Hermeto Pascoal
Cerebro Magnetico

Brasil Instrumental n.2

Seventy-three years old, yet with the spirit of a child. He embraces music like children play with their imagination. His first source of inspiration is nature, in which he immerses himself and with which he converses. Then, the human voice, from which he extracts his theory of the "music of the aura", which we might talk about on another occasion.

Hermeto can make music with any object because everything in his hands becomes a catalyst for his musical spirit. He even manages to pull something musical from a visit to the dentist. It has always been this way, since he was a child, when learning to play the eight-bass accordion, a traditional instrument of northeastern Brazilian music, he spontaneously found himself playing harmonies never heard before, creating chords invented out of pure inspiration.

If you think I am exaggerating, know that I am talking about Hermeto Pascoal, who is considered one of the most important Brazilian musicians, a source of inspiration for generations of musicians, capable of reshaping to a complete metamorphosis the musical tradition of his land, making it "universal music", as he defines it.

Despite being perfectly aware of his musical greatness, which, like Samson, is measured in beard and hair, Hermeto is not the type to let it all go to his head: he didn't choose to live in the States, but only spent a few years there at the invitation of his colleague Airto Moreira, he doesn't need to go around saying that Miles Davis recorded two of his compositions, nor does he need to tell us to buy his records, in fact, in 2008 he decided to liberate their piracy as per his declaration on letterhead, and as justified in this quote: "Anyone who wants to download my records can do so at will. Pirate my records... Do you know what God said? 'Grow and multiply.' Many people think this only applies to sex. We must grow in our way of being and multiply what is good. Without barriers." H.P.

His discography offers a wide selection, and all the albums I've listened to so far are very good. I've chosen "Cerebro Magnetico" (1980) as an excuse to talk a bit about Hermeto and because I think it's a good starting point to get to know his music.

Hermeto masters in this album: flutes, melodica, percussion, voice, sax, piano, harmonium, guitar, cavaquinho, whistle, drums, horn, organ pedal... He is accompanied by: Jovino Santos Neto on piano and harmonium, Alfredo Dias Gomes on drums, and the now inseparable bassist Itiberê Zwarg.

The music offered in Cerebro Megnetico is... Universal Music. I could tell you there is jazz, progressive, and Brazilian music but I wouldn't want to lead you down the wrong path.

I'm not a musician and I don't know musical theory but I might venture to say that Hermeto manages to move us with rich and ever-changing rhythmic structures, gifting us simple melodies through complex harmonies, music that is both easy and difficult, a search never an end unto itself.

It's no wonder they call him the wizard.