TODD SPEAKMAN | FLAT 8 242 GRAFTON ROAD CAMDEN LONDON NW54AU

Todd Speakman

OPEN YOURSELF TO THE WORLD:

AN EXTRAORDINARY THING HAPPEND TO ME THE OTHER DAY;  ON MY WAY HOME FROM TEACHING I DECIDED TO POP TO CAMDEN TO GET A RECORD.  MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH BRAZIL HAS BEEN HEAVILY MAKING ITS WAY INTO MY BRAIN AGAIN SINCE WATCHING THE INCREDIBLE 'IMAGINE' PROGRAMME ON RIO. SO I FAIRLY PREDICTABLY CHOSE A BOSSA NOVA MIX ALBUM BEFORE BEING RUSHED TO THE TILL AND OUT OF THE SHOP BY A SHOP KEEPER WHO REALLY WANTED TO GO HOME.

WHY DID I DECIDE TO GO AND BUY A RECORD? WHY WAS THE GUY IN SUCH A RUSH TO GO HOME? WHY HAD I PICKED UP THE BOSSA NOVA MIX? IT WAS ALL ME SUBCONCIOUSLY OPENING MYSELF UP TO A BOSSA NOVA : A" NEW THING." 

THIS LED TO ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING ECNCOUNTERS I HAVE EVER HAD.

AS I SAT WITH THE RECORD ON MY LAP, AN OLD MAN STUMBLED ONTO THE BUS AND MADE HIS WAY OVER TO SIT BY ME.

AFTER CATCHING HIS BREATH HE BLURTS OUT "BOSSA NOVA, HEY, WOW MAN, YOU LIKE BOSSA? VOCE FALA PORTUGUESE?"

WHILE I DON'T SPEAK PORTUGUESE (YET) I DO LIKE BOSSA.

HE STARTED TELLING ME ABOUT HIS TIME LIVING IN RIO IN IN THE FIFTIES AND BEING PART OF THE SAMBA JAZZ SCENE BEFORE THE FRENCH THOUGHT UP A TITLE FOR THIS "NEW THING" DUBBING IT "BOSSA NOVA."

HE KEPT SAYING IT WAS A LONG STORY SO HE WOULDN'T CONTINUE AND THEN HE REALISED WE GOT OFF AT THE SAME STOP.

ONE CONVERSATION LED TO ANOTHER AND THEN ANOTHER, HIS AMAZEMENT AT THE THINGS WE HAD IN COMON CAME OUT IN SENTENCES LIKE "I THINK IM GOING TO DIE TONIGHT. WHY HAVE I MET YOU? WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF SITTING NEXT TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS SO MUCH IN COMMON WITH ME, IS SO KIND AND IS INTERESTED IN MY STORIES THAT I HAVEN'T TOLD IN OVER 20 YEARS?"

THERE IS SO MUCH I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS MAN THAT WAS UNBELIEVABLE AND ALL OF IT WAS TRUE; PICTURES OF HIM WITH DIZZIE GILESPIE AND CHARLIE PARKER READING CHEKOV, LETTERS FROM PHILIP ROTH (AMERICAS GREATEST LIVING WRITER.) THE STORIES GO ON BUT I MUST GET TO THE MUSIC...

I HELPED HIM GET HOME AND UP THE STAIRS  (IT WAS QUITE A MISSION, THE GUY IS WELL INTO HIS 80S) AND AFTER PUTTING HIS SHOPPING AWAY HE WANTED TO GIVE ME A RECORD, A GIFT.

THIS IS WHERE 'BATUCADA FANTASTICA' COMES IN.

THE RECORD HE GAVE ME WAS THE FIRST OF SEVERAL COMPILATION ALBUMS MADE BY THE GRANDFATHER OF BRAZILIAN DRUMMING: LUCIANO PERRONE.

IF YOU ARE INTO BRAZILIAN MUSIC (OR ANY MUSIC AT ALL) THIS RECORD WILL BLOW YOU AWAY, I MEAN, YOU WILL REALLY DIG IT MAN! EVEN THE REVERB REEKS OF A HOT BRAZILIAN DAY RIGHT AFTER THE MIDDAY TROPICAL RAINSTORM.

HE PASSED ME THIS RECORD AND SAID: 

"I BOUGHT 2 COPIES OF THIS IN THE EARLY 60'S WHEN I LIVED IN RIO, ONE FOR ME AND ONE FOR MY BEST FRIEND WHO IS NOW DEAD. I REALLY FEEL YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS RECORD, BUT YOU BETTER LOOK AFTER THIS MAN, I MEAN REALLY LOOK AFTER IT, AND OF YOU DON'T I'LL GET THE FUCKING KRAY TWINS ON YOU!"

THIS IS THE VOICE OF AN 85 YEAR OLD JEWISH NEW YORKER, A WAR VETERAN WHO SURVIVED A BULLET IN THE SPINE AS A YOUNG MAN AND WHO SOUNDS SOMETHING LIKE ROBERT DE NIRO; TELL ME YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AS SCARED AS I WAS.

I WILL LOOK AFTER THIS RECORD.

NOT BECAUSE OF HIS THREAT AND NOT BECAUSE OF ITS STORY, BUT BECAUSE IT IS A PRICELESS PIECE OF BRAZIL'S HISTORY.

I HOPE ONE DAY WHEN I'M OLD AND SLOW A YOUNG MUSICIAN WILL HELP ME OFF A BUS. I WILL PASS THE RECORD TO THEIR CARE AND TELL THEM TO LOOK AFTER IT. BECAUSE SOMETIMES, WHEN WE WISH TO CREATE A BOSSA NOVA, WE NEED TO LISTEN BACKWARDS.
 

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO:

SOME FUNKY BRAZILIAN DISCO VIBES WITH THIS RECORD. BRAZIL ON THE MIND, SUN AND BIRTHDAY BBQ'S ON MY SKIN AND GEORGE DUKES BRAZILIAN LOVE AFAIR IN MY EARS.
CHECK IT... IT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY...