas, mirroring the findings of that
period: 1965's "Tristeza e Solidão" and "Bocoché" and 1966's "Canto do
Xangô" and "Canto de Ossanha," the latter recorded by Elis Regina in
1966 with great success. Taking Bahia folklore, Powell added his Carioca
touch, bringing the Afro tradition a more Brazilian feeling. In 1999,
Powell, recently converted, regretted and deplored the Afro-samba phase
as "devil's music" in a controverted and disappointing interview.
In
1965, fundamental singer Elizeth Cardoso presented Powell/Vinícius'
"Valsa do Amor que Não Vem" at the first Festival of Brazilian Popular
Music (TV Excelsior), São Paulo, winning second place. The next year,
Aluísio de Oliveira produced another album by Powell, this time for his
own landmark label Elenco, that deeply engaged in the use of the best
musicians, leaving the commercial side in the background; unfortunately,
it caused the excellent label's demise some years later. Taking
advantage of the Brazilian tour of Caterina Valente, who was being
accompanied by drummer Jimmy Pratt, de Oliveira took him and recorded
Baden Powell Swings With Jimmy Pratt. Also in that year, TV Excelsior
promoted the National Festival of Popular Music, at which novice Milton
Nascimento won fourth place with "Cidade Vazia" (Powell/Lula Freire) and
Powell with Vinícius recorded their Afro-sambas "Canto de Xangô,"
"Canto de Iemanjá," and "Canto de Ossanha" for Forma, along with
"Berimbau" and "Samba da Bênção." He also took a season with Elis Regina
at Rio's nightclub Zum-Zum. The LPs O Mundo Musical de Baden Powell
(Barclay/RGE), recorded in France; Baden Powell ao Vivo no Teatro Santa
Rosa (Elenco); and Tempo Feliz
(Forma/Philips) were all recorded
in 1966. In that period, he played in the U.S. with Stan Getz. In 1967,
he recorded in Paris, France, the album O Mundo Musical No. 2,
accompanied by the Paris Symphonic Orchestra. In that year, his O Mundo
Musical de Baden Powell was awarded with the Golden Record in Paris and
he presented himself at the Jazz Festival in Berlin, Germany, with
American jazz guitarists Jim Hall and Barney Kessel. In 1968, a novice
Paulo César Pinheiro (now a renowned samba composer) composed with
Powell the samba "Lapinha," which was presented by Elis Regina at the TV
Record's first Samba Biennial, winning first place. The duo would also
compose, among others, "Cancioneiro," "Samba do Perdão," "Meu Réquiem,"
"É de Lei," "Refém da Solidão," "Aviso aos Navegantes," and "Carta de
Poeta." Also from 1968 is the LP Baden Powell (Elenco) with the famous
"Manhã de Carnaval" or "Carnival," by Luís Bonfá and Antônio Maria, and
the show O Mundo Musical de Baden Powell. In 1969, he recorded Vinte e
Sete Horas de Estúdio (Elenco). Next year in Paris, he recorded for
Barklay the three-album box set Baden Powell Quartet and the LP Baden
Powell, which had Pixinguinha's songs. For Elenco, he recorded the LP
Estudos. In 1972, he recorded for Philips the LP É de Lei. Solitude on
Guitar was recorded the next year in Germany and in 1974, he recorded in
Paris the live LP Baden Powell (Barklay/RGE), and in 1975 recorded the
LP Baden Powell Trio & Ópera de Frankfurt. He then moved to
Baden-Baden (Germany), staying there for four years. In 1994, already
living in Brazil again, he released the record Baden Powell de Rio à
Paris. In that same year, he performed together with his sons, Louis
Marcel (violão) and Phillipe (piano), at the Cecília Meireles Hall in
Rio, with the concert recorded and released on a CD, titled Baden Powell
& Filhos, through CID. In 1995, his concert at the Montreux
Festival was recorded on CD under the title Baden Powell Live in
Montreux. Also in that year, he was awarded with the Prêmio Shell for
his complete works. In 1996, he toured in France with Brazilian
accordionist Sivuca and recorded the CD Baden Powell Live at the Rio
Jazz Club. After spending several weeks in the hospital, Baden Powell
died on September 26, 2000, at the age of 63.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baden-powell-mn0000765585#biography
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