By HENRY BURNETT*
The courage of the tragic placed Nana in the pantheon of great artists of the world. From where she will never leave
1.
When the greatest singer in the world attacked her peers and her presidential candidate, I thought we had hit rock bottom. I did what my feelings, not my reason, told me to do: I listened to Nana Caymmi again, in chronological order, from the first to the last albums.
I confirmed what I had always repeated in silence, that she was the greatest singer in the world. Lists are part of the worst of the cultural industry. Best albums, best guitarists, best male and female singers, best films, best this, best that. Since there is no way to conclude these lists without subjectivity – I didn't say taste – they vary from year to year, depending on the judges or celebrities consulted. Nana was never on any list for me, understand, she was the best in the world and there was no second or third place.
In the country of Gal Costa, Monica Salmaso, Alaíde Costa, Elis Regina, Marisa Monte, Cássia Eller, and a host of others, not to mention the outcasts, I never had the courage to say this outside my inner circle. Even so, their political stance left a deep impression.
I thought about Baden Powell and Baby Consuelo in search of an explanation for the radical changes they went through and are going through in their adulthood in relation to religious values and their conversions, and the intolerance they propagated and continue to propagate. It is not about judging personal decisions, but about thinking about why this only happened in adulthood. What connection could there be, the proximity of death?
I didn't want to believe in resentment, after all we are talking about some of the greatest artists in Brazil, who belong to a canon that was established decades ago and in many ways, for better or for worse, untouchable within the so-called MPB. The change that the music scene has undergone has hit this tradition hard. There are dozens of examples of artists who were at the center of the scene and were simply overshadowed by new rhythms, new artists – not necessarily singers.
Nana Caymmi was never a pop star, or rather, I never wanted to flirt with that idea; a simple exercise is enough, listen to Nana and her repertoire, at any time. It would be impossible to reach large masses of listeners. It is true that some of her generation colleagues did, but not without bringing in artists and rhythms that would be impossible to imagine alongside Nana or being recorded by her; no discredit to anyone, but Nana took good taste seriously, whether you believe him or not.
2.
De reborn (1976) to Nana Tom Vinicius (2020), not a single concession to repertoires outside the song genre and some of its most traditional rhythms: bolero, samba-canção, samba, etc., precise choices, arrangements that rarely strayed from the trio of piano, bass, drums and orchestra, with her voice in the foreground. Her breathing that so often made us believe that she would not reach the end of the phrases, but without ever losing the last thread of the melody, even almost whispered, in the end we clearly hear her unique timbre. No one has ever sung like her.
Voice is timbre, nothing more. Each person has one. Technique is something else. Nana only has one analogue in this regard in Brazil, who can be said to be unique: Milton Nascimento. When we hear his voices, we are certain that we are in front of something rare, that has never existed before and will never be repeated with the same singularity. Listen to the recording of “Cais”, with Milton on the album corner club (1972) and with it in girl (1997)
Monica Salmaso may be her great heir, but only if we avoid any level of comparison. She is also unique and perhaps the best for other people, as Bethânia must be, or Areni Agbabian, or Ithamara Koorax, or Jane Duboc…
Caetano Veloso spoke of “depth” when saying goodbye to her on his Instagram, “(…) sometimes with Gil on the guitar, sometimes a cappella. I thought she was the most profound interpreter one could imagine.” The quality of what is pro-found is touching regions that our common perception does not reach. It is reaching the abyssal, the unattainable.
These regions can only be reached alone, like the great composers, painters, poets and filmmakers. When they brought this depth to the delight of the cultural industry, it was when the latter thought it would dominate them and not be dominated by them, as in fact happened. The ultimate example of this is Nana performing “Resposta ao tempo” (Resposta ao tempo) (Response to Time) (Cristovão Bastos and Aldir Blanc) in the opening of the series Hilda Furacão, on Rede Globo.
The fact that Nana Caymmi shared this descent into the absolute was part of her generosity. She descended to what is most essential in the world's feelings and invited us to accompany her throughout our lives. Many followed her, many were not able to. Many will continue to hear her voice in the warmth and cold of their lives, others will continue to think that the world is only the sun of happiness, keeping a veil over finitude.
I am not saying that Nana Caymmi was somber, but she was never afraid of songs that expressed universal pain. She could be nocturnal and sunny with the same intensity. This is her great legacy for new singers: do not fear pain and death, grow old as soon as possible. The courage of the tragic placed Nana in the pantheon of great artists in the world. From where she will never leave.
*Henry Burnett is a composer and full professor of philosophy at Unifesp. Author of, among other books, Music alone: a philosophical journey between Europe and Brazil (edusp).
the earth is round there is thanks to our readers and supporters.
Help us keep this idea going.
CONTRIBUTE
