Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo- 31-7-2025
Just before the concert of the composer Hermeto Pascoal and his musicians began on 31/7 at Cable Inglés, a strong wind was blowing… The spectators were waiting at first quietly and then whispering nervously to each other. And suddenly… from afar Brazilian music can be heard, growing louder and louder, as the musicians arrive! The sound reminds me of a juggler tossing clubs into the air. Fast. Professional. Methodical. Curiously, as soon as the composer and musicians appear on stage, the wind weakens. As if all the elements of nature create the ideal atmosphere out of respect and gratitude to the artist for whom nature is a source of inspiration in his compositions.
The eighty-nine-year-old composer inspires reverence for his creations but also for his energy. Instead of retiring after years of contribution to the world of music… he is still here. Making a journey of many hours from his home to provoke thought, to entertain, to take the residents of Almeria… on a musical journey! So much excitement… and of course, enormous responsibility to have to describe in words the music of such an important artist. I almost hesitate to use words. Are words enough? I observe the spectators clapping enthusiastically and I wonder… What thoughts take shape in their minds when they hear this music? 250 people… 250 different images for each musical piece…
If you are not familiar with this kind of music, it may seem strange to you. Incomprehensible. Hazy. The limits of beginning and end are blurry, with the artists not describing the music verbally. But if you set logic aside… if you function only with emotion and let the senses dominate… you live a completely different, unprecedented, almost primitive state. Space and time seem to lose their meaning… The melodies intertwine with each other like ivy with colorful flowers. And you try to follow the labyrinthine paths of the colors as the music transforms from notes into images…
Each piece is something different… as I listen to the music, one moment it feels as if I’m at the Rio carnival, with whistles and strange percussion instruments. At some points, the rhythms are stressful. As if I’m running, running, running, while a giant clock is chasing me. And in one moment… everything quiets down with only constant point of connection the composer who is blowing into a makeshift wind instrument… Or still, as I hear the sabot and the mortar of the percussionist strike at irregular times, which as time passes becomes more rhythmic, I find myself in the warmth of my home.
The plastic children’s toys that produce sounds pleasantly surprise me. The percussionist plays music with them, so focused and with such dedication, as if he sees no difference between the set of bells and the plastic yellow chicken that squeals “arguing” with the blue pig.
The musicians play with dynamics, emotions, pauses and genres. The fast becomes slow, the loud soft and vice versa, in a musical whirlwind that spins with great speed. It is clear that the creator is inspired by nature. The piano, as it is heard with notes that often seem scattered but harmoniously connected with each other, reminds one of a torrent that bursts forth forcefully… The bells, scrapers and triangles, which due to the percussionist’s skill steal the show, at times transport you to a forest with torrential rain.
The composer at several points plays music by blowing into something like a pot. The sound of this instrument? Like the sound of the wind howling perhaps? And then the composer plays with the audience the game of question and answer. He speaks into the microphone making sounds that resemble the rustling of the leaves on the trees and asks for the audience’s sound contribution.
And just as suddenly as it started… the concert ends. With the musicians thanking the audience for their participation and leaving as they came. Playing music. With the audience following them in little groups, so as not to miss even one note of the final piece of the night… I feel a strong emotion… a bittersweet feeling like none I have felt before… and I sincerely thank the composer and his musicians for this fantastic experience.
Review by Zoi Michailidou
Fotos by Emilia Studnicka
