João

#26 - Jan.2022

I recently finished reading Amoroso, a biography of João Gilberto by Zuza Homem de Mello, a Brazilian musicologist, and journalist.

I got hypnotized by João Gilberto in 2006 when a close friend introduced me to a live recording of one of his most-known songs: O Pato.

The dynamic of the melody, voice & guitar building the harmony, the minimalistic approach of playing mostly through 4-note chords, the calm of his voice, the rhythm through an invisible beat of Brazilian music...It shaped the way I hear/play music.

Almost 15 years later, I'm still discovering nuances of his music. The book gave me a back-stage perspective of his controversial life and a deep dive into his music.

João kept innovating through mostly the same repertoire of songs, finding new workarounds in the harmony that constantly transformed each song into something new.

This reminds me of how sometimes we don't need to constantly reinvent the wheel - our solution for something amazing might be right around the corner. We just need to be curious enough to find it.

In his minimalistic style, each chord had a purpose. There was no space for extras. Just the essence. A reminder of the value of uncluttering - in our craft and our personal lives - which brings clarity and peace.

Joao's music is timeless. In Caetano's words: "The only thing better than music is silence. The only thing better than silence is João."