Cacau Brasil

Cacau Brasil is a composer, singer, visual artist and writer. The conducting wire in all his expressions is Poetry, evident in all his work process. As a lover of Brazilian popular art and its various manifestations, he brings these characteristics to his cultural production.

Contemporary artist, Cacau gathers in a particular way the Brazilian culture to the influences and histories of people from other countries, transforming it into highest quality, modern and universal art.

As a visual artist, he held the exhibitions “Visionária Aridez ” and "OMISTÉRIOOTEMPOEMPOESIAS” . The latter originated the book of the same name, released in the Bienal do Livro  of São Paulo in 2008. Fusing images and text, the book shows, in 80 pages, the poetry from the everyday life, the main goal of his life in which, since childhood, he dreamed of becoming a poet.

Poetry also guides his work as a composer. His lyrics value the ordinary man everyday life aspects rocked by the root rhythms and the cultural influences that the artist absorbs in his "wandering" around the country and abroad. With five albums and a DVD with live recording already released, Cacau has taken his art to the most important festivals in the world, such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Territorios Sevilla, the Sete Sóis Sete Luas  and the Italia Latinoamericando, besides performing concerts throughout Brazil, especially in the Northeast and in the Rio-São Paulo axis. All this dedication awarded the artist the prize Brazilian International Press Awards 2008, by the tour of the CD / DVD Acordes Pro Mundo , in the United States.

The History

Singer, composer and visual artist, Cacau Brasil studies the Brazilian popular culture. The MPB sang by Cacau is inserted in a contemporary context and absorbs a varied range of rhythms originated from maracatu, coco, carimbó and frevo, among others. With researches developed during trips all through the country and other countries during the last years, Cacau Brasil may be considered an authentic contemporary artist, which provides him with perspectives to promote the exchange of cultural values among Brazil and countries of the five continents.

The artist has brought the Brazilian music richness and diversity to the four corners of the world, diffusing the soul, the sounds, the histories and joys of the Brazilian people. Cacau Brasil is like that, a plural artist, who lives poetry, both in music and in visual arts, and in all artistic expressions in which he is involved.

Along the last years, he has developed important musical partnerships, in addition to reinterpreting themes already considered classics of recognized Brazilian artists such as Alceu Valença, Vital Farias and Zé Ramalho.

In 2005 he launched the album Visionário, with special participation of Dominguinhos and musical direction by Pantico Rocha, with the stamp Circuito Musical, distributed by Trama. He went on a national tour, highlighting shows at Mistura Fina (Rio de Janeiro) and Sesc Pompéia (São Paulo). In the same year, he held at Câmara de Dirigentes Lojistas de Fortaleza – CDL the exhibition Visionária Aridez, which has as central theme the daily fight and difficulties found in the man’s path.

In 2006 he went on his first European tour, with shows in Portugal, Germany, where he attended Popkomm, and in Spain, where he was present at Womex, important music international trade fairs. In Brazil he held a show in the birthday of the city of São Paulo, playing with Valença at Circo Voador, in Rio de Janeiro, and took part at Virada Cultural at Cidade Universitária (USP). In the city of Fortaleza he performed in a show together with Jorge Vercilo.

In 2007 he performed at Hall (Fortaleza – State of Ceará) in a memorable night shared with two of his main references, Alceu Valença and Zé Ramalho. During Carnival he took part in the commemorative show of the 100 years of Frevo, in the cities of Recife and Olinda, and following he went on a tour with Alceu Valença in many cities in the countryside of the State of São Paulo. He took part in the 41st Montreux Festival, in Switzerland, where he recorded a live CD, besides raising the audience at Balkan Music Square Ohrid, in Macedonia.

The tour in Europe finished with several shows in Portugal. In this same year, he launched his 3rd CD – Imaginário - by Trilhos Arte, distributed by Tratore, with special participation of Alceu Valença. In July the artist presented to the audience a multimedia exhibition with canvas, video-installation, poetry pillars and scenic-musical performance entitled OMISTÉRIOOTEMPOEMPOESIAS, at Centro Cultural Oboé, in Fortaleza-CE.

In 2008 he started the year brightening the greatest New Year’s Eve at Avenida Paulista, in São Paulo, singing for about two million people. In the sequence, he accomplished a marathon of shows in the Carnivals of the State of Ceará and Pernambuco and took part in the Festival Territorios Sevilla, in Spain, where he contagiated the European audience. In June he took part in commemorative shows to the São João parties in the States of Sergipe and Ceará. Still in the second semester, he launched in the USA by record company Albatroz the CD/DVD Acordes Pro Mundo, going in a tour in New York, Danburry, Newark, Boston, Frederick, Atlanta, Orlando and Miami. In Brazil, Acordes Pro Mundo was launched by record company SOM LIVRE . The work, firstly recorded live by the artist, counts on the special participations of Flávio Venturini, Alceu Valença, Official Ballet of Macedonia and the Senegalese musicians Alboury Dabo and Sherifo Sisokho. The national launching of Acordes Pro Mundo happened in December with shows in São Paulo, at SESC Pinheiros, and in Rio de Janeiro, at Circo Voador.

