ARNALDO DIAS BAPTISTA
My special thanks to Lucinha Barbosa, for having invited me to write this text and for her untiring determination to search and to provide me with information without which I wouldn’t be able to complete this honoured task. I also thank Marcelo Lopes for his inestimable contribution in all moments of my work. Introductory Note DJs have spread the sound in turntables all over America and Europe. Labels such as Omplatten and Luaka Bop reedited some works and took compilations to the record shops. Through this equation, the tropicalistas and Os Mutantes have risen the temperature of the otherwise lukewarm musical scene of the end of the 20th century. “We knew something like that must have existed, but we had no idea it would be so perfect,” said Ben Ractcliff in the New York Times in May 17, 1998. Ok, Ben, we knew that the discovery would have been made someday. We only didn’t know it would take 30 years. Os Mutantes, like one would expect, took the rock-pop world in storm. Kurt Cobain exchanged some notes with Arnaldo Baptista in 1993 and left Brazil with the whole discography in his luggage. Beck named Mutations his 1999 album, full of tropicalista influences. Sean Lennon stopped his car dead when he put Mutantes on his CD player and ended up contributing with the graphic work for the album Technicollor, in 2000. And the list continues: Stereolab, Torloise, High Llamas... Wondermints.. The work of Os Mutantes – and that of Arnaldo Baptista post-Mutantes – remains as one of the most representatives of Brazilian rock-pop. And maybe there resides the difficulty in disassociating Arnaldo Baptista from Mutantes or to concede him his deserved place of honour in the group and in the history of Brazilian music. This historical deviation had already been pointed out by conductor Rogerio Duprat, arranger for Os Mutantes and the man who introduced the trio to the Tropicalistas. Duprat commented when interviewed to Patricia Moran’s documentary about Arnaldo, Maldito Popular Brasileiro (1990): “Os Mutantes were the most important thing in Tropicalismo. And none has made that clear. But I know this only too well, and I know that the brain of it all, the brain of Os Mutantes was that of Arnaldo Baptista. I insist and I resume: Arnaldo is responsible for all that happened from 1976 onwards.” When asked why he left the group in 1973, bassist Liminha explained: “When Arnaldo left, Os Mutantes lost their charisma. He was brilliant.”(1) Let it Bed can alter this state of things. The record was the most acclaimed in 2004 by Brazilian press and critics. For all its beauty, it is hoped that at least two of the other Arnaldo Baptista solo works – Loki and Singin’ Alone – will come back to the shelves. But his work post-Mutantes does not restart with Let It Bed and it does not end with it. It goes much further. .
Poet, musician and Brazilian icon Arnaldo Dias Baptista was born in São Paulo in 1948. His father, Cesar Dias Baptista, was a journalist, poet and liric singer. His mother Clarissa Leite Dias Baptista was a classical piano performer and the first woman in the world to write a concert for piano and orchestra, according to Arnaldo. In such atmosphere they raised their three children, Cláudio, Sérgio and Arnaldo (1). All this background was transferred to Os Mutantes, which was formed in 1967, as a result of several other line-ups from high-school time bands. According to Manoel Berenbein – a producer with Phillips by the end of the 60’s and the guy who introduced Os Mutantes to the label – they only had their LPs recorded thanks to the courage and drive of French executive Alain Troussat, the then president of Philips in Brazil. Alain would quit his job in 1968 because he was a bibliophile and could not find enough books to read thanks to the military regime censorship. One of the truths about the group is that after their contract expired Os Mutantes were shown the label’s exit door. They were never good record sellers but they managed to create a legion of faithful fans throughout the country: they did many gigs and participated in TV programs as well as in TV commercials. The military dictatorship had a disastrous influence not only in the Brazilian society and its cultural manifestations: it also stimulated savage capitalist practices, with companies only and exclusively interested in easy and immediate results. The result of this was that an incalculable amount of musical (and other cultural) production was lost in archives that were not to be found later or else never registered. Independent production, in the case of music, would only find a significant outlet in mid-80’s, with the arrival of new technologies. And even so, in a most timid way. Like many others, Arnaldo Baptista has suffered dearly the consequences of this kind of cultural policy. In 1973, a year after leaving Os Mutantes, Arnaldo stepped into a studio to produce his first solo album, Loki?, as a result of a contractual obligation with the label. He called former Mutantes Dinho (drums) and Liminha (bass and vocals) and arranger Rogério Duprat to participate. Rita Lee also did some backing vocals. But the album barely reached the public and