Barca dos Corações Partidos: Auê

A Celebration of Brazilian Culture

— In a country with an extremely rich tradition of strong female performers, it often surprises me when a male artist rises to the forefront. That was one of the things that called my attention when I first heard of Barca dos Corações Partidos (Ship of the Broken Hearts). The group is made up of Ádren Alves (percussion, soprano sax, vocals), Alfredo Del-Penho (acoustic and electric guitars, bass, cavaquinho, flute, percussion, vocals), Beto Lemos (acoustic and electric guitars, rabeca, accordion, percussion), Eduardo Rios (accordion, tenor sax, vocals), Fabio Enriquez (trumpet, percussion, vocals), Renato Luciano (acoustic guitar, trombone, vocals), Ricca Barros (bass, alto sax, vocals) and guest Rick de La Torre (drums). Vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, the group received the attention of the Brazilian press and public alike. Raving reviews of their show Auê appeared in major newspapers in Brazil, and the show has been touring several cities. Luckily, for those of us who do not live in Brazil, a CD of the music from the show is also available.

What is Auê? If you look up the word in a Portuguese dictionary, it will be defined as excitement, noise, tumult, spree. The show Auê is a mixture of music, dance and theatre in stunning performances by these artists who sing and play all instruments live on stage. It is indeed a musical celebration. They collectively created the music and staging under the direction of Duda Maia. You hear poetry, samba de roda, baião, rock, waltzes, ijexá, maracatu and coco, all arranged by Alfredo Del-Penho and Beto Lemos. The music is regional, traditional and global. Duda Maia defines Auê as a “celebration to the Brazilian musical culture.” The biggest challenge in making the show was how to integrate the instruments to the scenes. Duda did not want simply to add an instrument. The instruments needed to be an integral and natural part of the scene. As for the lyrics, they all revolve around love and its pain and pleasure.

The group Barca dos Corações Partidos was created in 2012, when they were presenting a show in homage of Luiz Gonzaga, Gonzagão – A Lenda. That show was followed by a remake of Chico Buarque‘s Ópera do Malandro in 2014. Auê has already received several awards, including best director and musical direction in Rio de Janeiro. It has also received a Prêmio Shell for best show in 2017. With a non-stopping schedule, the troupe has already debuted its next project, a homage to poet Ariano Suassuna (1927-2014). For this project, Chico César joins Alfredo Del-Penho and Beto Lemos for original songs. History is repeating itself with this new show. It is also garnering public and critic praise. Let’s hope that a CD is forthcoming, too.