Earthly sounds
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Susana Negri comes from the heart of the south to deliver us earth sounds she lives intensely. From tango to Bossanova tango, the music of Latin America takes on new life in her voice along with her group Araca Quartet. Recently they played at the Harlem Jazz Club in the Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona 2012. Multifaceted artist, she dances from painting to music by the hand of dreams in permanent changing in form but true to a single fund: her place in the world.
Painting and music, colour, texture and sound. What brings you each discipline?
I am a dreamer. Each of the disciplines allows me to create my own space, my place in the world, to walk away from boredom, routine, death, music gives me joy, conflicts, also painting. It's my world. Each of the things I do helps me to be who I think the creator, the supreme power, whatever you think, wanted me to be. If people let me...
Tango, bossanova, bolero. Just the romanticism moves you?
Well ... yes. More than romanticism, I would say the thing I like is the visceral and passionate aspect of those styles.
Why do you think they are visceral styles?
Because the feelings usually transmitted in the music of Brazil and the tango, they are. They come from black music, a very earthly culture.
Which composers are your influences ?
Although it seems crazy, plus music by Chico Buarque and Caetano Veloso, Eladia Blázquez, Astor Piazzolla, I'm a fan and deep lover of the work of the late Luis Alberto Spinetta. He’s a God.
Do you believe in God (Spinetta apart)?
I believe in something like this.
What is the divine aspect of Spintetta that seduces you?
His genius. His power to generate a unique style and to be a reference for generations of South Americans. His extreme thinness, almost ascetic appearance gave great strength to his presence. He was a simple intellectual, friendly.
Do you think that art can be profound being nice?
Yes, though it's hard. We use to associate actually, for some strange reason, deepness with pain and I think it is a distortion, a roll of guilt and all that.
Do not sing your own songs?
No. I'd love to, but do not write. Some time ago I thought I could write but one should do what is able to do and there are beautiful themes, some little tunes you can do yourself, bring them to your field, recreating them. It is a way to give them a new life, not about versioning but to recreate them and for that I have a wonderful group. We work hard all the songs, disarming them in order to take them to our land.
How would you present to Araca Quartet?
As an act of faith. The dream, love and affection in the service of a project. My companions were a gift. God loves me.
Could you tell me a verse from a tango with which you identify especially?
" La geografía de mi barrio llevo en mí,
será por eso que del todo no me fui
la esquina, el almacén, el piberío
los reconozco
son algo mío.
Ahora sé que la distancia no es real
y me detengo en ese punto cardinal
volviendo a la niñez desde la luz
teniendo siempre el corazón
mirando al sur"
It’s titled “Corazón al sur” written by Eladia Blázquez.
SUSANA NEGRI/ARACA QUARTET VIDEOS here
An interview by Juan Carlos Romero
Susana Negri website
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