would be out of the market soon thereafter. Those who had the chance bought it. Others had to do with copying the record from those fortunate enough to be passing in front of a record shop with the album exposed in its window. Loki? is considered until today by critics one of the most creative records of Brazilian musical history. All of Arnaldo Dias Baptista’s solo work (and including his work with Os Mutantes) is either out of catalogue or was never recorded in studio. This represents a gallery of more than 30 songs, fine and powerful musical gems, a resonant testimony of Arnaldo’s geniality. That is the case of the acclaimed solo work Loki?, of 1975. Also of Singin’ Alone, recorded in 1980/1981 and released in 1985 by indie label Baratos Afins and re-released in 1995 by Virgin Records. The work produced from 1978 to 1979 that resulted from his band Patrulha do Espaço (Elo Perdido e Faremos uma Noitada Excelente...) was never released on CD. There are five songs remaining from Elo Perdido which were part of the master tape and were not included in the LP because they simply vanished. All that remained was a recording on a K-7. On account of that they were nicknamed by those close to Arnaldo as the “More Than Lost Link”, a joke with the LP title Elo Perdido (Lost Link). They are: “Imagino”( featured in Let it Bed), “Singin’ Again”, “Cowboy”, “Sanguinho Novo” e “Sr. Empresário”. All of Mutantes records are out of catalogue in Brazil and can only be found in the international market. Technicolor – recorded by the group in Paris in 1970 and full of English versions– was released by Universal only in 2000 and has already become another rarity in Brazil. And when found it is sold by twice the normal price. Giving enough a chance Arnaldo has always had a public eager for his music and poetry. Even after the serious accident that he suffered in 1982 and the long recovery after that he remained being a cult for following generations, in bars, music festivals, college clubs, through new recordings of his works by dozens of groups and artists from the mainstream to the underground. One of his most recent fan letters was written by a girl aged 13. “It’s something that goes from father to children really – her father was a fan and she inherited it”, comments Lucinha Barbosa, Arnaldo’s partner. “There is this thing of Arnaldo’s message after Loki?”, she says. “Everyone repeats more or like the same thing when they come to talk to him. And that thing is: ‘You’ve changed my life’’”. Arnaldo did not stop to create, even during his recovery. Lucinha Barbosa has been with him since the accident and took him to a beautiful country house in the outskirts of Juiz de Fora, in Minas Gerais. Surrounded by nature, he discovered drawing and painting as occupational therapies – there seemed to be hundreds of paintings scattered through the house when I first interviewed him, in 1989. He wrote a total of eight sci-fi books. He became a vegetarian. In 1987 he released the album Disco Voador, recorded at home in precarious circumstances. Those who know Arnaldo are aware of the fact that Lucinha’s unconditional love was the key element to his recovery process. They met for the first time during a Brazilian version of Woodstock, the Festival de São Lourenço. Lucinha met him again in 1977 and became one of his girlfriends. “It was a relationship without commitment or obligations”, she explains. Arnaldo started going out again in 1989, when twelve important Brazilian rock bands of the 80’s – Sepultura included - paid him tribute in the anthology Sanguinho Novo. He was in the last of the three nights for the launching of the record, at nightclub Aeroanta, in São Paulo. In 1990 his paintings and drawings were shown at an exhibition at the Cultural Center at Minas Gerais Federal University. In 1992, the same exhibition went to Pizzaria Cristal’s Gallery in São Paulo. In 1993 his paintings were shown at the Cultural Center at São Carlos Federal University. With his fans now growing to be a legion, he started painting cards and t-shirts. In the same year he was invited to a special commemoration of the 11th anniversary of Circo Voador (one of the most important venues for young people in Rio), and he did a performance painting during a gig by musician Celso Blues Boy. In 1995 he recorded again one of his hits, “Balada do Louco”, to be included in the reissue of Singin’ Alone by Virgin. In the year 2000, Arnaldo started to appear in bigger stages, like when he played with Sean Lennon at the Free Jazz Festival. In April 2001, he was invited to play at April Pro Rock Festival, in Recife city. Along with famous rock-pop artist Lobão, the guy responsible for the launching of Let It Bed, he played classics such as “Sanguinho Novo”, “Sexy Sua”, “Ando Meio Desligado” and “Senhor Empresário”. As journalist Débora Nascimento registered, “the atmosphere of reverence [to Lobão] could not compare to the public’s reaction at the arrival of Arnaldo Baptista”. In December he was again onstage at Copacabana beach for the launching of Dê uma Chance à Paz (Give Peace a Chance), a tribute to John Lennon on the 20th anniversary of his death. Arnaldo features singing in