Saturday, August 16, 2008

Dorival Caymmi, saudades...

From left to right: Ithamara Koorax, Stella Caymmi, Marcelo Machado, Dorival Caymmi and Ligia Machado at Caymmi's home in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

I feel devastated with the news about Dorival Caymmi's passing.
We were introduced by our common friend Dom Um Romão, in 1998, and later I had to chance to meet Caymmi at his home in Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro), where I spent a lovely afternoon along with his wife Stella, and another dear couple, Marcelo & Ligia Machado.
I have recorded some of Caymmi's greatest songs: "Temporal" (from "Suite dos Pescadores", to the "Dorival Caymmi Songbook" organized by Almir Chediak), "Cala Boca Menino" (to the all-star project "Street Angels", and a song I performed live for the first time at the "Jazz Cafe", in London, during a tour with Dom Um Romão that also featured Nelson Angelo and Fabio Fonseca), "O Vento", "Noite de Temporal" and "A Lenda do Abaeté" for my "Brazilian Butterfly" album in tribute to Stellinha Egg, my favorite performer of Caymmi's songs.
"O Vento" received a great remix by Austrian DJ Parov Stelar, was released as a single and became a big dancefloor hit in Europe and Asia in 2007, being included in several compilations.
Caymmi, I love you!
*********
Some days later, on September 9, 2008, I attended the release party (at the Mistura Fina club) of Stella Caymmi's brilliant book "Caymmi e a Bossa Nova"
(Stella Caymmi & Ithamara Koorax)

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