▲ 02.09.2009 │ Meeting with Billy Blanco │ Copacabana neighborhood │ Rio de Janeiro (RJ) │ Brazil
Willian Blanco Trinidade │ Billy Blanco, a native of Rio de Janeiro with heart and soul, is currently , at 85 years of age, one of the great living legends of Bossa Nova and Brazilian Popular Music ( MPB ) .
His musical resume is as extensive as it is impressive, full of consecrated and immortal songs that have transcended the time in which they were written or performed for the first time.
Billy Blanco , is a privileged witness of a Rio de Janeiro that no longer exists..., he composes and performs his melodies in the first person, telling and singing with his own identity, true anthems and/or statutes of the cultural, economic and social life of Rio de Janeiro. years 50/60/70/80, to the present day.
When it comes to composing and performing his songs, Billy Blanco has as his personal heritage, as a registered trademark, his own style that begins and ends with himself.
Doctor in Samba and graduate in Gafieira, he is a carioca in its purest form.
His compositions are already part of Brazil's musical identity and history, such as "La Sinfonia de Rio de Janeiro" , "A banca dodifferent" , "Aeromoça" , "Camelô" , "Domingo Azul" , "Perdida Esperança" , " Statute of Gafieira","Mocinho Bonito" , " Não vou prá Brasilia" , "O boto falou" , "Pistón de Gafieira" , "Praça Mauá" , "Rio de meu a mor " , "Samba Triste" , "Tereza da Praia" , "Viva meu Samba" , etc. The list of great artists who have performed her songs is also endless: Dick Farney, Dolores Durán, Lúcio Alves, João Gilberto, Os Cariocas, Doris Monteiro (Until today no one has sung "Mocinho Bonito" like her ), Elizeth Cardoso, Elza Soares , Pery Ribeiro, Claudette Soares, Sebastião Tapajós, Wilson Simonal, Jair Rodrigues, Jamelão, Miltinho, Emílio Santiago, Olivia Hime, Leila Pinheiro, Elis Regina and Baden Powell among others.
Very important was his " partnership" collaboration with Antônio Carlos Jobim in the creation of " La Sinfonia de Rio de Janeiro" in 1954.
A true symphonic concert dedicated to the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), the eternal " Cidade Maravilhosa ". It was also with Tom Jobim, with whom he shared the authorship and tremendous success of the song " Tereza da Praia" , performed by Dick Farney and Lúcio Alves, two famous crooners and commercially irreconcilable “enemies” of the time.
The plot of this song is the love triangle and supposed rivalry for the same girl (Tereza), with phrases like: - Dick: " The summer spent everything with me "…! - Lúcio: " Winter..., ask him with whom "...! At the end of the melody, the two agree: " So, let's leave Tereza da Praia with the kisses of the sun and the hugs of the sea, Tereza da Praia belongs to neither of us "…!
On September 2, 2009, I had the opportunity to personally meet the great Billy Blanco. The musician received me at his apartment in the Copacabana neighborhood │ Rio de Janeiro (RJ).
I had in front of me one of the main protagonists who made Bossa Nova the musical thesis of my life. Like an enlightened man, he was dressed in his usual color, all white, except for a red and black ribbon that tied his hair into a small ponytail. The red and black " rubronegro " are the colors of the Rio de Janeiro soccer team of his heart, the CRF Clube de Regatas do Flamengo .
We talked about music, life, football, Rio de Janeiro, and answering a direct question from me, he ended up telling me the anecdote that it was with his guitar " violão " that João Gilberto played at Carnegie Hall in New York. , in that historic and "chaotic" Concert where the Bossa Nova was officially presented to the world (11/21/1962).
As if all this were not enough, Billy Blanco gave me a very special gift.
Accompanied on the " violão " guitar by his son Billynho , they gave me some magical moments. He sang for me first the song " Domingo Azul" , followed by the famous " Tereza da Praia" . I still remember my excitement. A privilege and a true luxury...!
Billynho performed his own composition called " Gávea" , with modern chords and a samba-pop style rhythm. Nice song.
Finally, as " saidera " I asked Billy Blanco to please sing the legendary " Mocinho Bonito" , one of my favorites. He sang it…, Fantastic…!
I had the audacity to tell them that for a long time, I had almost finished the lyrics of a song due to the lack of music, and that I would like to send it to them to get their opinion and/or evaluation.
Without revealing the content or plot here, just saying that it is a story directly related to the Copacabana Palace Hotel in Rio.
" It could be the project of a future samba "… │ " Send, send"..., he replied Billy White.
He also gave me several autographed and dedicated CDs and DVDs.
His kindness, generosity and affection for Bossa Nova Clube seemed outstanding to me. At the farewell, he accompanied me to the door of his apartment and with a hug, he told me: " Come back whenever you want ", " Carlos, may God bless you "...!
As an end to the letter, I just wanted to leave here in writing, B ossa Nova Clube 's gratitude to the great Billy Blanco & Cia for that wonderful afternoon at his apartment in Copacabana. That day will be marked in my memory forever.
That afternoon I more than fulfilled my personal dream of being able to personally meet one of the main icons of Brazilian Music...!
Dear Billy Blanco & Billynho , from the other side of the sea, from what was the land of your Spanish mother & grandmother (respectively) Mrs. Rosalía Ramos Blanco, I send you a true hug...!
Billy Blanco died one Friday morning,
at the Pan American Hospital in the Tijuca neighborhood, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ).
Specifically, it was July 8, 2011, only two years after that happy meeting, unforgettable for me.
With great emotion, he receives a big virtual hug with the gratitude, admiration and affection of all the Desafinad@s of the World.
Ok, Billy Blanco ...!
PS: " Once Flamengo, always Flamengo "...!
PS ► This post was originally published on www,bossanovaclube.blogspot.com on 09/21/2009