two of its tracks, with two different versions to Lennon’s classic “Give Peace a Chance”. One of them was arranged by Charles Gavin, of Titãs (famous Brazilian rock band), and Andreas Kisser, of Sepultura. The other track was produced by Yuka Honda & Cibo Matto. The CD was tied to the Campaign Against Violence and the royalties were donated to non-governmental organizations in Rio which are focused on combating violence, such as Viva Rio and Sou da Paz. But only in 1995 Arnaldo would be involved with music again in a more organized manner – that was the year when Lucinha managed to get the money to build a studio in their farm in Juiz de Fora. They first bought two Audio Research amplifiers with valves (“the best in the world”, according to Arnaldo). At this time a fan and friend gave him a Gibson SG bass, the same used by Jack Bruce, of Cream. “And then we added to all this two drums and a piano”, recalls Lucinha. But only in 1995 Arnaldo would be involved with music again in a more organized manner – that was the year when Lucinha managed to get the money to build a studio in their farm in Juiz de Fora. They first bought two Audio Research amplifiers with valves (“the best in the world”, according to Arnaldo). At this time a fan and friend gave him a Gibson SG bass, the same used by Jack Bruce, of Cream. “And then we added to all this two drums and a piano”, recalls Lucinha. Jack Bruce is part of Arnaldo’s list of the best of the best. Arnaldo does not hesitate when answering the classic question “Who would you call to form a band?”: Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page; former Elton John’s drummer Nigel Olson and Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye . Let it Bed Several Brazilian artists had by this time invited Arnaldo to record with them, but to put him in a studio with all the time and budget pressures would not be exactly adequate. “He created by taking notes in a small notebook. He has several covers for Let it Bed (the title being 14 years old). But he had that inwardness, he just couldn’t express himself”, recalls Lucinha. “And to add to that difficulty, he wanted to do everything by himself. What he needed was a sound engineer.” The idea of recording Let it Bed started to materialize itself when John Ulhoa of Pato Fu band (2), went to Juiz de Fora to install a series of audio softwares in Arnaldo’s PC. John and Rubinho Trol (3) started to show Arnaldo the possibilities of these new technologies, recourses only available years before in very expensive studios and which were now perfectly off the shelf, to home use. “This is why this record is the encounter of Arnaldo with this technology”, explains John. “That was important for us. We did not want a CD that would sound as a modern type electronic music record with samples from Arnaldo. That would be too easy. We wanted him to record his new songs on his own way and then we would just bring a finishing touch on the level of his talent”. John and Rubinho took to Juiz de Fora equipment enough to make a good home studio. They soon noticed that Arnaldo wanted to play everything and that he would go from one instrument to another very quickly. So they scattered microphones all over the place with everything set to record and to keep up the creative momentum. “Rubinho brought his PC from London. We recorded using software Cubase and an M-Audio Delta 44 interface, so we could record four channels at the same time. It sounds little but it would be enough for this record, since Arnaldo would play everything, one instrument at a time”, says John. “AKG lent us microphones and headphones and I took with me preamps, a mixer, a guitar and some other things. One curious item was the Pignose guitar with the loudspeakers on its body, which Arnaldo experimented and ended up using in some recordings”. John gave Rubinho some basic instructions, “enough to avoid some irreparable technological wrongdoing.” But it was soon clear that more important were the moment, the atmosphere, the tranquillity Arnaldo had to have to record everything he wanted as many times as he wanted and when he felt like it. And that Rubinho managed pretty well.” “After all was recorded we went back to my studio in Belo Horizonte were we translated all the Cubase sessions to my studio system, Logic Audio/Mac. We had nothing else to record. We only added some programs and virtual instruments,” explains John. All was edited and mixed piecemeal at John’s studio. “Every time Arnaldo visited, we would listen to the work and feel more happy with it.” “The songs recorded in Belo Horizonte and recorded at Andar Studios followed more or less the same pattern as in Juiz de Fora. They have a different atmosphere, mainly in “Ai Garupa”, which is something recorded by two boys in awe of their hero. It is quite touching,” adds John in an interview granted via ICQ together with Rubinho, which you will read in the following pages. “It was glorious for Arnaldo to overcome his composer block,” says Lucinha. “And the doctors said he would never create again. But that was the material proof that the brain takes unusual paths and has a rehabilitation capacity still unknown to science.” |