BY MONTAÑA ROSE (MOUNTAIN ROSE GUITAR)
Love Brazilian music?
Get on this.
Brazilian guitarist and composer Chrystian Dozza will present an entire program dedicated to the music of his culture and instrument.
Spanning the past two centuries, Chrystian’s performance will split a program of works from renowned composers such as Villa Lobos, Garoto and more during its first half; while the second half of the show will be all about Chrystian’s original music.
So if you want to learn about Brazilian rhythm, here’s your chance. Get in ahead of the show on 23 June, presented by the Melbourne Guitar Foundation.
The program for your upcoming concert showcases a wide range of pieces and influences from the classical guitar repertoire to contemporary Brazilian guitar styles, together with your original compositions. What motivates you to present such a diverse program?
I want to give the audience an overview about the most popular Brazilian rhythms such as choro in Choro Típico by Villa Lobos, bossa and sampa with music by Garoto, and a melancholic Brazilian waltz by Dilermando Reis.
In the second part of the concert I’ll be playing my own music, giving the audience a variety of colours, rhythms, and styles that come from the wide range of influences I carry with me. I’m always looking for variety and quality.
How would you describe the fantastic musical culture of Brazil to a music lover who has yet to discover more about it?
Variety! A huge variety of rhythms that is difficult even for us Brazilian to be aware of all of them! It’s a huge country and each region, each state, has its own musical culture.
Besides crazy rhythms, Brazilian music can be also very challenging; with fast notes and complicated melodies in choro music, and sophisticated harmonies in bossa nova.
The guitar in Brazil has a long and rich history with incredible players of unique Brazilian guitar styles. However, in my own experience studying and performing guitar music, I’ve found that there can be a culture of misconception that it’s somehow ‘lighter’ or ‘easy’ music to play; given the popular nature of guitar music in Brazil and Latin America. What are your thoughts on this?
Brazilian music has a variety of musical forms, from simple folk songs to complex symphonies by Villa Lobos. The guitar music has been always influenced by both worlds. So even for us Brazilian, it’s still very difficult to play. Maybe it should sound simple, but playing is not so easy.
As as independent artist and instrumentalist, you meld together being a concert performer, recording artist, teacher and collaborator. What advice can you impart to musicians who aspire to take a similar diverse path in their music career?
Don’t do it! [Laughs] Well, is not an easy task to compose, play, and record your own music. But in my case, it is what I love to do and I just keep working on my own way. I also love teaching and play chamber music, so I just need to organise myself to make it [work the] best.
So the advice is: find you own way in music! Work your strengths and follow your heart.
See Chrystian Dozza perform Brazilian works in a concert presented by the Melbourne Guitar Foundation, 7pm June 23, Wyselaskie Auditorium, The Centre for Theology and Ministry, 29 College Cres, Parkville.
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