Italian jazz quartet melds cultures through Brazilian songs of life and love
The Jakarta Post
On rhythm: The Susanna Stivali Quartet, an Italian jazz ensemble, performs the songs of Brazilian singer-songwriter Chico Buarque on Oct. 7 at Usmar Ismail Hall in South Jakarta. (JP/Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak)
The guttural vocal gradually grew into a heart-wrenching, melodious wail that was sometimes disruptive in counterpoint to the accompanying musical instruments. The sound came from the highly controlled vocal talents of Italian jazz singer Susanna Stivali, back phrasing and scatting in "La Costruzione" (Construction) to convey the final moments of a man who loses his life on the way to work . The renowned singer and musicians of the Susanna Stivali Quartet was recently in town for a concert held by the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Institute of Culture to commemorate 70 years of Italian-Indonesian bilateral relations. The jazz quartet played tracks from their latest studio album, Caro Chico (Dear Chico), released last year, a homage to Brazilian artist Francisco “Chico” Buarque de Hollanda, known as Chico ...
