|
Composer, singer, pianist, arranger and maestro. Representing the best generation of composers to have appeared in Brazil since the end of the 20's (when the young Noel Rosa, Ary Barroso, Lamartine Babo, João de Barro, Ismael Silva and so many others made their debut), Francis Hime took on the role as one of the main protagonists in Brazilian popular music after the first half of the 60's. One thing is sure: it would be impossible to write the history of our music in the past few decades without highlighting Francis Hime in a very special way. On the map of MPB, all tributaries flow to Francis Hime's estuary talent. Tom Jobim is a piano, Caymmi, a guitar, Vinicius, a pen, Noel, a white suit. If we use the analogy, Francis Hime is an orchestra. A symphonic orchestra. Not a regular orchestra, based exclusively on strings, wood, and ties, but a rich formation of honky-tonk metals, crying cavaquinhos, and samba tambourines. If Rio's music is a fusion - all the sounds of Brazil flowing together to an estuary where they mix and gain rhythm and density - Francis is this same fusion, wearing pants. To all these Brazilian rhythms, Francis lends his inspired refinement and borrows beauty and vitality. Attention: These are not empty words. Francis Hime (now that Villa-Lobos, Radamés Gnatalli, Tom Jobim, and Luizinho Eça aren't among us) is a composer with a control of skills that allows creation flights. It is, as for now, the definite fusion between popular and erudite music in Brazil. And this is not a contradiction. The "as for now" in this definite situation is only valid until Francis, along with his Orchestra, decide to top it up. Francis Hime studied piano since the age of six at the Brazilian Conservatory of Music. In 1963 starts his partnership with Vinicius de Moraes, with whom he composed numerous songs such as: "Sem mais adeus, "Anoiteceu", "A dor a mais", Teresa sabe sambar" and others. At that time, starts also to compose with Ruy Guerra songs as "Minha" ( recorded by Elis Regina, Tony Bennet, Bill Evans and many others ) "Último canto", "Por um amor maior" and others. Participated in several festivals of popular music in the sixties, when his songs were sung by Elis Regina, Roberto Carlos, Jair Rodrigues, MPB- 4 and others. In 1969 went to the States, where he spent four years studying composition, orchestration and film tracking with Lalo Schifrin, David Raksin, Paul Glass, Albert Harris, and Hugo Friedhopfer. In 1973, starts scoring for films as "A Estrela sobe", "Dona Flor e seus dois maridos", both directed by Bruno Barreto, "O homem célebre", "Republica dos assassinos", both directed by Miguel Faria, "A noiva da cidade", by Alex Vianny, Marilia e Marina, by Luis Fernando Goulart, "O homem que comprou o mundo", by Eduardo Coutinho, Marcados para viver", by Maria do Rosário, "Lição de amor", by Eduardo Escorel. Two of these scores were awarded at Gramado´s film festival and "Coruja de Ouro" for best scoring of the year. For the theater, he wrote scores for: "Dura lex sed lex no cabelo só gumex" (Oduvaldo Viana Filho), "O rei de Ramos" (Dias Gomes), "A menina e o vento" (Maria Clara Machado), "Belas figuras" (Ziraldo), "Foi bom, meu bem" (Alberto Abreu), "O banquete" (Mario de Andrade), "Pinoquio" (A. Collodi), , "Ta ruço no açougue" ( grupo "Tem folga na direção"), "Na sauna" (Nell Dunn), and "Love letters" (A. R. Gurney). Known as one of the most talented songwriters in Brazil, Francis is specially gifted in his versatility on the various brazilian rythms, also writing sambas , frevos, modinhas, calangos, choros, etc… For his eclectic "repertoire", Francis has a non less eclectic and talented group of partners writing lyrics for his songs, such as Geraldo Carneiro, Milton Nascimento, Olivia Hime, Gilberto Gil, Paulo Cesar Pinheiro, Cacaso, Capinan, Adriana Calcanhotto, Paulinho da Viola, Lenine, Joyce , Moraes Moreira, Georges Moustaki, Livingston and Evans, Sergio Bardotti ( other than the already mentioned Chico Buarque, Vinicius de Moraes and Ruy Guerra ). He also wrote music for poems by Fernando Pessoa, Manoel Bandeira, Castro Alves. As an arranger , Francis worked for : Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Georges Moustaki, Caetano Veloso, Clara Nunes,Toquinho, Elba Ramalho, Vania Bastos, Fafá de Belém ,Olívia Hime, MPB 4 and Chico Buarque (to whom, he made the musical direction of four albuns ). Since the eighties Francis started to write also classical compositions. In 2000, he wrote the Sinfonia do Rio de Janeiro de São Sebastião in 5 movements (Lundú, Modinha, Choro, Samba and Canção brasileira), with lyrics by Geraldo Carneiro and Paulo César Pinheiro. The "premiere" was performed at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, with Lenine, Leila Pinheiro, Olivia Hime, Zé Renato and Sergio Santos as soloists, with the symphonic orchestra conducted by Francis Hime, the concert being directed by Flavio Marinho. Francis conducted this symphony in 2 more occasions: in 2002, in Copacabana Beach, to an audience over 20.000 people, and at UNESCO, in Paris, in 2005, ending the festivities of the year France - Brazil. More recently Francis wrote a concert for guitar and orchestra in 3 movements, dedicated to Raphael Rabello, which will have its "premiere"in November 2009, at sala São Paulo, played by Fabion Zanon with the OSESP conducted byAlondra de La Parra. Francis has just finished the score of "Opera do Futebol", opera in 4 acts, whith "libretto" by Silvana Gontijo, that probably will be performed in 2010. In popular music field, Francis has released in August 2007 a new cd/dvd "Francis Hime Live" and in 2008 “Album Musical nº 2” , a new songbook. As a performer, Francis has been making solo shows, concerts with his band, as well as with different orchestras, presenting his compositions throughout Brazil and abroad. ALBUMS:
1975 - Coruja de Ouro ( best score of the year)
SONGBOOKS : Francis Hime Songbook Francis Hime - Álbum Musical Francis Hime 2009 – Editora Nova Fronteira (To be released in August) |