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Italian jazz quartet melds cultures through Brazilian songs of life and love
The jazz concert is part of a series of cultural programs organized by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Institute of Culture to commemorate 70 years of Italian-Indonesian relations.
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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)
T
he 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 Buarque.
"La Costruzione" was composed by Buarque in 1971 under the original title "Construção".
Buarque, a polyglot lyricist who was known as a genius, wrote the song in verses that contain 12 syllables – an Italian poetic style – each of which ends in a word that stresses the third-to-last syllable. The song's title thus derives from its compositional structure, not just the location of the tragedy it portrays.
"Construção" was said to be the most emotionally powerful piece Buarque wrote during the 1970s, and the Italian jazz quartet pulled it off.
