Luiz Melodia


Luiz Carlos dos Santos, widely known by his stage name Luiz Melodia, was a Brazilian singer-songwriter whose music was a characteristic crossover of multiple Music genres including Música popular brasileira, rock music, blues, soul music and samba. He has been described as 'one of the most important Brazilian-born musicians.'
Son of samba music dilettante Oswaldo 'Melodia', Melodia grew up on a morro in the Estácio district—often referred to as the 'Birthplace of Samba'. Melodia's first LP record, Pérola negra, was released in 1973. He married fellow singer-songwriter and record producer Jane Reis, a Bahia native, in 1977; their only son, rapper Mahal Reis, was born in 1980. Melodia had another son, Iran, from a previous relationship.
Over the course of his career, Melodia released several studio albums and performed extensively in both Brazil and Europe. In 1987, he sang in Châteauvallon, France, and Bern, Switzerland. In 1992, he appeared at the III Folcalquier Music Festival, again in France, and, in 2004, at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2012, Melodia went on a big band tour throughout Europe, having performed in a number of cities including London, Paris and Berlin. He also played in Denmark, Switzerland and Portugal.
In 2015, Melodia was awarded Best Singer in the 26th Brazilian Music Awards. The 29th edition of the prize saw a posthumous tribute to his life's work, with the likes of Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia, among several others, performing famous Melodia songs. He was ranked 45th out of 100 best Brazilian musicians and 27th out of 100 best Brazilian voices.
Melodia was a fan of Chet Baker and John Coltrane, and a proud Black individual. He also worked briefly as an actor.

Biography

Early life

Melodia was born Luiz Carlos dos Santos in the Estácio district, Rio de Janeiro, on 7 January 1951. The only son of Oswaldo, a civil servant and amateur samba musician, and Eurídice, a seamstress, he first discovered music through his father, who played at home: "I would fetch his viola, try out a few chords and keep an eye on him. He never let me touch the 4-string viola, which really was a conversation piece, very beautiful. I learned a few things on it, though."
In light of his early affinity with music, Melodia decided to defy his father's plans, which were to have him finish school and pursue higher education. In 1963, alongside drummer-vocalist Walmir Lucena, Melodia started what would become a lifelong musical career. At the time, he took day jobs as a typographer, salesperson, counter attendant while also working as a nightclub musician. After dropping out of middle school, likely in 1964, Melodia spent his teenage years writing songs and playing Jovem Guarda and Bossa Nova hits with his newly-formed band Os Instantâneos alongside friends Manoel, Nazzareno and Mizinho. He was also in another band, Os Filhos do Sol ; they would play whatever it took to fire up a party, often times by singing in impromptu made-up English. Soon, well-connected morro scene habitués, Tropicália-related poet Waly Salomão and journalist Torquato Neto brought Melodia closer to mainstream music industry. Over this period, he was a partner to vocalist Marquinhos Sathan, who went on to become a relatively successful singer a few years afterwards.
A short lyrics excerpt is extant from his early period: 'Amo o céu e terra / e também o mar / amo a vontade que tenho de amar.'

1970s

Thanks to the introductions Salomão and Neto got him, Melodia was able to approach singer Gal Costa with song Presente cotidiano, but due to official censorship in force at the time, Costa was prevented from performing it at her regular Copacabana concerts—the song was however recorded by Costa for her 1973 album Índia and by Melodia himself in 1978 for album Mico de circo. Instead, Melodia offered Costa another song, Pérola negra, which she live-recorded for album -Fa-Tal- Gal a Todo Vapor. The song was an immediate hit.
In 1972, singer Maria Bethânia recorded Melodia's Estácio, holly Estácio for her album :pt:Drama - Anjo Exterminado.
In 1973, Melodia, who by then already went by his stage name, released his first studio album :pt:Pérola negra (álbum). The album is described by :pt:Rolling Stone Brasil as a 'contemporary wonder' and a 'masterpiece'. The album is consistently ranked as one of the best in Brazilian music history. The title track, with its sleek arrangement for brass, double bass, voice and piano, was depicted as a 'tormented love song which stands as a hallmark to Melodia's oeuvre'.
While his attitude at the time was reported to preserve the irreverence and restlessness of his samba scene background, the record may have earned Melodia a reputation as a maudit artist among critics, alongside others like Raimundo Fagner and João Bosco. The reason is unclear, but probably related to his insubordinate mindset. 'We weren't people that simply obeyed. You could say that we sidestepped the record label's house rules; we simply broke away from situations that weren't convenient. I have always believed in what I do", he stated.
In 1975, with song Ébano, Melodia reached the finals of Festival Abertura, a singing-songwriting contest hosted by television channel Rede Globo. Backing him up on the occasion were members of an incipient Banda Black Rio, as well as Azymuth's keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami.
Melodia's next album, Maravilhas contemporâneas , became popular thanks to song Juventude transviada, which featured in the soundtrack of Rede Globo's telenovela Pecado Capital by author Janete Clair.
Starting in 1977, Melodia became a contributor to Projeto Pixinguinha, sharing the stage with singers Zezé Motta and Marina Lima in tours around Brazil. Mico de Circo, another landmark, was released in 1978.
During the 1970s, Melodia was reported as leading a licentious life, having no papers or a bank account for some time, and as disorderly spending all his money earned from performances.

