Born in the city of Presidente Prudente in the state of São Paulo, Heloísa Fernandes has been steeped in the rich tapestry of Brazilian music since she was a little girl. At the age of 4 she began learning piano from her mother, a bond that allowed her creativity to flourish, not only in performing, but in improvisation and composition as well.
She went on to study with Paulo Gori and Gilberto Tinetti, obtaining a degree in piano performance from the Conservatório Dramático e Musical de São Paulo. She also studied conducting at the Centro de Estudos Tom Jobim and composition at the University of São Paulo. In 2001, Fernandes was a finalist in Brazil’s leading musical competition—the Prêmio Visade Música Brasileira.
Fernandes has been releasing albums since 2005 and her newest program, “Dream of the Waters”, has brought her on another tour of the U.S; including a stop at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis. The program, “Sonhos das águas”, tells a story in chapters and reflects on moments of personal observation of the beauty and immensity of the Amazon.
Excellence in Jazz host Avery Jeffry recently sat down with Fernandes to discuss her upcoming concert and the intense research that helped her cultivate her unique sound.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Interview highlights
On her musical beginnings
I remember some compositions I did for my grandmother and grandfather. They were small things but I did it with great joy and happiness. Because of improvisation and the ability to be free at the piano, I felt I was in a secure place, that I was loved. It was very important to me and for our relationship too, between my mother and I. Playing classical, jazz and Brazilian music; it’s like something that mixes inside of you. It’s difficult to define, to have a description of what this music looks like. For me, it’s a way to talk about myself, to talk about my life.
On studying Brazilian folk melodies from the 1930’s
We were talking about influences and he [Egberto Gismonti] told me about a book. It was a book with many melodies and rhythms that were transcribed by Mario De Andrade. It’s the first book of folkloric melodies of Brazil. So Gilberto told me, “you have to look for this book. Please find this book, this is very important.” I started learning the melodies and singing them without an instrument. For about 1 year I was doing this work and I decided that I could make music using this material. I learned a lot about Brazilian music. It seems crazy but many Brazilians don’t know about Brazilian music. One of the most important things that Mario De Andrade used to say was that “Brazil needs to know about Brazil.”
On her newest program, “Dream of the Waters”
I was in the Amazon two years ago for the first time. I was flying for maybe 1 hour over the forest and the rivers. I started thinking about Amazonia and about its importance to the world; the importance of nature, the importance of taking a breath and looking to nature. This was the starting point for me, so I started composing. I felt that the strength of the river was inside of me, so I had a dream. I really had a dream. I threw myself into the water and started feeling all of the sensations and seeing the forest. I felt everything and it was amazing. When I woke up I could feel that I was on the right track. This work is about this. It’s about nature, it’s about the Amazon, but it’s about me.