Still in 2008, between June 09th and 29th, the multimedia exhibition OMISTÉRIOOTEMPOEMPOESIAS was reopened in Fortaleza-CE, in the space Mariana Furlani Arte Contemporânea, thanks to the launching of an art-poetry book with the same name, composed by canvas and poetries of the scenic-musical performance which are part of the exhibition, published by Fundação Demócrito Rocha. In August, the book OMISTÉRIOOTEMPOEMPOESIAS was launched in the Bienal Internacional do Livro de São Paulo.

Cacau started 2009 taking part in the CD “O Canto do Galo”, paying homage to the 30 years of the block Clube de Máscaras O Galo da Madrugada,, considered by Guinness Book the greatest street carnival block in the world, and of the Momus festivities in Pernambuco, both with a show in Olinda and going up a trio elétrico.

Last May he received the Brazilian International Press Award in the United States for the tour Acordes Pro Mundo.

In June, he launched in Brazil his fifth CD, the thematic Vermelho Coração Agreste – Forró em Ritmos. In a tour around Europe in the months of July and August, he performed shows in 12 cities of Portugal, Spain and Italy and performed in the festivals Seven Suns Seven Moons and Italia Festival Latinoamericando.

In September, he hosted in Fortaleza (CE) musicians from eight Portuguese language countries in the show Cantos na Maré, project which aims at approximating lusophone countries through art and culture. In that opportunity, he participated as musician, scenographer and together with Galician artist Uxía he shared the artistic direction.

The show originated a CD and a DVD, with the participation of musicians Uxía, Tito Paris, Raquel Tavares, Paulo Borges, Manecas Costa, Paulo Flores, José Amaral, Tonecas and Timbila Muzimba, with musical direction by Paulo Rafael and Paulo Borges.

Between October 28th and November 01st, the artist took part in The World Music Expo – Womex 2009, the greatest music trade fair in the world, in Copenhagen, Denmark, performing a show that brought to Europe all richness of sounds and rhythms of the Brazilian music.

Currently, he is with the multimedia exhibition OMISTÉRIOOTEMPOEMPOESIAS open to public at Estação da Luz, an extension of Museu da Língua Portuguesa in São Paulo, until January 25th, 2010. The exhibition counts on 15 panels of oil on canvas with mixed technique, video-installation, poetry pillars (installation with black light technique) and scenic-musical performance, with street theater techniques.

VISUAL ARTS

Visionária Aridez (2005) – In 15 panels of oil on canvas, Cacau Brasil aims at portraying men’s feelings and anxieties. Visionária Aridez shows some portraits of anxieties and difficulties found in life, here described as the path taken by men. The exhibition, where Visionary is the light that conduces life and Dry is the path, makes each one understand – through dry and strong colors, such as earth, ochre, green and incandescent oranges such as sun over backwoods – the reality of a hard and imperfect quotidian, even though grandiose.

MISTÉRIOOTEMPOEMPOESIAS (2007, 2008, 2009) – Open to visitation firstly in Fortaleza (2007), this exhibition is an example of multimedia art, in which audience has access to 15 panels worked in oil on canvas with mixed technique, and video-installation which proposes a spatial experience through the exhibition of a video with imaginary symbols and ambiences. Poetry pillars may also be seen, an important sensorial passage which the exhibition brings to visitors, in addition to the scenic-musical performance, where the own actors become part of Cacau Brasil´s work.

Based on the success achieved, OMISTÉRIOOTEMPOEMPOESIAS originated a book with the same name, launched in 2008 in Fortaleza in the same night that the exhibition was reopened to visitation in the capital city of the State of Ceará at space Mariana Furlani Arte Contemporânea. In August, the art-poetry book was presented at Bienal Internacional de São Paulo. In its 80 pages, the book brings the canvas, poetries and music presented in the scenic-musical performances, but it is not only a portrait of the exhibition, it gains its own life and outstands in its own. Currently, the exhibition OMISTÉRIOOTEMPOEMPOESIAS  may be seen at Estação da Luz, an extension of Museu da Língua Portuguesa in São Paulo, until January 25th, 2010.

MOMENTS OF THE EXHIBITION OMISTERIOOTEMPOEMPOESIAS

Canvas – The exhibition will have 15 panels worked in oil on canvas (mixed technique) with written poetries and universal symbols in metallic colors (copper, gold, silver). Acrylic plates with poetries may also be appreciated in this space, with the sound of music collected by the artist.



Video-Installation – The video-installation, with seven-minute duration, induces the spectator to be the own character. The sound track is in charge of Paulo Rafael, who created a contemporary mantra by using metallic instruments. Script and direction by Cacau Brasil.



Poetry Pillars – Through the use of the black light technique, words “form and sustain” poetry pillars. A female body sculpture which brings the marks of symbols and letters may be observed under the pillars perspective. This is another sensorial passage of the exhibition, which encourages new perceptions.

Scenic-Musical Performance – The scenic-musical performance has street theater techniques and actors are part of the artist’s work. The poetic and provocative text is written by Cacau Brasil and represents his seventh theater spectacle.