1980s and 1990s

Melodia released a total of four albums between 1980 and 1991: Nós , Felino , Claro and Pintando o sete . In Pintando o sete, Melodia included a version of hit song :pt:Codinome Beija-Flor, made legendary by singer Cazuza. In 1991, the song featured in the soundtrack of Dono do mundo, another Rede Globo telenovela. 1995 saw the release of Relíquias. In the same year, Melodia made a guest appearance on album Guitarra brasileira by musical partner Renato Piau, being credited on two of the tracks.
In 1997, Melodia released 14 Quilates. A year later, in 1998, he was featured on tribute album Balaio do Sampaio by :pt:Sérgio Sampaio, who similarly to Melodia was known as a maudit artist. In 1999, he released a live acoustic album featuring guitarists :pt:Renato Piau and Perinho Santana, which would result in a namesake concert tour the following year.

2000–2008

In 2001, Melodia released Retrato do artista quando coisa, with string and wind arrangements on most tracks. The album sees his son Mahal making an appearance on Lorena. The title track, whose name makes an obvious reference to James Joyce's A [Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man] is set to verses by Brazilian poet Manoel de Barros. In 2002, Melodia released a CD & DVD box set entitled Luiz Melodia convida – ao vivo, recorded in Rio de Janeiro, which featured Zeca Pagodinho, Zezé Motta, Luciana Mello, and the legendary Elza Soares, among others. The set featured bonus track Presente cotidiano as a studio-recorded duet with Gal Costa. He performed at :pt:Parque dos Patins in 2005 for the project Vivo Na Lagoa. In the same year he featured on album Um pouco de mim – Sergio Natureza e amigos, on track Vela no breu by Paulinho da Viola and :pt:Sergio Natureza. In 2006, he performed at Teatro Rival, in Rio de Janeiro and was featured on the cover of Carioquice magazine, a publication of the Cravo Albin Institute. He made an appearance that same year alongside :pt:Eudes Fraga, Wanda Sá and Claudia Telles on CD Par ou Ímpar by :pt:Marcelo Lessa and :pt:Paulinho Tapajós, featuring on track Veludo azul. Soon afterwards, Melodia brooded the idea of getting involved in a samba project. In mid-2006, he had been invited to give a special performance in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Teatro Rival. The focal point was samba songs from different periods. His project resulted in a concert and, to some extent, this became the album Estação Melodia and also formed the basis of an MTV Brasil special. In 2008, he was awarded the Prêmio Rival.

Later years and release of ''Zerima'' (2014)

In 2011, Melodia was a guest on fourth solo album by Titãs band member Sérgio Britto Purabossanova, which was released in September that year. In 2013, he held further concerts at Teatro Rival. In the same year, a multi-CD box set was released called Três tons de Luiz Melodia containing three albums from three different decades: Pérola negra, from 1973; Felino, from 1983; and Pintando o sete, from 1991.
In 2014, during a concert at Teatro Rival, Melodia released his 13th solo album :pt:Zerima, recorded at Som Livre studios. Zerima followed a 13-year gap without releasing new material. In it, Melodia reconnects with his samba and bossa nova roots. New compositions include Cheia de Graça, as well as Dor de carnaval with special guest singer-songwriter Céu.
Melodia never thought the commercial success he obtained, which was significant, but not huge, made justice to the quality of his work. In an interview, he stated: 'By the way, other musicians don't get it . Djavan said it once, and so did Caetano Veloso. It's a conundrum to many people. I don't really get it myself'. And: 'I still don't have that privilege . Which is something my music certainly deserved. I may be wrong, but I think I was even cut off more than once: I didn't get that much attention from record labels I signed with. I know my work isn't that voluminous, but I think it should have gotten a lot more attention. It takes a certain budget to promote an artist, for marketing expenses. I never got that, except back then at the beginning.'

Order of Cultural Merit

Melodia was awarded the Ordem do Mérito Cultural in 2011.

Death

Luiz Melodia died on 4 August 2017 at the age of 66 in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro from bone marrow cancer.

Discography

  • Pérola negra
  • Maravilhas contemporâneas
  • Mico de circo
  • Nós
  • Felino
  • Claro
  • Pintando o sete
  • Relíquias
  • 14 Quilates
  • Acústico ao vivo
  • Luiz Melodia convida – DVD
  • Estação Melodia
  • ''Zerima''